The Canadian | Shea Weber’s impact is still felt in the locker room

Former Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin has already stated that the impact of Shea Weber’s stay with the Montreal club will be felt long after his departure.

A little more than three years after Weber played his last game with the Habs, and two years after the team cut ties by trading his contract, it is true that the one who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday in Toronto still has an impact on the Habs.

Captain Nick Suzuki said he is still in contact with Weber, who is providing him with advice as he continues to settle into his role.

“We have a bit of the same style as a leader,” Suzuki said. Obviously, he was older than me when he was captain here. He already had a long career behind him and had earned the respect of all the players. He continues to help me a lot. »

Acquired from the Nashville Predators in exchange for PK Subban, Weber wore the colors of the Canadian for six seasons, from 2016 to 2021, and was the captain during his last four campaigns with the team.

“Just by his presence, the things he said. He always said the right thing,” said Joel Armia when asked what made Weber such a good leader.

Armia also noted that, despite his six-foot-four frame, Weber was not intimidating to his teammates.

“He was more like a father figure in the locker room,” said Armia, who played three seasons with Weber with the Canadiens. If you had a question about a game, you could go watch it. He always had an answer. I miss him a lot. »

Like Weber, Suzuki tries to choose the right moments to speak in front of his teammates.

In Weber’s case, there may have been no better moment than after the Canadiens lost Game 5 of their first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2021. Weber, Carey Price and Eric Staal then sent a message that changed the turn of events, Suzuki said.

“The three had played together in the Olympics. Their words had an impact. They reminded everyone that opportunities like this don’t come around that often during a career, Suzuki said. It really united us as a group, and we won the series. »

The Canadian then reached the Stanley Cup final series, ultimately losing in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Weber did not play again after that, due to an accumulation of injuries.

“I know he spent a lot of time on the therapist’s table,” Suzuki said. He was a true warrior. He never complained. As a young player, I had no idea of ​​his situation. »

Weber dealt with his health problems discreetly, like his personality.

But if he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, it is not only because of his qualities as a leader.

“It’s also because of the impact he had on the ice,” recalled the Canadiens’ head coach, Martin St-Louis. He excelled in all phases of the game and was tough to play against.

“He was a guy who did everything. He had a great shot and was tough in his zone. He always made good decisions and he was able to make a good first pass, even if it wasn’t from one end of the ice to the other,” he added.

The two men rubbed shoulders on the Canadian team at the World Championships in 2009 and at the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014. St-Louis mentioned that he did not have enough time during these two experiences to truly discover Weber.

However, he was clear on one thing: “It’s rare not to hear good things when you talk about Shea Weber.”