Q&A with Mathieu Joseph of Senators

Breaking news: Mathieu Joseph loves poutine.
Like, a lot.
Joseph was traded to the Ottawa Senators from the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he played the first four seasons of his NHL career, on March 20. The 25-year-old forward has played 244 games, scoring 42 goals and dishing out 43 assists.
On the ice, Joseph said the Senators have a nice mix of young talent and veterans and are looking to bounce back from a 33-42-7 record from the 2021-22 season.
Off the ice, you can learn about his favorite poutine spots, inter-family NHL rivalry and expectations for the 2022-23 season below.

The Senators are 4-8 so far this season. What's the team's mindset moving forward?
"We're kind of in a slump right now and trying to figure out who we are as a team and trying to find some chemistry still. We're playing well and playing hard. We're doing all the right things. It's going to click at some point. We feel like the hockey gods are against us but at the same time, you create your own luck. It's not necessarily the start we wanted, but that's the beauty of having an 82-game season; there's plenty of time left."
Who's the team jokester?
"I think [Thomas] Chabot is pretty funny. [Claude] Giroux is actually a really funny guy, but I think my No. 1 is [Drake] Batherson. Batherson's hilarious."
Who's the team DJ?
"Batherson and Chabot I would say, mostly. [Nick] Holden likes to jump in there and put some rock on."
What superlative would you give yourself on the team?
"Most energy, for sure, or most talkative."
What don't people know about you off the ice?
"A lot of people don't know I have a brother (Pierre-Olivier Joseph) that also plays in the NHL (for the Pittsburgh Penguins). A lot of people are like, 'Oh my god, you guys are actually brothers?' It's funny, because I saw a picture of the Lindgren brothers and I had no idea they were related, and I've been playing against them for a while, too. Also, I'm part Haitian. I'm really proud to be part Haitian. Oh, and I can do a rubix cube in under two minutes."
What kind of relationship do you have with your brother?
"Well, we started as competitors growing up, being close in age. I had to wait until he was strong enough to start battling with him. We used to be close, but we wouldn't tell each other everything. As we grew up, we have the same lifestyle, a little bit of the same friend group and we grew closer and closer. We've always been really close to our parents. I would definitely say he's my best friend."
If you and your brother are playing each other, who are your parents rooting for?
"I have the perfect answer. I know my parents have a jersey of one team and a hat of the other. That's how it was in junior hockey and that's definitely going to be how it is in the NHL, too. Mom's going to have an Ottawa jersey on with a Penguins hat and Dad's going to have a Penguins jersey on with a Sens hat."
When was the last time you tried something new?
"I love poutine, like so much. Almost too much for a hockey player. I really like it. I never really loved KFC that much, but one time this summer I just wanted to try a different poutine, so I tried the KFC one, and it was probably in my Top 3 poutine of all time. KFC poutine in Canada is delicious… If you haven't been to Quebec, I haven't had better poutine anywhere else."
You were Tyler the Creator for Halloween this year and Lil Wayne last year. Is there a theme you stick to for Halloween?
"I don't love face paint, so I like to imitate someone or a character for Halloween. I couldn't find anything this year and then I ended up on his album and the outfit was easy to put together. I don't think it beat my Lil Wayne costume last year though, I thought that one was really good."

You said Lil Wayne is your favorite rapper. Is that the music you listen to during warmups?
"No, it depends on what I'm in the mood for. I'm a mood guy. I like French music. I also love EDM, like, I love EDM. I like rap and hip hop too, but the slower raps."
What's your favorite part about being in the NHL?
"For me, personally, it's traveling. I'm a huge traveler. I love going to new places. There are so many good things about the NHL, with the hockey part. The camaraderie of being together as a team is so fun, especially with that many guys. It doesn't look like it, but I can be a loner too sometimes. I like my alone time and walk around cities alone. It's fun for me to visit cities and learn about the places I go."