BOSTON | Boston College Eagles head coach Greg Brown is in his 16th yeare season with the organization. He has seen many future NHL players come and go over the years. One of them is Habs defenseman Mike Matheson, and he’s not at all surprised that the defenseman is thriving in his hometown.
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Matheson played three seasons with the Eagles, from 2012 to 2014. At that time, Brown was an assistant coach to the legendary Jerry York, who retired in 2022 after spending 50 years of his life coaching in the NCAA, including 28 at Boston College .
Mike Matheson (5) when he played for the Boston College Eagles. Courtesy of BOSTON COLLEGE
Still, he was able to watch Matheson develop in a lineup that featured several very quality players, starting with Johnny Gaudreau, Kevin Hayes and Alex Tuch.
“Mike was very good during his time with us,” assured Brown. It’s really nice to see him continue to progress and be able to add ways to expand his toolbox. When he was here, we knew he would play in the NHL, but we didn’t know to what extent he could develop into a full player.
An elite skate
When the Journal visited Boston, Matheson had just scored his magnificent goal against the New Jersey Devils, in which he beat everyone before escaping and beating goalie Vitek Vanecek, sending the crowd at the Bell Center into an uproar.
A sequence that was a reminder of what Matheson could do in Boston.
“His skating has always been elite. I remember one year when he ran a power play, complemented by Johnny Gaudreau and Kevin Hayes. They had done quite a bit of damage.”
So it’s no surprise for him to see the success he’s experiencing in Montreal.
“I’m just really happy for him because he’s a really good person and he’s always worked hard.”
And Newhook?
We also used our visit to Boston College to ask the coaches about another CH player, Alex Newhook.
In fact, it was Deputy Mike Ayers who first asked us about him.
“How’s Alex?” I’d have to tell him I’m still using one of his rackets at practice and need a new one,” he laughed.
Photo Martin Chevalier
Newhook’s move to BC is more recent than Matheson’s: he played there for two years, between 2019 and 2021.
“His speed and tenacity were always an asset to him and I remember we worked with him a lot to make sure he slowed things down a bit in his head. I’m a little surprised it’s taking him a little longer to get into the NHL, but I’m not worried. Kent Hughes called me last year before the trade to ask my opinion and I told him he was a player you wanted in the locker room. He brings a lot of energy and positivism. I told Kent that if I were him, I wouldn’t hesitate to add him to my lineup.