Canadiens’ Mike Matheson returns to lineup after six-game absence

Some reinforcements are coming back to the Montreal Canadiens ahead of a thrilling matchup.

On Thursday, the team announced that defenseman Mike Matheson will be back in the lineup for that night’s game, which will see the Canadiens pay a visit to the rival Boston Bruins.

Matheson has been out of action for the past six games due to a lower-body injury, though it remains unclear when he was hurt. His last appearance came on Oct. 27, when he picked up two assists in a 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues.

With Matheson out of the lineup, the Canadiens have done well, going 4-0-2, though the team lost to the Minnesota Wild in overtime this past Tuesday night.

The 32-year-old has struggled to stay in the lineup this season, as he has missed a total of 10 games so far in 2026-27. Another lower-body injury led to him missing time in October as well. In his eight appearances this year, Matheson has scored one goal and three assists for four points, a little bit better than the scoring pace he has had over the past two seasons, which saw him score 31 points and 37 points in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns, respectively.

The Quebec native is in his first season of the six-year contract extension he signed last November, which carries a cap hit of $6 million through the 2030-31 campaign.

The Canadiens (11-3-4) are riding an 11-game point streak heading into Thursday night’s action. Montreal sits tied for second in the Atlantic Division with the Tampa Bay Lightning, one point back of the first-place Bruins.