2007-2008 season notes

April 21, 2008

It's not all bad news. News came today that Mathieu was among the five new players selected by the executive board of the NHL Players' Association to serve on the NHL's competition committee. He will serve a two year term on the committee. See more information about the committee at the NHLPA website.

April 20, 2008

It's over. The Ducks were eliminated for the playoffs with tonight's loss to Dallas in game 6. No Ducks player seemed to shine much; Mathieu seemed pretty quiet, save for one point (a kind of meaningless goal), and 3 penalties (including 1 double-minor) on which one goal against was registered (though it wasn't a deciding goal, as Anaheim lost the game 4-0). He finished tied with fellow defenseman Kent Huskins a team worst -3. Bummer.

April 18, 2008

Mathieu was quiet in tonight's game, as the Ducks avoided elimination.

April 17, 2008

The Ducks fell again to the Dallas Stars, with Anaheim's only goal coming from Mathieu with 8 seconds to go in the game to at least keep the team from being shut-out again. Playoff game summary: Schneider (Perry, Huskins), 19:52 of 3rd.

April 15, 2008


The Ducks avoided going down 3-0 in the series with a win. Mathieu was scoreless and took a double-minor penalty, which luckily did not lead to a Dallas goal Playoff game summary: (high-sticking, double minor), 10:39 of 3rd.

April 12, 2008

Wow. Anaheim is having some issues getting going this playoffs. No Duck player has looked exceptionally good. The Ducks can get back in the series when the teams meet again in Dallas on Tuesday.

April 10, 2008

Not the best start to the playoffs, as an undisciplined Ducks team got shut out at home in game one of the first round of the playoffs. The teams meet again Saturday. A goal was scored during the power play resulting from Mathieu's interference call; the roughing penalty he took came from a scrum that saw four other players (3 Ducks / 2 Stars total) called for roughing.
Playoff game summary: (roughing), 19:14 of 1st; (interference), 4:08 of 2nd.

April 9, 2008


The first round of the playoffs begin for the Ducks on Thursday in Anaheim. Dallas hasn't had a good month, and they are still recovering from a flu bug that hit the team pretty hard last week, but this will not be an easy series. For those interested in playoff pools, Scott Cullen of TSN.ca's blog, compiled his list of top 100 players for the playoffs. Number 39 on the list is Mathieu Schneider.

April 8, 2008

As another regular season comes to a close, it is time to take a look at Mathieu's season stats. All categories are a bit down this year, but he also played a bit less. He played few games overall, due to the broken ankle and the sprained wrist. He also played fewer minutes; over 1 minute less, on average, than last season. Overall, not bad for an almost 20-year veteran.

	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	+/-	PIM	Shots	Shooting %	Time on Ice per game	Shifts per game
personal stat	65	12	27	39	50	+22	139	8.6%	22:17	23.6
team rank	14th	tied: 5th	4th	6th	3rd	14th	6th	9th	4th	6th
NHL defensemen rank	-	13th	tied: 26th	tied: 20th	tied: 7th	tied: 98th	28th	9th	52nd	tied: 131st

Also interesting are his stats in the more specialized "RTSS Player Stats" category:

	Hits	Blocked Shots	Missed Shots	Give Aways	Take Aways
personal stat	78	56	81	34	35
team rank	9th	3rd	3rd	10th	6th

Note: All stats and ranks from nhl.com

April 6, 2008

In tonight's final regular season game, Mathieu was held off of the scoresheet. The Ducks will now face the Dallas Stars in the first round of the playoffs, starting Thursday, April 10 in Anaheim.

March 30, 2008

Mathieu scored the only two goals for Anaheim tonight in the team's eventual shootout win over the Dallas Stars. Deservedly so, he was the 1st star of the game. Game summary: Schneider (Getzlaf, S.Niedermaer), 9:43 of 1st (PP); Schneider (Getzlaf, Selanne), 14:54 of 2nd.

March 28, 2008


With tonight's assist, Mathieu registered NHL regular season career point #700. w00t! He is the 6th U.S. born defenseman to reach such a milestone. Congrats!
Game summary: S.Niedermayer (Schneider, Ryan), 11:09 of 1st (PP); (hooking), 4:45 of 2nd.

March 26, 2008

This doesn't count on his statistics, but for the second time this season, Mathieu scored the winning goal in a shootout.

March 22, 2008

Game summary: (delaying game- puck over glass), 18:39 of 1st.

March 21, 2008


I was at the game tonight in San Jose, and nothing really to note. Mathieu played his usual game, and was as effective as he could be on a very sluggish Anaheim team. Game summary: (cross-checking), 15:43 of 2nd.

March 15, 2008

Game summary: Schneider (Selanne, Huskins), 19:07 of 1st; Selanne (Schneider, S.Niedermayer), 15:10 of 2nd (PP); Getzlaf (Pahlsson, Schneider), 18:22 of 3rd.

March 12, 2008

Game summary: (interference), 11:57 of 1st.

March 8, 2008

Usually when you see "ageless" and "still-effective" in the same sentence as "imposing defence," the name Chris Chelios lays somewhere. But this time, Mathieu's name was the one being used in this context in Al Coats' The Record (Waterloo, Ontario) column about Ducks' GM Brian Burke.

