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Chris and his wife, Caroline, welcomed their first child, Henry, into the world on December 14 in St. Louis.
Seven months later, the Canadiens' defenseman is relishing everything about fatherhood - even the daily wake-up calls at dawn.
The man who affectionately referred to the offseason as "Dad SZN" in an Instagram post wouldn't have it any other way.
"Caroline isn't a morning person, so I'm on morning duty. I get up with Henry and our 90-pound golden doodle, Shooter. I call myself the "Mayor of the Morning," explained Wideman with a laugh. "Just seeing Henry's face in the morning, he's smiling and just so happy to have another day. That makes my day every day. The times we get to spend together in the mornings, just us two, are some of the best memories I've had so far."
Signing a two-year contract extension last month with Henry front and center was a treat, too.
The youngster proudly sported his Habs jersey and offered up a smile.
"That was pretty special. My wife and I, we love having our family involved. To have her and him there, it was really something. They've been a huge motivation for me the past year," praised Wideman, who finished tied for the team lead in points (27) among blueliners during the 2021-22 campaign. "They're a huge part of everything I've been able to accomplish."
When Caroline brought Henry down to the glass for the pre-game warmup on March 15 at the Bell Centre, the former Eddie Shore Award winner as the AHL's best defenseman, was over the moon.
Moments like that are priceless, to say the least.
"There've been some nice achievements personally and I've been able to be a part of some good teams, but that was probably the highlight of my hockey career, being able to see him at the game, with my wife, and how excited she was," said Wideman. "Seeing Cole [Caufield] and some of the guys skate over and flip pucks at him, and he was smiling, it's a memory I'll always remember."
And now that he's locked up for a couple of more years, expect to see a lot more of Caroline and Henry in the building.
Wideman envisions many photo-worthy experiences ahead.
"I can't wait to get him running around the locker room, and hopefully he takes his first strides on the ice at the Bell Centre at some point," he concluded. "That'll be another special memory."
