Matheson: A tour to remember

MONTREAL -- Visiting the Canadiens' locker room and touring the facilities was everything Mike Matheson hoped it would be and more.

SHOP: Matheson No. 8 jersey
The 28-year-old Pointe-Claire native beamed with pride as he explored his new digs at the Bell Centre for the first time since being acquired from the Penguins on July 16.
Accompanied by his wife, Emily, one-year-old son, Hudson, and his parents, Rod and Margaret, the veteran blueliner was captivated by his surroundings.
"It was just the anticipation of so many years. I was that kid that just kind of idolized the Canadiens," said Matheson, the former captain of the Midget AAA Lac St. Louis Lions. "When the period would end and we were here at games, all I would be thinking was, 'I wonder what the locker room's like, I wonder what they do down there in the intermission.' This whole day, knowing that I was going to have the opportunity to do that, I was just anticipating what it would look like, what it would feel like, so to be able to actually do it was pretty cool."

Donning his new No. 8 jersey was a memorable experience, of course.
It symbolized the fact that he was officially a member of his hometown team and starting a new chapter in his career after 417 regular-season games between Florida and Pittsburgh.
"I keep feeling like I want to say it was strange, but in such a good way. It made it feel really real and exciting," mentioned Matheson. "Even though I've been in the NHL for six years now, I never envisioned that being an opportunity that I would have."
It's safe to say that Hudson enjoyed the tour as much as anyone.
And the couple is thrilled to be raising him in Montreal for the foreseeable future since the Boston College product is already under contract through the 2025-26 campaign.

"I was lucky enough to have such a great childhood, so when you look back, you would love for your child to be able to experience the same thing, and we're kind of being given that opportunity right now," explained Matheson. "It's pretty special to think that once he gets a little bit older, we can maybe bring him to outdoor rinks. When you're further south, that's just not a thing. All that kind of stuff. The culture in Montreal, I don't think there's any other city that's similar in North America. There's a lot that it has to offer, and it's exciting to know that Hudson will grow up with that ingrained in his DNA."
Expect to see the youngster along the glass during the pregame warmups come October.
A decorated defenseman for Team USA, Emily can't wait to bring him along to feel the Bell Centre atmosphere.
"I think this year Hudson might actually recognize him, which should be fun," said the 2018 Olympic gold medalist, whose resume includes four World Championship golds, too. "He points to everyone and says 'Dada!' but I think he'll notice it's him… He loves the music. He's a big music guy."
In the meantime, Matheson will continue preparing for training camp and his first season under head coach Martin St-Louis.
His sense of eagerness can only be described as off the charts.

"It's so cool to be able to come in and play for the team that I grew up cheering for. Just last week, I got all my Canadiens equipment sent to me and I started skating with it. It was just so surreal to be putting that on," noted Matheson. "It just took me back to sitting up in the building, mostly in the nosebleeds, because that's where I used to sit for the games."
Those days are long gone now…
And it doesn't get any better than this for a local player who revered the likes of Saku Koivu as a kid.
"Even as an away team, when I came out for the game, I knew the fans weren't cheering for me and I was still getting goosebumps," said Matheson. "To know that I'll be on the right side now, there'll be a lot of goosebumps going that first time especially."
A unique anecdote
Where were the Mathesons when they learned that they were on the move?
Mike and Emily were in San Diego, CA preparing to attend a wedding ceremony.
"It was an ex-teammate that I went to college with, Thatcher Demko. Funny enough, it was his wedding day," shared Matheson with a laugh. "The first thing he said to me was 'Congratulations!' instead of me congratulating him for getting married."

After the initial shock wore off, Emily was ecstatic for her husband.
"It was a childhood dream, so to see that come true was pretty special," said Matheson's better half. "It makes me so proud of him. We're excited to be here. We were talking about it the last couple of days before the visit, but now it feels very real."
A Buffalo native, Emily is no stranger to Montreal since they've spent "four or five summers" in town.
That should make the transition relatively seamless.
"I'm excited to be around his family. I love the city. It's an awesome city," she concluded. "We've got a couple of our favorite spots to go to, like C'ChoColat. I'll be there a lot."