Mathieu was born in Sherbrooke, Quebec, on February 3, 1976. He made his Red Wings debut on October 8, 1995 vs. Edmonton. His first point was a power play goal on November 2 at Boston. He was the youngest player on the Red Wings last season and was plus or even in 29 of 34 games. In his young career, Mathieu led the Sherbrooke Faucons in goals, assists, and points in 1994-95 and was ninth in league scoring.
