Rangers’ Stanley Cup run hero opens up about former demons

Stephane Matteau thought it was time to reveal what truly was the biggest goal of his life.

More than 17 years after his last drink in 2001, Matteau went public with his struggles with depression and alcohol Friday, first in a published report and later in a conversation with The Post ahead of the Rangers’ celebration of their 1994 championship team at the Garden.

“I’m not ashamed of it, and it’s something that I’ve learned through going through all the meetings is the best way to help yourself is to help another human being,” said Matteau, whose double-overtime goal in Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference final over the Devils vaulted the Rangers into the Stanley Cup Finals. “We all have someone in our families who struggle with it, and you hear all these stories.

“The timing to come out now, I’m very grateful for it because the timing, it’s never too late. I know I’m going to help a lot of people. People put us on this pedestal, but I wanted to let them know that it’s not always great and that I’ve struggled, too.

“It’s been 17 years for me. It’s not the amount of drinks that I’ve had. It’s the mistakes that I made when I drank, and finding excuses every single time, to me, could not be an excuse anymore. I wanted to save myself and my family, most of all.”

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Matteau, now 49, was acquired by Rangers general manager Neil Smith, along with fellow forward Brian Noonan, from Chicago at the trade deadline in March 1994, one of several key acquisitions that keyed the Blueshirts’ run to their first title in 54 years. The 24-year-old left wing netted six goals during that postseason, including another double-OT score against the Devils in Game 3 of that conference finals series, which ended with Howie Rose’s famed radio call of “Matteau, Matteau, Matteau!”

Still, he was dealt to St. Louis — reuniting with former Rangers coach Mike Keenan — during the 1995-96 campaign and played seven more NHL seasons with the Blues, San Jose and Florida before retiring in 2003.

Just before the end of his career, Matteau stopped drinking. Now, the father of two mentors children in New York, Pennsylvania and in his hometown of Montreal.

“A lot of my teammates came up to me today and they were surprised, they were not even aware of my problems,” Matteau said. “It was something that I used to be ashamed and I felt guilty about. When you go through some dark times, you disliked yourself, it’s not a secret. But I came out now and I was a little uncomfortable about it, at first, but I’m proud that I did it. You have to move on in life, it’s one step at a time, and I’m not ashamed of it.”