Oh, and Mathieu received more compliments from Quebec press (specifically, Le Soleil): "When the game ended, classy Anaheim defenceman Mathieu Schneider, the former Montreal Canadien, picked up the puck and turned it over to the Black Hawks for safekeeping so that Crawford could have a souvenir of his first NHL triumph." Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford, making his first start, picked up his first win and first shut-out in the game against Anaheim.

Finally tonight, Patrice Brisebois scored a goal for the Canadiens in the win over the LA Kings today. This wouldn't be news except for the fact that Brisebois is now a "part time" player (having been a healthy scratch for the previous 10 games), and with the Habs playing so well,
TSN muses on the possiblity of him bookending his carer with championships, winning a Cup his first season and maybe his last (of course, he hasn't said he is done playing nor have I heard any rumblings about the Habs really being considered Cup favorites this year; but, hey, I can roll with the theme on a lazy Saturday). Why does this even show up on the Unofficial Mathieu Schneider HomePage? It isn't said in the article, but I got to thinking and ya know, there is only one other player from that Stanley Cup winning team still active. And he, too, has his eyes on the Cup this year.

Side note: Whoa, 15 years. This got me all nostalgic. So nostalgic that I just went to iTunes and download my favorite songs from Janet Jackson's 1993 album janet. I listened to that album ad naseum in the summer of 1993. I jacked the cassette from my sister's car; I felt like such a rebel 'cause some of the songs were kind of dirty. I was 15. Wow... That story had even less to do with Mathieu than the Patrice Brisebois one. =)

March 6, 2008

Mathieu's impressive streak of straight games with an even or positive in the +/- rating ended tonight at 32 games. He registered a -1 tonight in the Ducks' second straight shut out.

March 3, 2008

Ahh... slow night at the reference desk tonight. I get to update the game summary as the players are still leaving the ice. Game summary: S.Niedermayer (Schneider, Getzlaf), 9:59 of 3rd (PP); (tripping), 15:50 of 2nd.

February 29, 2008 Leap Day!


Special thanks to some eagle-eyed fans who spotted a major Mathieu development that I missed: Mathieu currently has the longest streak of games in which a player has rated even or better in the plus/minus stat. He has gone 29 straight games this season without registering a minus. Three more even or positive games and he ties the record for best this season. And he has also registered a plus rating in each of the past 6 seasons, being one of only 6 NHL defenseman to do so. Since 2003, Mathieu has the third highest +/- in the league. (see OC Register or NHL.com's team notes)

side note: In senior year of high school, I had to do a project for my stats class, and I chose to evaluate the +/- rating. In the report I said the stat wasn't the best indicator of a player' success because it seemed to measure the team more than the player. Mathieu's +/- was very much in tandem with the record of the team he played on (good team record, positive +/-; bad team record, negative +/-). This was using data from his Canadiens and Islanders seasons. Now, 12 years later (YICKS!), with even more data, my hypothesis is still holding true. Yay! Also... I keep trying to talk some of the Math faculty I work with to look at +/- even more (especially using Mathieu as sample). I think some more stuff can be found if looking at the +/- in relation to power play time. As I showed game by game a few years ago (2005-2006 to be exact), since a player is not given a +1 for goals scored on the power play, a player who gets most of his time on and points from the power play is at a disadvantage. My new hypothesis: Mathieu is even better than his positive +- suggests. =)

As for the game that was played tonight, Mathieu was a busy guy in the 3-1 win over Calgary. He opened the scoring only 35 seconds into the game and collecting an assist on what was the game winning goal. Game summary: Schneider (Perry, Bertuzzi), :35 of 1st; Niedermayer (Getzlaf, Schneider), 13:58 of 1st (PP); (holding), 6:15 of 2nd; (hooking), 4:21 of 3rd.

February 24, 2008

Officially, Mathieu registered no points in the 6-3 Ducks win over the Chicago Blackhawks. But, Mathieu did score a goal that was disallowed when it was judged that Todd Bertuzzi was interfering with the Chicago goalie. Oh well...

February 22, 2008

Game summary: Selanne (Schneider, Huskins), 4:15 of 3rd.

February 19, 2008

A bit random, but interesting nonetheless. In his weekly "NHL Mail" column, TSN's Scott Cullen answered a reader's question about player rankings and their "absentee impact" on their team. In his answer he notes that during Mathieu's games out with injury, Anaheim has gone 6-8-3. Some quick math on my end shows that with Mathieu in the lineup, Anaheim has gone 27-15-4. Of course, other factors come in to play (Ducks fans will be quick to note that Scott Niedermayer's absence also coincides with much of Mathieu's IR time), but it seemed worth noting here.

February 17, 2008

Will NHL jerseys start to look like race cars or European league jerseys? There are rumblings of a pitch to add advertising to jerseys. Who knows how serious this is, but the Toronto Star had a write up about it. Mathieu, who The Star mentions has "worked on marketing issues on behalf of the NHL Players' Association" believes that the worries of an uproar from traditionalists may be a bit moot: "We've changed the uniforms so much already over the years. It's (advertising patches) not that far a stretch."

