Terrebonne, QUEBEC — If pulling on a Canadiens jersey for the first time Monday gave Shea Weber a sense of what he’ll look like playing in Montreal, Tuesday was about his first encounter with the city’s infamous hockey media as a member of the team.
Weber spent roughly 15 minutes with 40 or so reporters and cameras that showed up at coach Michel Therrien’s golf tournament Tuesday.
"You guys can follow me around wherever I go," Weber joked.
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Fans of the team and several members of the media have been eagerly awaiting Weber’s arrival in Montreal. He felt Therrien’s golf tournament would offer him the best opportunity to come to town and get acquainted with several new teammates who left their summer residences to partake in the annual event.
Most of what Weber said Tuesday revolved around coming into the Canadiens’ family without wanting to ruffle any feathers; around just wanting to fit in; around the team’s success trumping his personal success.
"Whatever coach wants, I’ll do," he said.
What Therrien wants from Weber is what he’s delivered since stepping into the NHL in 2005.
The six-foot-four Sicamous, B.C., native has accumulated 166 goals and 277 assists in 763 games. He’s piled up 187 power-play points, and he’s racked up 568 penalty minutes playing the nasty brand of hockey he’s made his name on.
"In 2014, in playoffs, we played [the Predators]. Just battling in front, he got me pretty good and he ended up breaking two of my ribs," said former Chicago Blackhawk Andrew Shaw, who signed a six-year, $23.4 million contract with the Canadiens after he was traded to Montreal on June 24.
"I’ve already let him know I’m glad I don’t have to play against that anymore, that’s for sure," added Shaw.
Canadiens defenceman Nathan Beaulieu, who might be paired with Weber on the team’s top defensive unit, believes his new teammate has been seriously underestimated by a segment of fans who claim he’s on the downside of his career at 30 (Weber turns 31 on Aug. 14).
"People don’t understand how big of a game-changer this guy is," said Beaulieu. "He’s a big, strong guy. You see him, he’s big and defensively he’s probably if not the best in the league. Then the other side of it is he goes to all-star games, he scores 20 goals, and his worst scoring year I think he had 12. He’s going to do some damage."
Off the ice, Weber brings a wealth of experience the Canadiens feel will be beneficial.
Max Pacioretty, who was named Montreal’s captain before last season began, feels Weber’s presence in the locker room will help him evolve in his role. Both Shaw and Beaulieu pointed to Weber’s leadership in Nashville and with Team Canada at international events as a key benefit of his acquisition.
"He’s at the peak of his game," said Therrien. "We all know that he’s tough to play against, but he brings more—not only on the ice but also in the dressing room with his presence. We all thought it was a great fit."
Weber will have adjustments to make.
Getting to know the tendencies of his Eastern Conference counterparts will require time after spending more than a decade in the Western Conference. And adapting to a different style of game and playing system will be particularly challenging over an abbreviated training camp due to the World Cup of Hockey, which Weber will participate in for Canada.
As for the adjustment of moving from a quieter hockey market to hockey-mad Montreal?
"It’s special," Weber said. "Playing on the road here is one thing, but being able to play here at home in front of these fans—you just get chills and shivers thinking about it."
Weber’s had a lot of time to think about playing in Montreal since a trade on June 29 for defenceman P.K. Subban took him away from the Nashville Predators.
The Predators drafted Weber 11 years ago, and they put him in the position to anchor their blue line for what he expected would be the remainder of his career. When the phone call came from general manager David Poile to inform him he had been traded, he was certainly surprised.
But as one chapter ends, another one begins.
"At the end of the day, it’s a business," said Weber. "It’s exciting to be back in Canada, let alone the mecca of hockey, the place where people just eat sleep and breathe hockey."
As for the pressure of facing a massive media presence on a daily basis, Weber added: "There’s pressure everywhere you go. I’ve played in international events—there’s pressure. In the playoffs there’s pressure. It’s just something you have to deal with. I don’t think you think about it a whole lot. I just think you be yourself and do what got you here and I think that’s all anyone can ask."
