McGill University Athletics

Born Nov. 26, 1976 in St. Laurent, Que., Mathieu Darche was a multi-sport athlete at Choate Rosemary Hall, a private prep school in Connecticut, before enrolling at McGill, where he graduated in 2000 with a commerce degree, majoring in marketing and international business.

During his freshman year, Darche was a linebacker on the Redmen football team, alongside his older brother Jean-Philippe, then joined the hockey Redmen for the winter semester. After that season, he opted to stick with hockey only and ended up patrolling left-wing for four seasons at McGill, from 1996-97 to 1999-00.

A three-time OUAA East all-star, Darche served as team captain in his senior year, meriting CIAU first-team all-Canadian status in his final campaign after leading the nation in scoring with a 27-35-62 record in 26 contests.

He tallied 170 career points, including 78 goals, in 133 McGill games overall, including 60 goals and 130 points in 90 regular-season games.

Darche received a plethora of awards during his collegiate career, including the Guy Lafleur Trophy in 1998-99 as the Quebec university player who best combines hockey with academics and community service. In 1999-00, he was voted OUA hockey player of the year and received the Dr. Randy Gregg Trophy as the CIAU player who best combines hockey with academic prowess and citizenship. He also won the Molson Cup award for most three-star selections with the Redmen in 1997-98 and was received the team's Dr. Bobby Bell Trophy three times as most valuable player.

Darche, who signed his NHL contract the same day that his brother J.P. signed an NFL pact, became the 10th player from McGill to skate in the NHL, where he registered 30 goals, 72 points and 58 penalty minutes in 250 regular-season games in stints with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.

He also played in the DEL, an elite German league, for the Duisburg Foxes (2005-06) and had an extensive career in the American Hockey League, posting a 212-231-443 record in 552 regular season games with stints in Syracuse, Milwaukee, Hershey, Worcester, Norfolk, Portland and Hamilton.

He starting the 2009-10 season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadiens AHL affiliate but midway through the campaign, Darche was recalled to the NHL and played his first game with the Canadiens on Jan. 20, 2010, versus the St. Louis Blues. Two days later, he scored his first goal for the Habs -- which proved to be the game-winner -- on Jan. 22 against the New Jersey Devils.