From the same article (in the sidebar), it is mentioned that "there's also a chance that a hockey-themed TV show on a major U.S. cable network could be in the works." Apparently, Kevin Connolly (probably most known as "Eric Murphy" from the HBO series Entourage), is possibly interested in producing a hockey-related show and has had talks about such with Mathieu, Anson Carter, and an unnamed agent.

February 17, 2008

Game summary: Pronger (Schneider, Kunitz), 14:41 of 2nd.

February 15, 2008

Game summary: (roughing), 15:37 of 1st.

February 11, 2008

Some odds and ends from Detroit-area press:

• Mathieu's thoughts on scoring against his former team, as well as the long roaptrip: "It's a good feeling, obviously. The more important thing is keeping the streak going for us. It started out looking like a pretty bad road trip, but we've turned it around here. These are important points for us, much more important for us than for them at this point." (from the Los Angeles Times)
  
• 
  After his goal against his former team, Mathieu was booed a bit: "I guess you expect a little bit. The fans treated me tremendously when I was here. I hope there are no hard feelings." (from the game report at tsn.ca)
  
  
  
• About the late Red Wing goal disallowed because Wings' forward Tomas Holmstrom was deemed to have interfered with the Ducks goalie when he tried to screen, Mathieu offered: "Homer stole a lot of my goals like that too. As soon as he made contact, it's a dead play." (also from the game report at tsn.ca)
  
  
• From George Malik's blog at the Detroit Free Press site, Mathieu gave his take on the rivalry between the Ducks and the Wings: "After last year's playoff series, that's kicked it up a notch. The fact that both teams are so close in talent and skill level, when we get together, the intensity is certainly there. It's trying to set the tone for another playoff series. We know if we want to make it back to the finals, then Detroit's going to be in the path."
  
  
• Chris Chelios hit another milestone, playing in his 1,600 game. Says Mathieu: "I've always said he's been a role model of mine since I was a kid. I played with him my first year in the NHL. I think everyone marvels at what he's able to do. To be such a tremendous player in this league for so many years -- it's amazing. It inspires me. He's kind of paved the way for a lot of older players who do want to keep playing."
  
  
• Mathieu's friend and former Red Wing teammate Dan Cleary is out for some time after surgery to repair a badly broken jaw. When he heard the news, Mathieu sent his wishes via text message. To the Detroit Free Press he added: "He'll be back, stronger. He'll probably be a little uglier, too."
  
  
  
  

February 10, 2008


Another former team, and another good night. In tonight's 3-2 Ducks win in Detroit, Mathieu had another goal and another assist (again, on the game winner). See the goal at NHL TV. Game summary: Schneider (Kunitz, Getzlaf), 8:28 of 2nd; Huskins (Schneider), 15:18 of 2nd.

February 8, 2008

The NHL trade deadline is approaching (February 26). Mathieu has been a part of three deadline deals in the past: Montreal-to-NY Islanders, NY Islanders-to-Toronto, and Los Angeles-to-Detroit. Is he nervous around this time of the year? "I think for the most part as a player you block it all out until something actually happens." He adds: "My whole career, I�ve said if it�s a rumor, chances are it�s not going to happen." Each of his deadline trades moved him up in the standings, which helps take away some of the sting: "The times that I�ve been moved at the deadline, it�s been going from a team that�s really struggled to a team that has a chance to win, or is going to the playoffs. That�s very exciting.� See the rest of his many comments about the trade deadline on the NHL.com site.

February 7, 2008

With a goal and an assist (on the game winning goal), Mathieu was the 2nd star of the game tonight. Game summary: Schneider (Sutherby, Parros), 10:36 of 1st; Perry (Schneider), 12:05 of 2nd; (holding), 14:31 of 2nd; (holding), 9:58 of 3rd.

February 6, 2008

While members of last year's Stanley Cup winning Ducks team were in Washington, D.C. meeting President Bush, newer Ducks were in New York City at the new NHL store. Mathieu and others hung around the store with some local youth hockey players, took part in an Q&A session, and signed some autographs. Mathieu, being an NYC-area native, shared some of his early memories of the area: "I remember growing up in a high-rise. When I was old enough to go to school, we moved down to southern Jersey, where I spent my formative years. We did a lot of traveling to find hockey rinks." As for the NHL's efforts to bring hockey to youth, especially in the US, Mathieu adds: "It�s the future of our game,� Schneider said. �The more young Americans we can get involved, I think American athletes in general have the means to become great. We�re very lucky and fortunate to be Americans. You see the passion, especially in hockey families and the lengths they go to for their kids to get ice time, it�s truly amazing."

See the rest of Mathieu's comments in the story on the NHL.com site. Also see photos from the event on the Ducks site. I love the photo of Mathieu looking at the screen with the kid. He looks so seriously interested. (Side note: And my hat off to the kid for rockin' the Ash Wednesday ashes. I have always been too self-conscious about my huge forehead to receive ashes. I'm a terrible Catholic.)

February 4, 2008

Flitting around on YouTube today, I found a clip from some show about the 1993 Montreal Canadiens "Road to the Cup," specifically focusing on the record number of overtime victories.

