Chaminade hockey coach recalls Ottawa defensmen Wideman as a Red Devil standout
There is no guessing who Chaminade graduate and former Red Devils hockey coach Matt Hrubes is rooting for in the Ottawa-Pittsburgh semifinal series in Stanley Cup play.
Hrubes is backing the Ottawa Senators all the way, especially their starting defenseman Chris Wideman.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Wideman, 27, is from St. Louis. He played three years at Chaminade before leaving to got play Junior A hockey in at the USHL level and then head to play in college.
“I think that is safe to say not to mention the entire Chaminade nation is pulling for Chris,” Hrubes said. “He is a special person beyond the hockey rink and is always the first one to volunteer working at our Chaminade Hockey Camp every year and to play in our annual Chaminade Hockey Golf Tournament.
“There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do to help me or Chaminade hockey. I know some of his best hockey memories will always be from playing here in front of all his friends and family. He loves giving back to the communities he is in.”
The Senators and Penguins begin their seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal series Saturday (May 13) night. The winner advances to play for the Stanley Cup.
Wideman is no stranger playing for championships. When he was a junior in 2007, Chaminade reached the Challenge Cup title game in the top Mid-States Club Hockey Association tournament.
In college at Miami of Ohio, the RedHawks twice reached the Final Four.
After being selected by the Senators in the fourth round (No. 100) in the 2009 NHL Draft, Wideman spent four seasons at the minor-pro level, a five-game stint with Elmira of the East Coast Hockey League, and the rest of the time trying to get noticed at Binghamton.
He established himself as a dependable option, hinting at better things ahead during his first season with the Senators, Wideman contributed 13 points in 64 games, operating mainly on the third defense pairing.
When the Senators missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Wideman played for Team USA at the World Hockey Championships, helping the Americans finish fourth.
Wideman, who played four years at Miami (Ohio) University, was drafted by the Senators following his first season. He finished his college career with 12 goals and 95 points in 163 games and, as a senior, had the opportunity to play alongside his younger brother Alex, who was a freshman and played at Chaminade.
Wideman helped Miami claim its first CCHA tournament victory and earn two trips to the Frozen Four. In 2009, the RedHawks reached the national championship game, losing a 4-3 overtime decision to Boston University.
Before the playoffs began last month, Wideman had suited up for 140 games in his NHL career
Hrubes noted Wideman was a three-year starter for him.
When he began playing for Hrubes, Wideman was brimming with potential and skill.
“Chris was always mature beyond his years which helped him understand things quicker and be accepted by the older players sooner no to mention the coaches,” Hrubes said. “You could tell with the way he skated and saw the game, that he was different than most hockey players in our area. You could tell the same thing about Paul and Yan Stastny, Chris Butler, Neil Komadoski and Ben Bishop.”
Paul Stastny, Bishop, Butler are Chaminade hockey alumni that are in the NHL.
Wideman made his mark quickly for Chaminade.
“Along with Chris Butler and Neil Komadoski, he was the best player on the point during a power play Chaminade ever had,” Hrubes said. “Not only was he one of the most skilled players on the ice during any given game or practice, but his vision and the way he saw the ice was special. He just has natural God-given good hockey instincts and he could skate like the wind.”
Wideman played some forward in his freshman year “out of necessity,” Hrubes said.
“Since he has such great offensive skills, but he was best used as a defenseman quarterbacking the play out of his defensive zone and generally making life difficult for the opposition,” Hrubes said.
What Hrubes liked about Wideman was how much effort he put into his game and getting better.
“He was an extremely hard worker,” Hrubes said. “I can’t stress that enough. Whether it was on the ice or in the weight room or watching hockey on TV, he continues to work on his profession everyday. He was also very coachable and asked the right questions.
“He was a student-of-the-game type that could also be trusted to share his insights into a game situation with his coaches as well as work together with the other players on the team.”
While Wideman was never a captain for the Red Devils, he was a team leader, Hrubes said.
“Don’t put too much on who has a letter on their chest in high school hockey as seniors usually dominate that honor, but he is a natural born leader that always had a voice in our locker room,” Hrubes said. “He was very highly regarded by the older kids on the team as well. He could ‘sell’ what we were trying to accomplish to the whole team and led both on and off the ice.”
After three years with the Red Devils, Wideman moved on to the next level of hockey. It was a smart move, Hrubes said.
“He had to go,” Hrubes said. “He already had a Division 1 scholarship to play hockey at Miami of Ohio and needed to get at least a year of Junior A hockey in at the USHL level before he could go there,” Hrubes said. “We were very excited for him as we are with all of our student-athletes that move onto the next level. He earned it.”
When he left, the two stayed in touch, Hrubes said.
Hrubes went to Ohio to see him and Alex play.
“I was fortunate enough to go see him and his brother play at Miami while they were still there and now that I have two sons playing hockey, our whole family, including my wife, follows his games,” Hrubes said. “The boys have Ottawa Senators jerseys with ‘WIDEMAN 6’ on the back and we go to the Senators game every year they play in St. Louis.
“Our relationship has evolved from old coach to friends just as with most the guys I coached. We text a lot and I send him pictures of my sons Colton and Hutch playing hockey now. He is great with our kids and even comes over to see them in the summer and play a little street hockey in the driveway with them. Pretty cool.”
Hrubes added he stays in touch with Wideman’s father and his brother as well. Wideman’s sister also baby-sits for Hrubes.
“He comes from a great family and he was brought up right,” Hrubes said. “He’s an extremely polite young man that is funnier than heck and very social. Chris has a great sense of humor and a good group of friends that I still stay in touch with from when I coached them as well.
“Seeing him on TV is very cool, but seeing him play at the Scottrade against the Blues in front of 19,000 people is absolutely surreal. And now he is in the Eastern Conference finals playing against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The only thing cooler than that would be if the Senators won the Stanley Cup.”
