Stu Cowan: Canadiens’ Wideman vows to seize second chance in NHL

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If Chris Wideman is as impressive on the ice as he was during his first Montreal media session on Monday morning, he will earn a spot on the Canadiens’ blue line.

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The 31-year-old defender is determined to make the most of the second chance the Canadiens have given him to play in the NHL and revealed just how much while answering questions from reporters for 10 minutes at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard.

Wideman hasn’t been in the NHL since the 2018-19 season, when he played 25 split games between the Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. Wideman’s road out of the NHL began when he and six Senators teammates were secretly filmed during an Uber ride in Phoenix in October 2018 ranting against assistant coach Martin Raymond and the team’s struggles on teams. specials. Shortly after the video was released, Wideman was transferred to the Oilers.

The other players at Uber were Thomas Chabot, Chris Tierney, Colin White, and Alex Formenton (all still with the Senators), along with Matt Duchene (now with the Nashville Predators) and Dylan DeMelo (now with the Winnipeg Jets).

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Wideman spent the 2019-20 season in the AHL, posting totals of 9-22-31 in 53 games with the San Diego Gulls. Last season, he played in Russia for the Nizhny Novgorad Torpedo and led all KHL defenders in scoring with totals of 9-32-41 in 59 games.

In July, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin signed Wideman as a free agent to a one-year deal worth $ 750,000. The St. Louis native was reported to have turned down a $ 2 million offer to stay with the KHL.

“When you’re there, you really don’t know what’s going to happen,” Wideman said of the KHL. “I had some opportunities to stay there and play. Every day when I woke up in Russia, whether it was in training or in a game, my mentality was: How am I going to get back to the NHL? ”.

Wideman flew to Russia last year shortly after getting married. His wife, Caroline, was unable to join him immediately due to COVID-related visa issues.

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“Well, I got on a plane to go there 13 days after we got married, so it was hard to sell … the honeymoon in Russia,” he said. “The time change is obviously difficult. The newlyweds, trying to stay awake, meet before going to sleep. We are very close and she is someone I really lean on, especially in the last few years when hockey has been difficult. “

Caroline was able to join Wideman in Russia for the last two and a half months of the KHL season. They had a personal driver who helped them get to the track and around Nizhny Novgorod, a city of 1.25 million located 400 kilometers east of Moscow, to buy food and go to restaurants, etc.

In June, the couple were able to have a real honeymoon in Bermuda and Caroline is pregnant.

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“First of all, it’s an amazing life experience to be there and really expose yourself a little bit and feel uncomfortable,” Wideman said of his time in Russia. “But I really fell in love with hockey again. I had a couple of tough seasons and just having the opportunity to be there and play and really focus on my game was amazing.

“I think she really appreciated her time there too,” Wideman added of his wife. “But it really puts this in perspective and makes you realize how special it is to sit in this chair. It’s something that I appreciate and I think she does too ”.

The Canadiens really need another puck-swinging defender this season to join Jeff Petry. Wideman could fit that role and, unlike Mattias Norlinder, he has NHL experience with 181 games under his belt, along with totals of 16-29-45.

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When asked about the Uber ride with his Senators teammates, Wideman said, “First of all, it’s something that I’ve taken full responsibility for. I have not walked away or hidden from any of that. I faced it head-on and sat back here in this chair and I fully appreciate it. I learned a lot about life and hockey and how quickly things can change. It has made me a better person, it will make me a better husband and a better father for it. So I appreciate everything I’ve been through and it has definitely made it quite enjoyable. “

What happened to him after the ride fair at Uber?

“I’ve got over it. I’m excited to be here and play tonight, ”Wideman said of Monday’s preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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“It’s almost a new lease on life,” he added about this training camp with the Canadiens. “How many times do you get a second chance at life? It is something that every day you go to bed at the end of the day and you are very grateful for it. But, at the same time, each day could be the last. So just maximum effort, maximum concentration, and that’s the way of thinking. “

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