LEWISTON – The minute Maxime Mathieu steps onto the ice for his first shift of the game at the Colisee, a feeling of pity often sweeps over the fans – for any opposing player near the puck.
Like he was shot out of a cannon, Mathieu is hungry to find the puck and immediately make an impact.
“We know he is a very intense person,” said Jodoin. “He was a good competitor. Lately, he has been feeling down, you know, because he has been hurt and he feels like he is not contributing, but he is a key guy on this hockey team. He does some good things for the hockey team.”
The last time Lewiston faced Rimouski, Mathieu went down with a knee injury. That was on March 16. On Friday, nearly a month later, Mathieu will play in his third game back from that injury in a series against the team that put him out of commission.
“That was the worst thing in the world,” said Mathieu of his injury. “It was the worst moment of my career, and to see two games of the playoffs from the stands, that was not fun.”
But, according to Mathieu, knowing that the Oceanic will be gunning for him again makes him that much more excited to play.
“I know I am the guy the more hated by that team,” said Mathieu. “I heard that. I don’t know why.”
Perhaps it’s the hitting. Mathieu is among the team leaders in a statistic the league calls “good hits,” and he is second on the team in total penalty minutes behind Sheldon Wenzel with 224. For a team that relies heavily on finesse, like Rimouski, a player like Mathieu can create problems.
“I was in Western Canada and was thinking of playing Junior A there,” said Mathieu. “It’s a different game here than in Western Canada. I try to keep the same style I played there, to show that since I was drafted here I should stay here.
“I want to play in the NHL, or something like that,” continued Mathieu. “If not in the NHL, then play in Europe or somewhere as a professional. When I came here, for the scouts, they are not looking at me for points, so I knew that if I want to play pro I needed to bring something more.”
Jodoin, meanwhile, is excited to have a player like Mathieu back in the lineup for the rest of the playoffs.
“It brings back energy,” said Jodoin. “It brings back intensity. It brings back character. It brings back a lot of things. He’s not back to 100 percent, but like I told him, five shifts, 10 shifts, if he’s giving 150 percent of what he has, he helps raise our intensity up.”
Prior to his injury and subsequent time off, Mathieu was playing on a defense-first line with Colby Gilbert and Derek Bailey. Bailey has also since gone out for the year with an injury, and the line has been dissolved, forcing other players to step into different roles. Still, Mathieu is excited to be back with a chance to exact revenge on the very team that forced him to miss time.
“I am not at 100 percent right now, but I want to be on the ice,” said Mathieu. “It makes me want to play harder. It’s hard because of my injury, I lost my spot (on the roster). Still, if it’s the fourth line where I have to play, I will play there. It’s about the team first.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
