Shea Weber: Captain, Leader, Legend

On September 10th, 2004, Shea Weber put pen to paper on an entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators. After signing, the 35-year-old featured in 11 consecutive seasons for the Preds, before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for P.K. Subban in June 2016. Since the move, he’s been a leading player in the Habs’ team, bringing experience to a side who are seeking to reclaim their grasp on the NHL.

Despite being the most dominant outfit in the division’s history, they’re currently enduring a 27-year drought regarding winning the Stanley Cup. As such, there’s something of a fairytale feeling that, in the season where Weber plays his 1,000th game, the Canadiens could win their 25th Stanley Cup. While that would be a dream come true, failure to reach the pinnacle won’t define the 35-year-old’s career. So, let’s look back at his contributions and see what the future holds.

Reaching 1,000 Career Matches

At the time of writing, Weber has officially played 1,000 games. In doing so, he becomes the first player from the 2020-21 NHL season to achieve such a feat. Not only that, but he’s also in an elite group of competitors to have reached the mark. To date, only 348 other players have played 1,000 NHL matches. Despite being hampered by injuries at times throughout his career, it’s a testament to the defenceman’s application and desire to succeed that he continually overcame adversity.

Currently, Weber shows no signs of slowing down, particularly with the Habs heading in the right direction as a team. After ten games in the 2020-21 season, the Montreal Canadiens had won seven matches and held a one-point lead over the Maple Leafs. Although there have been structural changes to the NHL’s divisions, after their opening ten fixtures in 2019-20, the Habs had won just four games. Moreover, last season, they conceded 34 goals at the ten-match mark. Compared to this year, that figure dropped to 27. As a defenceman, this speaks volumes of Weber’s contributions.

After making his 1,000th appearance in a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, Weber became just the fifth player from the 2003 Draft to reach the four-figure mark. Behind only Ryan Suter, Brent Burns, Brent Seabrook, and Dion Phaneuf, respectively, the 35-year-old’s achievements showcase his longevity.

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Leaving Behind a Lasting Legacy

Among his peers, Weber is regarded as one of the most respected players to compete in the NHL. Rather insightfully, Suter, a fellow 1,000-match achiever, described the 35year-old as a “grizzly bear” on the ice, as per Sportsnet. As a captain, few can argue that the defenceman doesn’t bring much-needed leadership to the Habs. Despite his age, his fitness has held up, as he played 65 games in 2019-20. Importantly, this ensures that the Habs can rely on his experience during crucial stages of must-win matches.

Following his appointment in October 2018, the Montreal Canadiens have shown continual signs of progression. Although they missed out on the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2018-19, a fifth-place finish in the Atlantic Division during the following campaign saw them qualify for the first time since 2016-17. Of course, this isn’t solely down to Weber being appointed captain, but there’s undoubtedly a correlation between his increased leadership responsibilities and the Habs’ upturn in form.

 

Although the oldest defenceman on the Canadiens’ roster, the 35-year-old still has plenty left to offer. Weber himself admitted in a post-match interview that playing 1,000 matches was unimaginable. In many ways, his arrival in 2016 came at the perfect time, with the 24-time Stanley Cup Winners requiring leadership in a transitional phase. Now, with an action-packed schedule ahead of them, Weber and his teammates will be dreaming of winning the Stanley Cup after their impressive start. Should they turn that into a reality, it will be the first of the 35-year-old’s career. Although they aren’t the favourites to go all the way in if they can qualify, the Habs are currently priced at 12/1 to win the Stanley Cup in 2020-21, as of February 4th.

The Leader That the Montreal Canadiens Needed

When Weber decides to walk away from professional hockey and the Habs, he’ll leave behind a more competitive team than the one he joined in 2016. Although he doesn’t have any collective silverware to show for his commitment to the sport, his 2016 Mark Messier Leadership Award speaks volumes about his attitude, character, and legacy. While he’s still competing, he should be appreciated, as his career-long achievements don’t occur frequently.

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