Former Montreal Canadiens Participant Chris Wideman Bows Out

A fourth-round decide by the Ottawa Senators (a hundredth total) on the 2009 draft, Chris Wideman needed to wait till the 2015-16 season to make his NHL debut. He spent three years within the AHL with the Binghampton Senators (and 5 video games within the ECHL) being named an alternate captain for the final two.

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With Ottawa, he performed 175 video games throughout 4 seasons, selecting up 43 factors within the course of. He was then traded to the Edmonton Oilers in November of the 2018-19 season after being caught up within the Uber taping scandal, a video that includes him and 6 teammates ranting about an assistant coach and the particular groups struggles. He was flipped to the Florida Panthers a month later, additionally spending a little bit of time within the Pittsburgh Penguins group throughout that very same season. He then signed with the Anaheim Ducks as a free agent previous to the 2019-20 season and spent the entire yr with their AHL affiliate San Diego Gulls.

Unable to discover a contract for the next season, he inked a one-year cope with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod within the KHL. In Russia he put up 41 factors in 59 video games, catching the attention of the Montreal Canadiens group. In his first season he put up 27 factors in 64 sport, incomes himself a two-year extension.

Related: Canadiens’ Prospect Demidov Scores First Professional Goal

He solely performed in one of many two season nonetheless affected by again points. He featured in 110 video games with the Habs gathering 33 factors alongside the way in which. When he was signed to his two-year extension he was signing to be the massive brother of the younger defensemen and was comfortable to play the function, even when it meant being the workforce’s seventh defenseman.

When the Canadiens drafted Juraj Slafkovsky with the primary total decide on the 2022 draft, the veteran instantly volunteered to present his quantity 20 to the teenager and adjusted his quantity to the six left vacant by Shea Weber‘s retirement (in all however title) from the sport.

The announcement of his retirement got here as no shock, since he did not play a single sport final season. In an announcement revealed yesterday he mentioned: “After a lot thought, I’ve determined it’s best for my well being and my household to retire from taking part in hockey professionally. I made quite a few makes an attempt at rehabilitation, remedy and many various therapies, however finally it turned obvious that returning to the sport I like wouldn’t be attainable.” Later within the assertion he added:

Thanks to Geoff and Kate Molson for giving me a second likelihood to play within the NHL. You each deal with the gamers like household and make Montreal a particular place to play. Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes and Martin St. Louis gave me a chance to proceed my profession in Montreal till the top. I need to thanks all for altering my life for the higher.

Wideman was liked within the Canadiens’ dressing room and was a terrific teammate all through his keep in Montreal.

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