Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson is known for his speed on the ice, but how does he navigate the open road? We chatted with the hockey star about life behind the wheel, from getting his license the moment he turned 16 to buying his first car. Plus, Mike shares what he’s learned about adulting over the years – including the importance of budgeting for home and auto insurance – as well as what adulting lessons he hopes to share with his kids.

How old were you when you got your first driver's license?

As early as humanly possible. I could get my learner’s permit at 16, so I got that, and then I took the classes straight afterwards.

Tell us about your first car.

I got my firs car when I was signed [as a professional hockey player], and it was a Ford Edge – it was used, but I bought it here in Montreal. I literally drove up from Boston, where I was going to school at the time, to pick it up and then I drove right back down to finish my classes. Before that, I was driving my parents’ cars whenever they would let me – a Honda Civic and a Honda Pilot.

Which of your teammates you think is the best driver?

Best driver, I would go with Arber Xhekaj, probably. He's very into cars. So I would give him the nod for that.

And what's the best driving tip you've ever received?

I think it’s to never trust other drivers, in a sense. I feel like you can get caught feeling like everybody's thinking the same thing as you, so it’s better to assume they don’t. Being aware like that can make your driving safer.

What's one adulting life lesson you wish you'd learned in school?

I think it’s just everything that comes along with adulthood. It’s all the bills you have to keep track of, plus obviously insurance and how important it is to have. So you don’t necessarily know these expenses are coming, but then all of a sudden, here they are. And you know from the get-go that you’re going to make a certain amount of money, but you actually don’t have all of that money to spend. You've got a lot of important things to manage and worry about.

What's the biggest thing that surprised you when you first moved into your own place?

I guess how much I liked it, in a sense. My first year in the NHL was the first time I got my own apartment and my wife – who was my girlfriend at the time – was still playing hockey, so we were doing long distance stuff, but I really enjoyed just kind of having my own space and cooking for myself every night. It was fun.

Can you share what your routine looks like when you get home after a game?

It's definitely different now with with our two young kids – everybody’s asleep when I come home. So usually, our dog Hank is the only one up waiting for me. It's our time together, Hank and I. Sometimes my wife will stay up and it's kind of our time to have a second without the kids running around, and oftentimes when she does stay up, we end up staying up way too late. Just sitting at the table talking because it's one of the few times we get to do that. It's a nice quiet time, and it’s actually pretty fun.

How do you find quiet time or time to unwind after an intense practice or an intense game?

I think that's part of being a parent – you don't really get any quiet time. But I think that's helped me a lot, actually. I don’t have that super quiet apartment to go back to where all I think about is the game or whatever the case may be. I'm just on right away as a dad and as a husband, and I think it helps that the family keeps going all the time.

What's the best adulting lesson you want to teach your kids?

Just not to stress about things that may seem big but really aren’t. When I was younger and didn't have kids, I would stress over everything. But now that I’m a dad, it forces me to evaluate what's important – and the most important thing is my relationship with my kids. So I’d want to teach them that mentality: regardless of what's going on in your life, you’re going to give it your all, but don’t let it fully consume and define you at the same time.