Defenceman Matheson named assistant captain of Montreal Canadiens

LAVAL-SUR-LE-LAC, Que. – Defenceman Mike Matheson has been named an assistant captain of the Montreal Canadiens, the team announced Monday.

The club said the decision was made by the Canadiens’ management team.

Veteran Brendan Gallagher will continue to serve as an assistant captain, while forward Nick Suzuki retains his role as team captain.

The 29-year-old Matheson led the team’s defencemen with 34 points (8-26) in 48 games last season. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound blue-liner also set career highs for assists (26), points (34), power-play points (9), and average time on ice per game (24:27).

In eight seasons in the NHL, the Pointe-Claire, Que. native has accumulated 172 points (57-115) in 465 games with the Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Canadiens.

Matheson, who was selected in the first round (23rd overall) by the Panthers in the NHL draft in 2012, was acquired from the Penguins along with a draft pick in exchange for defenceman Jeff Petry and forward Ryan Poehling on July 16, 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2023.