Of particular interest in this 6 minute long clip:

• 2:55- Mathieu reflects on being down in game 2 of the Finals
  
• 4:09- That hug is the origin of this fantastic photo
  
• 4:35- To this day, this is one of my favorite displays of hockey joy
  
• 5:55- Mathieu finishes the narrative with a comment about how the overtime record the team set will probably never be beat
  

I vaguely remember seeing this video, but I can't be certain of the year it was made. Guessing by Mathieu's hair, I'm thinking late 90s.

February 2, 2008

Mathieu missed games on Friday and today due to a sprained wrist. He is listed as day-to-day.

January 30, 2008

From what I can tell from the website, it looks like Mathieu will be one of three "cover boys" on the February 5, 2008 issues of The Hockey News. There is a bigger photo on the Battle of California blog. I don't subscribe anymore, but a friend does. I'll have to have her confirm once her issue arrives. Also, the Scott Cullen Mailbag at TSN.ca today made me smile. The question was about why Scott Niedermayer was selected for the All-Star Game even though he only played 17 games this season. The questioning of Niedermayer isn't what made me smile, but rather this quote: "Niedermayer is a terrific player -- a first-ballot Hall of Famer -- but there was no reason to include him when a teammate like Mathieu Schneider or, as you mention, Detroit's Brian Rafalski have been clearly more deserving." The coverage and discussion of Mathieu in Anaheim has been very weak; All I have to go on are stats. And looking at stats alone, I am forced to think he is only having an average (at best) year. A comment like this and a featured spot in a The Hockey News article make me feel much better. Game summary: Perry (Kunitz, Schneider), 9:40 of 2nd.

January 23, 2008

He didn't pick up any points in the game against his former Red Wings teammates, but Mathieu did have a lot to say to the Detroit media: "It's not easy playing against your friends, playing as hard as you always do, but fortunately I only have to do it two more times in the regular season this year. In the playoffs, everything is out the window. There are no friendships in the playoffs. But during the regular season, it is difficult, without a doubt, but it's fun, too" (from the Detroit Free Press)

January 20, 2008

Game summary: Schneider (Beauchemin, Kunitz), 8:45 of 3rd.

January 18, 2008

I didn't get around to posting this when it first came out January 1, but it is too good to just forget about. The Ducks team has been inconsistent and not exactly living up to the hype as Stanley Cup defenders. Maybe being the new guy he feels safer to be honest, or maybe because he isn't the kind of the guy that can spit out hollow cliques; whatever the reason, Mathieu had some very bold statements for the Los Angeles Times:
"I think we're getting to a point now where it's kind of put up or shut up," adding "We've talked all year about the same things. The guys in this room now are going to be the guys that'll have to be responsible night in and night out." YOU GO MATHIEU! He adds, "we expected to be further ahead than where we are today. Winning one and losing one, winning two and losing one, that doesn't get you anywhere because a lot of teams are doing that now."

Game summary: Pronger (Getzlaf, Schneider), 6:12 of 2nd (PP); Bertuzzi (Perry, Schneider), 9:43 of 3rd.

January 17, 2008

Game summary: Bochenski (Schneider, Getlaf), 15:12 of 1st (PP).

January 15, 2008

David Pollak from the San Jose Mercury News was wondering about teams getting in the Sharks head, particularly in light of the losing streaks the team has had against other teams despite playing well in general. The Shark players didn't think there was anything to it, but he also asked Mathieu, who has been on two teams in the last few years that have given the Sharks fits. He responded: "It's funny because I've seen that a lot more the last couple years than in the past. A team kind of figures out a way to beat another team, and then for the rest of the year, you kind of own them. A lot of it is mental. When you go into a game and a team beats you a couple times, you sort of have a tendency to be more conservative, not as aggressive. When you sit back and be a little more cautious, it tends to cost you."

January 10, 2008

There was an lengthy interview/article about Mathieu's hockey time in Toronto, which was not exactly the best time of his career. Interesting piece:
National Post

January 9, 2008

Game summary: Bertuzzi (Schneider, Huskins), 2:11 of 1st.

January 7, 2008

Finally, Mathieu picks up a point. He has been dreadfully quiet lately. Game summary: Kunitz (Schneider, Huskins), 1:51 of 2nd; (boarding), 11:27 of 3rd.

January 4, 2008

Game summary: (hooking), 16:40 of 1st; (interference), 11:12 of 3rd.

December 29, 2007

Game summary: (cross-checking), 15:37 of 3rd.

December 27, 2007

Game summary: (interference), 2:21 of 2nd.

December 21, 2007

With Christmas just around the corner, the Anaheim Ducks' website had a feature in which players were asked their favorite Christmas movie and favorite gifts from the past. Whether forgetting that he is Jewish, or just trying to be all inclusive, the question asker asked Mathieu. His favorite Christmas movie: "Probably Chevy Chase in 'Christmas Vacation.' That's a classic and a great movie for obvious reasons." His favorite gift: "I always enjoy new clothes. I'm a clothes horse. I love my clothes." (from http://ducks.nhl.com)

The Ducks also made their annual holiday visit to a local children's hospital (Children's Hospital of Orange County). The story and a slideshow of photos from the visit are on the Ducks' website. Mathieu is unfortunately familiar with children in hospitals (with a couple of his own children being helped as the youngest of youngsters). Surely he can appreciate how even simple of gestures can really lift spirits.

