Halifax Mooseheads goalie provides steady hand as team struggles through rebuilding year
'He's helping us get through the tough nights and tough periods,' general manager says about Mathis Rousseau
A year ago, Halifax Mooseheads goalie Mathis Rousseau was on a contending team and even suited up for Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship.
Now, the 20-year-old finds himself on a rebuilding squad where he's shouldering a heavy load. He's faced more than 40 shots in four of the past eight games he's played.
It's not exactly how he imagined the season.
"My goal would have been to go to a contender," he said. "You wanna finish your career with a winning team and have that chance to have a ring."
With the Christmas trade period coming up, it's possible Rousseau may get that wish, but he's content to be in the line of fire and be a mentor to his young teammates.
"Right now, I'm here," said Rousseau. "I gotta do the best of it and try to do my best with this team."
On many nights, Rousseau is carrying the team. At a game earlier this month — a 2-1 shootout victory against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies — Rousseau faced 49 shots.
Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell called Rousseau a cornerstone of the team.
"He's helping us get through the tough nights and tough periods," said Russell. "And, yeah, he's been a tremendous asset to our hockey team, but also a great leader and just a great person."
For Rousseau, that leadership shows up in providing coaching tips to teammates and remaining positive even as the team struggles.
While the Mooseheads got off to a hot start, winning their first four games, they now sit in 13th place in the 18-team league.
"You never know what's gonna happen," said Rousseau. "Like, I've seen games over my four years here that we might be losing by four goals and then we somehow win that game. So I try to tell them [the younger players] that those comebacks happen. I've seen it. I live it."
Forward Braeden MacPhee, 20, said Rousseau would be a captain or alternate captain if he played another position.
MacPhee said some players would find it hard to grind through a rebuilding season, but Rousseau isn't one of them.
"That's why he has had success at all levels is he just will take any challenge and run with it and he looks at this as a positive, as to not get frustrated," said MacPhee. "He's just going to face more shots and he just has to be the best he can be."
WATCH | Mathis Rousseau gets a goal
After his junior hockey days are over, Rousseau hopes to play professionally. He participated in an Arizona Coyotes training camp last year.
Rousseau said he hopes to start a business some day, perhaps in real estate or construction. He likes the idea of being his own boss and setting his own schedule.
It's in his future career path where there's a parallel with what he's doing for this season's Mooseheads.
"It's kind of that challenging part of building something from the ground up that's pretty exciting," he said.
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