BOSTON – Like many freshmen, Mike Matheson wanted to try something new.
Matheson attended a French-speaking school in his hometown of Pointe-Claire, Quebec and was fluent in English, too. So heading into his first semester at Boston College in 2012, the defenseman figured he would pick up Spanish next.
“It was a beginner-level class, but I quickly realized everybody had taken Spanish for like six years. The teacher walked in and was only speaking Spanish,” he recently recalled with a quick laugh. “So I was like, ‘OK, this isn’t going to work.’”
He rushed over to meet with his academic adviser to drop the class. Did Matheson have any interest in philosophy? There were actually three players from the women’s hockey team in the class, she told him, and they were enjoying it so far.
The day of his first class, Matheson walked into an empty classroom 15 minutes early and picked a desk. It would be one of the best decisions of his life.
Eight years later, the latest chapter of Mike and Emily Matheson’s hockey love story brought them to Pittsburgh, where Mike has begun to rejuvenate his career with the Penguins and Emily, an Olympic champion, put her playing days on hold.
In their new home, there is a nursery to finish assembling and baby blue onesies to fold. The condominium they moved into isn’t going to babyproof itself.
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The hope is there will be many fond memories here in the months to come.
“We were so excited when Mike got traded, to come to an amazing organization for him and being from Buffalo I’m familiar with Pittsburgh and was excited to move here,” Emily said. “Everyone has been so welcoming and friendly here.”
Crossing paths
Emily, whose maiden name is Pfalzer, grew up in Getzville, N.Y. Arriving on campus a year before Mike, she became the first defenseman in Boston College history to record 100 career points. As a senior, she was a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which is bestowed to the NCAA’s top female player.
Mike, meanwhile, was already a first-round pick of the Florida Panthers when he walked into that philosophy class. Like Emily, he was a smooth-skating blue-liner with silky mitts and no hesitation about jumping into the offensive fray.
Emily was surprised to see Mike sitting next to her usual desk that morning.
“He was kind of quiet at first, but you could tell he was a really sweet person,” she said. “He’s such a nice, genuine person. That was my first impression.”
The two sparked a connection quickly, which turned out to be a good thing.
“As the legend goes, I dropped that class pretty quickly, too,” he quipped.
Mike and Emily were busy with their respective seasons but remained in touch. One day, Mike asked her if she wanted to meet up at the rink to shoot some pucks, imagining romance in the air while a Zamboni hummed in the distance.
“Then I show up and she brought her teammate with her,” he said, laughing again. “I thought that was funny. I thought it was just going to be the two of us.”
Early in the spring semester, they bumped into each other on campus. He asked her if she wanted to grab ice cream sometime. They’ve been together since.
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“He knew that sweets were the way to my heart,” Emily said with a giggle.
In 2015, Mike and Emily left Boston College and set out on different paths.
“I don’t think being in a long-distance relationship created any sort of distance between us,” Mike said. “We both understood that we had goals and aspirations and supported each other in trying to do that. We said, ‘We’ll do this for ourselves and then we’ll meet at the end of the road, whenever that happens.’”
Living out their dreams
After her senior season, Emily helped the U.S. win gold in the IIHF World Women’s Championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017. She also for three seasons was captain of her hometown Buffalo Beauts in the National Women’s Hockey League.
Mike went pro after his junior year and would make his NHL debut a year later. He became a regular in 2016-17, scoring seven goals. In October 2017, the Panthers, intrigued by his potential, gave him an eight-year, $39 million contract.
Living out their dreams about 1,400 miles apart wasn’t easy. But they spent their summers together in Montreal, doing their on-ice and dry-land training together, and visiting each other whenever possible during their respective seasons.
In 2017 and 2018, Emily achieved her ultimate goal when she was selected to skate for the U.S. at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
With about seven minutes left in the third period of the gold medal game against Canada, she was back to defend a 2-on-1 then watched the Americans go the other way for the tying goal. The U.S. would go on to win, 3-2, in a shootout.
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“It truly is difficult to put into words what that meant,” she said. “It’s something that I always dreamt of doing. Being a part of that team, with such amazing women on it, it was an awesome experience. Just an unforgettable experience.”
With the NHL skipping the Olympics that year, Mike was watching on TV back in Florida. The Panthers had a game the next night. So he went to bed before 8 p.m., set an alarm for 1 o’clock in the morning and was cheering on the couch.
During an emotional celebration on the ice, Emily called Mike on FaceTime.
“Nothing made me happier than being able to watch her play in the Olympics and win the gold medal,” Mike said. “To me, that made everything worth it.”
That summer, he popped the question in the Bahamas. They were married in July 2019, three months before the most challenging year of his NHL career.
A new chapter
After Mike had a down season in 2018-19, the Panthers figured new coach Joel Quenneville would get their promising left-shot defender straightened out.
Matheson had several tough nights as the Panthers got off to a mediocre start. His ice time dwindled. Quenneville made him a healthy scratch that December. He was benched again in the playoff bubble. He spent his final game with the Panthers in street clothes, watching the New York Islanders send them home.
“It was a very difficult year for me personally,” he said. “Obviously, she was a huge help. There weren’t a lot of happy days for me coming home from the rink.”
Said Emily, “I’ve been in his shoes. I feel like every athlete goes through ups and downs. I tried to be there for him and support him in any way that I could.”
The Mathesons were pumped when they got word in September that he had been traded to Pittsburgh, giving him a change of scenery not far from Buffalo.
Two weeks before the 2021 season began, she announced on Instagram that she is pregnant with their first child. In the post, she held a tiny Team USA jersey that read “Mommy” on the back and he had “Daddy” stitched on a Penguins jersey.
Emily is unsure if she will resume her career after their boy is born. For now, she is focused on having a healthy pregnancy and is excited for his June arrival.
“It’s her body and her life and if she feels like it’s something she still wants to do then we’ll find a way to make it work,” Mike said. “If she feels like she’s closed that chapter and is ready to move on with her life, we’ll figure that out, too.”
In the meantime, Mike is helping the Penguins surge up the East Division standings. The 27-year-old’s effortless skating and slick puck skills have so far made him a snug fit in Mike Sullivan’s aggressive defensive scheme and his up-tempo attack. In 29 games, he has three goals, five assists and a plus-4 rating.
His beautiful goal in Thursday’s 4-1 win back here in Boston turned out to be the game-winner. TD Garden is just a short drive from the classroom where a lasting love story began when one Boston College blue-liner sat down next to another.
“We share the same alma mater and we have that connection forever. Maybe our kids will end up there,” Mike said. “We have those lasting memories every time we go back to Boston. It’s always a place that we hold close to our hearts.”
Matt Vensel: mvensel@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mattvensel.
First Published: April 2, 2021, 11:00 a.m.
Updated: April 2, 2021, 11:24 a.m.