December 19, 2007

Mathieu had the game-winning goal in OT tonight, earning him 3rd star of the game honors. w00t! Game summary: Schneider (Kunitz, Pahlsson), 3:31 of OT.

December 18, 2007

Last time the Ducks came to San Jose, I was there to cheer Mathieu on; but, he didn't play due to injury. This game in San Jose, Mathieu plays but I'm not there. (Side note: As much as I love hockey, if I passed up a chance to go skiing at Squaw Valley and stay in a luxury condo-- with high-speed Internet access-- just to see a hockey game, I think I'd have to have my head examined) Mark and Christina were my representatives at the game, so at least there was a Mathieu cheering section. But, according to the scoresheet, Mathieu didn't do too much anyway (no points or PIMS and only one shot on goal; he wasn't on the ice for either of the Ducks two goals). His minutes are way down (18:13 tonight); it looks like third-line kinds of ice-time. That is to be expected with the return of Scott Niedermayer. I'm selfish and would like to see him logging killer minutes, but he might be enjoying the break.

December 16, 2007

Game summary: (interference), 14:50 of 2nd.

December 15, 2007

I've never liked Brian Burke, and I don't have much respect for the way he does business. (My feelings on the subject aren't really relevant to this page, so I haven't mentioned it.) That said, what Burke had to say about why he didn't trade Mathieu may have (big MAY) given me a bit more respect:

"I think you have to keep some level of good faith with free agents if you can. The guy has a home in the LA area and he�s got four young kids. He didn�t come here to get traded. He doesn�t have a no trade clause. He held out for one and we said no, so we�re well within our legal rights to trade him but I think at the same time, a player like that with what he�s done in the game deserves a little more consideration than that." (as reported on )

That is what I said all along. If he trades a player who gave up a good gig he had going in a good place like Detroit to come to Anaheim (which despite coming off a championship, is a team in transition), he will never get another big name free agent, bottomline. Mathieu deserved a bit more respect than the casual "oh trade him, he's the newest" treatment he was getting in the press (and with some fans), so it is a bit refreshing to hear that come from Burke. (also, Burke better be careful saying Mathieu "held out" for a no-trade clause; he signed Mathieu just an hour or so after free agency opened. If there was any "hold out" it would have been more than an hour, and any more than an hour would have meant they were talking earlier than allowed, making for some big time violations...)

December 14, 2007

Well Mathieu was right: "It's the ones you don't hear about that end up happening." Last night the inevitable trade went down, and all the Mathieu-O'Donnell-Marchant trade talk was for nothing; Andy MacDonald, a player at least I never saw mentioned, was the one traded to make room for Scott Niedermayer. Then the Ducks went on to get creamed in a 5-2 loss to Minnesota. Game summary: May (Schneider, Hnidy), 13:35 of 3rd.

December 12, 2007

Game summary: Schneider (Pronger, Getzlaf), 18:29 of 3rd; (hooking), 9:10 of 2nd.

December 10, 2007

Rumors keep swirling and while the media and many fans have assumed Mathieu will be on some other team soon, he keeps playing for the Ducks and helping them win. Tonight, he had two assists, including an assist on the game winner in OT. Game summary: Perry (Pronger, Schneider), 13:40 of 2nd; Pronger (Getzlaf, Schneider), 3:14 of OT (PP).

December 9, 2007

Another day, another round of trade rumors.
Chicago Daily Herald says that the Hawks probably aren't as interested as reported.

On another note, Hockey.com named Mathieu as one of their "Ageless Defenders," remarking "...Suitcase Schneider has had to mesh well with new teammates over the years. The Ducks power-play whiz is on his seventh team in 18 seasons." Ok, so they had to mention something about his many teams (especially amid constant rumors about a possible 8th new team), but still, it is nice to be acknowledged for being "ageless."

December 8, 2007

It is hard to see the newspapers and message boards lately. After signing with Anaheim by choice this summer, it seems that he has been written off as the player to be moved to make room for Scott Niedermayer's return. The Los Angeles Times had a nice piece on the uncomfortable situation many "players on the outs" feel right now. Here is a collection of Mathieu's quotes: "It's a unique situation in that everybody knows something is going to happen. There's always speculation. Rumors are fine, but [this time] something is going to happen. It's in Brian's hands right now. As a player, all you can do is show up every day and go out there. It's nothing new to me. I think it probably affects young guys more than it affects veteran players." Later, the article talks about Mathieu calling Scott early in the season when he was still trying to decide if he should come back: "I told him if he decided to come back, I would love to play with him and get that opportunity. All I want to do is win another Stanley Cup. That's one of the reasons why I signed here. I wanted him to feel comfortable."

