Defenceman Chris Wideman made it official on Tuesday morning: He is retiring as an NHL player.
The 34-year-old missed all of last season with the Canadiens because of a back injury.
“After much thought, I have decided it is best for my health and my family to retire from playing hockey professionally,” Wideman said in a statement released by the Canadiens. “I made numerous attempts at rehabilitation, therapy and many different treatments, but eventually it became apparent that returning to the game I love would not be possible.
“While this is a difficult day for me, it is also a day of reflection and gratitude,” Wideman added. “I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of playing in the National Hockey League.”
The St. Louis native played 291 games in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers and the Canadiens, posting 20-58-78 totals.
Wideman was caught in an unfortunate circumstance early in the 2018-19 season while playing for the Ottawa Senators when he and six teammates were secretly videotaped during an Uber ride in Phoenix while ranting against assistant coach Martin Raymond and the team’s struggles on special teams. Shortly after the video was made public, Wideman was traded to the Edmonton Oilers.
Wideman ended up in Russia for the 2020-21 season, posting 9-32-41 totals in 59 games with the Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo to lead all KHL defencemen in scoring. The Canadiens signed Wideman to a one-year, US$750,000 contract in the summer of 2021 as a free agent. Wideman was reported to have been offered US$2 million to stay in Russia, but jumped at the opportunity to return to the NHL.
Wideman thanked former Canadiens assistant GM Scott Mellanby and his agent Allain Roy for “taking an interest in me and providing the opportunity to return to the NHL.”
Wideman also thanked Canadiens owner/president Geoff Molson and his wife, Kate, for giving him a second chance in the NHL.
“You both treat the players like family and make Montreal a special place to play,” Wideman said in his statement. “Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes and Martin St. Louis gave me an opportunity to continue my career in Montreal until the end. I want to thank you all for changing my life for the better.
“Skating on the Bell Centre ice with the CH logo on my chest, in front of the greatest fans in sports, is a feeling I wish all hockey players could experience,” Wideman added. “Thank you to all the fans who have supported me throughout my career.”
Wideman was a very popular player in the Canadiens locker room, especially with the young defencemen. During an interview at the end of last season, Wideman had a message for young players on the Canadiens and also free agents who might have some interest in coming to Montreal in the future.
“This is a hockey market that is in my opinion not comparable to anything else in the league,” Wideman said. “I think it’s truly one of the more unique experiences in all of sports. The fan support, the ownership, the staff, the group of young players here. You’re getting in at the ground floor of something that I believe is truly special.
“I think that the future is extremely bright here,” Wideman added. “I think that you’ll see free agents give it a strong consideration in the market. I’m excited for that. It’s always good when Montreal is a strong team in the league and that’s where I see things going.”
While watching games from the press box last season, Wideman was very impressed by the play of fellow defenceman Mike Matheson, who posted 11-51-62 totals in 82 games while averaging 25:33 of ice time.
“He’s elite,” Wideman said about Matheson. “You look around the league, there’s not a lot of guys that play every game, about half the game. The way he skates, the way he moves the puck. He contributes offensively, defends against the other team’s top group and just a quiet leader.
“He sets the example in this dressing room about professionalism and how to carry yourself and he takes care of his body probably better than I’ve ever seen anybody throughout my career,” Wideman added. “He’s a guy that I’ve looked up to and gotten to know really well over the past few years and have a lot of respect for him.”
In his retirement statement, Wideman also had high praise for St. Louis as a head coach.
“You look at what he accomplished in his career, where he’s at in his life, he’s got the ability to do basically whatever he wants and he chooses to be here,” Wideman said. “He chooses to coach. As you guys (in the media) know this is not an easy market to operate in at times, but he chooses to be here and you can see what he’s done with this team, but also with individuals. He is a true hockey coach. He loves the game and he loves helping guys and it’s unique. You don’t see that a lot.”