The OC Register also had a bit on the uneasiness among players who may be on the move. Mathieu adds a bit more on his talk with Niedermayer and his acceptance of all possibilities: "Like I said to him, 'I'm sure you're not going to base your decision on how I feel, but at the same time, I want you to feel like if you come into that room and we're playing together, there are nothing but positive things.... I wasn't naïve. I signed my deal without any kind of trade clause in it, so it's always a possibility. But at the same time, who knows what's going to happen? There are a lot of different scenarios that could unfold. Until it happens, there's no sense really worrying about it."

And yet more from ESPN: "I think everyone's handling it really well. I mean, probably half the team has been mentioned in rumors that I've seen over a 48-hour period. And, nine times out of 10, in my experience, the rumors never happen. It's the ones you don't hear about that end up happening. So, we'll see."

"Class" is a terribly overused word in the NHL (and in life in general), but I can't help but think of that word to describe Mathieu right now. A whole lot of people can learn something from the respectful and dignified way both he and Sean O'Donnell (another oft-mentioned name) have handled this whole situation.

December 7, 2007

No official word on player movements in Anaheim, but some of the Schneider excitement has seemed to cool off. Still other teams are lusting after the prospect of Mathieu being available, including Atlanta. But regardless, Mathieu continues to contribute to the Ducks, adding another goal, bringing him to 204 career goals. That number moves him ahead of Gary Suter and into 5th place on the list of goals scored by US-born defensemen. Congrats Mathieu! Game summary: Schneider (Parros, May), 11:47 of 2nd.

December 6, 2007

The media (this time The Hockey News) really does seem convinced that Mathieu will be traded to make room for Scott Niedermayer's return.

And this just in from TSN.ca columnist Darren Dreger: "Veteran defenceman Mathieu Schneider is rumoured to be the target and according to management sources, there is a market for the 38-year-old who's making $5.5 million this year and $5.75 million next year." Then he adds this: "The speculation of this trade is a welcome change, as there is no denying making trades in the National Hockey League has become a dying art." <snark on>Well, Mr. Dreger, I'm glad the prospect of an NHL veteran being moved just months after choosing to come to the team brightens your day. I'm sure he will be all too happy to tell his family, as he uproots them from their home (again), that at least the move was "welcomed" by sports columnists.</snark off >

December 5, 2007

Scott Niedermayer has announced that he will in fact re-join the Ducks later this month. The hockey world is abuzz with "who will go to make salary cap room?" And one of the most common mentions is Mathieu. Of course, the Ducks technically don't need to move *anyone* and there has been no official word that anyone will be moved...

Anyway, with his name hot in trade buzz, Mathieu only scores the winning goal and adds another assist. Game summary: Schneider (Pronger, Getzlaf), 12:22 of 2nd (PP); Perry (Beauchemin, Schneider), 11:03 of 3rd (PP).

December 4, 2007

As Scott Niedermayer comes closer to returning, the Ducks need to make some personnel decisions to clear up room and money (and maybe shake up a lethargic and poorly performing team). TSN.ca reports that Mathieu is among the players being shopped around. Happy Chanukkah Mathieu! Honestly though, how much credence should someone put into one report from the Canadian media? I'm inclined to say not all that much credence, but it will be interesting to see what statements come from media a bit closer to home. Or better yet, the team.

December 2, 2007

Another ugly Ducks lose. Penalties still seemed to be a problem, but Mathieu stayed out of the box. And his minutes picked back up, as he logged 24:08, second most on the team behind Chris Pronger. Most concerning is the Ducks offensive drought. This was also Mathieu's fourth straight game without a point (which is a trend he rarely exhibits).

December 1, 2007

The Ducks have been horrible the last little while. And Mathieu's offensive production has nearly disappeared compared to how he started the season. Also, in the last few games his ice time has really decreased, from an average of 22:29 per game before November 27, to an average of 18:49 after. Almost four few minutes. Both of these could owe themselves to the insane number of penalty minutes the Ducks have been taking, and the fact that Mathieu gets so many of his points on the power play and doesn't typically spend much time on the penalty kill.

November 30, 2007


Game summary: (hooking), 8:53 of 3rd.

November 29, 2007

Game summary: (cross-checking), 14:40 of 3rd.

November 27, 2007

Game summary: (interference), 16:16 of 3rd.

November 25, 2007


Game summary: Getzlaf (Beauchemin, Schneider), 3:43 of 2nd.

November 21, 2007

Game summary: (delaying the game), 5:37 of 3rd.

November 20, 2007

After missing two games as he nursed a hip flexor, Mathieu will probably play next game: "I had my jump back. I pushed it pretty hard and I feel like I'm ready to go." (from OC Register)

November 19, 2007


Random little Q+A with Mathieu today in the USA Today newspaper. He contrasts the talents of very different defensemen Niklas Lidstrom and Chris Pronger, talks a bit about the changes in the NHLPA, and congratulates countrymen Jeremy Roenick and Mike Modano for their recent accomplishments. Read the rest here: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/checking/2007-11-19-schneiderqna_N.htm.

November 18, 2007

Though he took part in the morning skate, Mathieu sat out last night's game in San Jose. Disappointing for me, as I was there, but probably a good decision on his part: "I don't want to keep aggravating it. I don't want to be in and out of the lineup. I want to make sure that I'm in to play." he says he's dealt with hip discomfort on and off most of his career: "I know what I need and I know what it takes to get back and be healthy for long periods of time. I've probably only missed a handful of games with it, but I've been able to manage it for the last decade."

November 15, 2007

After skipping practice, Mathieu sat out tonight's game due to a sore hip.
He is listed as day-to-day.

November 13, 2007


Game summary: Getzlaf (Pronger, Schneider), 15:14 of 1st (PP); (holding the stick), 8:40 of 1st.

November 9, 2007

The Ducks win in a shootout again. Mathieu did take a shot in the shootout, but it was blocked, bringing his shootout stats to an even 1-1. But he did have a point in the game, so he stays on his hot streak, now with 7 points in his first 5 games with the Ducks. Game summary: Getzlaf (Perry, Schneider), 12:30 of 2nd; (hooking), 5:23 of 1st.

November 7, 2007

After an embarrassing trouncing last game, the Ducks come back with an offensive explosion, but still lose in OT. Though of the game, Mathieu says, "I liked a lot of what I saw tonight. What happened at the end is unfortunate, but that's part of the game. We can't afford to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves. We have to come back tomorrow and keep working" (quote from OC Register). Despite being relatively quiet last game, Mathieu added to his offensive numbers with three more points tonight, giving him 6 points in 4 games. Game summary: Marchant (Schneider, Pronger), 4:10 of 2nd; Schneider (Pronger, Getzlaf), 18:43 of 2nd (PP); Miller (Schneider, McDonald), 1:38 of 3rd; (kneeing), 10:00 of 3rd.

November 3, 2007

Um, what's going on here? Mathieu's second game with the Ducks, and he records his second straight 1st star of the game honors. Dude! That's what I call a debut! Game summary: Schneider (Getzlaf, Pronger), 11:13 of 1st (PP); May (Schneider, Perry), 8:54 of 2nd; Getzlaf (Schneider, Pronger), 13:19 of 3rd (PP).

November 2, 2007

Well, it didn't take long for Mathieu to make an impact on his new team: he scored the game winner in a shootout (his first shootout ever) and was the first star of the game. What did he think when his number was called by the coach? "Don't fan on it." Then he added: "I thought [Randy] was kidding at first, to tell you the truth. (Former Wings coach Mike) Babcock never had confidence in me. I showed him." Mathieu had never had a shot in a shootout at any time in his career, so this shot gives him a record for his stats: "I'm 100 percent now. I'm one for one." To sum it all up: "I would have never imagined that finish." Neither did I!
(quotes from Los Angeles Times and ESPN.com) Game summary: well, technically, Mathieu had no points, as shootout goals don't count on the official scoresheet.

November 1, 2007

Mathieu is scheduled to make his Ducks debut tonight at home versus Columbus. Says he: "I feel great, physically and mentally. I feel rested and ready to go." He adds looks of other stuff that I'll just paste here: "The only thing I can guarantee is I'm going to get shots on the net. I think the key is going to be to really play a simple game, play within the system. For the most part, especially on the power play, when I'm out there, I'm shooting. That's not going to change, no matter where I am." Since this is also his first game with a new defensive partner (Francois Beauchemin), he added: "There's an adjustment there, without a doubt. I told him today, 'Listen, just play your game.' I'm probably going to be more conservative than I usually am. I'll read off him." (quotes from OC Register and Los Angeles Times)

October 27, 2007

Mathieu skated for the first time yesterday, reportedly at "60% of normal tempo" for about 20 minutes: "I was really happy with the way it felt. Obviously I have some work to do still. I felt a little shaky on it. But for the first day out there, I was really happy." (from the Los Angeles Times)

October 25, 2007


According to the OC Register, Mathieu was due to see the doctor Thursday and may be cleared to play. He may play as early as next Thursday.

October 22, 2007

Closer to playing every day now, Mathieu is thrilled to be out of the cast and boot: "I feel like I've lost my ball-and-chain. I'm going to run over it with my car. Maybe I'll have my kids do it." It has been hard to adjust to a new team when injured: "It's certainly no fun. Especially when you're coming to a new team. You want to fit in right away and get on the road and kind of bond with the guys." But he notes that while the timing was bad for team bonding, it wasn't all bad: "the nice thing in it happening this early is everyone's still finding their stride. We're not sitting here in January when the league's going at full speed." He hopes to be back in another week or so. (quotes from the Los Angeles Times)

October 17, 2007

From the Los Angeles Times, "Mathieu Schneider said he hopes to begin skating by the end of next week after having a boot removed Monday that was protecting his broken ankle. He was hurt in a Sept. 15 exhibition against the Kings but couldn't resist poking fun at his situation. 'A guy my age, it's probably better to miss a few,' the 38-year-old joked."

October 13, 2007


Finally some news! The Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register both report that Mathieu is now off of crutches and has resumed some weight training. X-rays show signs of healing, but no return date has been set. So reports coach Randy Carlyle, "He still walks with a limp, it still has the cast, but he is becoming more active. He�s started more of a vigorous treatment and more of an intense workout with some load bearing on it."

October 10, 2007

Unless I'm missing some big news outlet, there has not been word one on Mathieu's condition or estimated return date. He broke his ankle almost one month ago, and that was probably the last time I heard / read his name mentioned in anything more meaningful than "also, Schneider is out with a broken ankle." I've scoured area newspapers and the team's site and found nothing. A slight aside: I know he is the new guy on a team that is still celebrating last season's accomplishments, but the new season has started and the team is 1-3-1. Maybe it's time to start focusing on the now. See what happens when I don't have Mathieu news to write? I get snarky! =P

October 3, 2007


After officially opening the regular season with the 2 game series against Los Angeles in London, England, the Ducks have their other season opening tonight in a game versus Detroit. Mathieu will miss out playing against his old team, as he's still out with a broken ankle. He's expected to miss a couple more weeks.

October 1, 2007

I haven't been adding new pictures to the site, because a) I'm lazy, b) I can only bend copyright laws so long before I feel totally guilty (and paranoid). So, I'm so super happy to share this awesome new site that is choke full of Mathieu photo goodness:
View Images.

It is a collection of Getty Images, and is meant for viewing only. You can print the page, but you can not open the images in a new window or save them. (there are work arounds if you really want) I will begin taking down any AP/Getty images I have "borrowed" for the site and won't add any others from here on out. It is really super that Getty Images is archiving these images and allowing access to viewing for free, so be respectful of their property and enjoy the vast number of awesome photos!

September 16, 2007

Well, this is lousy. Mathieu broke his ankle in yesterday's preseason game; possibly a skate-caught-in-a-rut incident. It is termed a "non-displaced fracture" of the ankle, meaning the bone is not terribly broken needing surgery or setting. But he will be out of action for about 4 weeks. Wow. The amount of suckage in this has really not set in...

September 13, 2007


The Ducks and Kings opened the NHL pre-season schedule with a match-up just a few days into training camp. The Ducks fell late to the Kings; Mathieu was not in the line-up for the game (it was, after all, Rosh Hashanah).

September 11, 2007

The Orange County Register. notes that despite their marquee value, Mathieu and Todd Bertuzzi have been very low-key additions, probably due to the continued will-they-or-won't-they retirement buzz from Scott Nidermayer and Teemu Selanne. Says Mathieu: "I think Todd and I both enjoy that. It takes a lot of pressure off us." Also, Mathieu thinks that he and Bertuzzi can help stave off the traditional "Stanley Cup hang-over" that has prevented a back-to-back winner for the last 10-years: "They reached the pinnacle, and all of a sudden, here we are back at Day 1 of training camp. In a sense, I think Todd and I can bring some fresh blood. Both of us are extremely hungry."

September 9, 2007

The LA Kings and the Anaheim Ducks open training camp a little earlier than the rest of the league, as they both want a little extra time at the beginning of camp to off-set the time they lose at the end of camp as they both travel to Europe to open the season in London, England. The Ducks hold medical evaluations Monday.

August 31, 2007

Not much hockey news to report, but Mathieu has been busy with NHLPA business. The Players' Association has been working on choosing a new leader of the 100+ applicants, not to mention re-writing the job description and altering the powers the new leader will yield over the players. Upon leaving the latest round of meetings, Mathieu reported the following: "After leaving here today I've never been more proud to be a member of the NHL Players' Association. I think we're stronger and we're going to come out of this as united as we've ever been."

August 16, 2007


I actually haven't been lax about site maintanence. There really hasn't been anything to report since Mathieu's July 1st signing.

The Ducks have added a brief profile shell to their page. Apparently he has been assigned jersey #11, a totally new number to add to his collection. Since the team hasn't met for training camp yet, it is understandable that they do not have a new headshot. Usually, the team just photoshops a new jersey onto an old headshot, but this one looks like they plopped his head from 2005-2006 on another body. (Should the image change quickly, here is what it originally looked like: 8451224.jpg). Unless he went to the Cristiano Ronaldo House of Waxing this summer, there is no way that is his neck. =)

July 1, 2007


MATHIEU HAS SIGNED WITH THE ANAHEIM DUCKS. Weeks of speculation have ended, and Mathieu has moved on from Detroit to sign a 2-year contract with the defending Stanley Cup champions. The deal, worth $5.5 million in the first year and $5.75 in the second, was made early on the first day of free agency.

In the last few weeks, if not months, it has become apparent that Detroit would not be able to compete on the open market (nor was it totally clear if Detroit was really interested in competing for Mathieu, or if they were ready to move on themselves). When future Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer announced he was leaning towards retirement, a return to California, his off-season and post-career home, looked like a very viable option for Mathieu. He sounds thrilled by the turn of events:

"I'm thrilled to be part of the Ducks organization, to be part of a great team and a great organization was a priority for me. I think for my family, this is certainly a top choice. I really couldn't ask for a better outcome."

See the rest of the Anaheim press conference at the Duck's homepage.

Congratulations Mathieu!

(A tiny side note: As a Bay Area resident, it is personally disappointing to see my favorite player on a rival SoCal team... again. But as a proud California native and resident first and foremost, let me extend a hearty "welcome home" to the Schneider family!)