Shea Weber: An injury from 2017 haunted him for the rest of his career

Shea Weber was known in Montreal as a warrior.

He played through pain at the end of his career, but never hesitated before throwing himself on the ice to block a shot.

Speaking to the media today on the heels of his Hall of Fame induction (which takes place on Monday), the former Canadiens captain confessed that it was the injury he sustained blocking a Jack Eichel shot at the start of the 17-18 season that really put an end to his career:

The Stanley Cup Final left its mark... https://t.co/tt53ax54na

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 8, 2024

During the Habs’ run to the Cup Final in the summer of 2021, Weber was hurt.

He went into the playoffs with a torn meniscus, a broken ankle, torn thumb tendons… And he also tore his groin during the series against the Vegas Golden Knights.

You’d have to be superhuman to play with injuries like that, because all he did was put bandages on his boo-boos :

Shea Weber played 2021 Cup run with a torn meniscus, busted ankle, torn thumb tendons, and then he tore his groin in the Vegas series. How did he get through it? “Just taped it all up. I was a mummy.”

– Eric Engels (@EricEngels) November 8, 2024

That said, I don’t think we appreciate enough the work he did for the Canadiens as captain, even if he didn’t play in Montreal for very long.

In the dictionary, it should be written “Shea Weber” to describe the word “Courage”.

It’s worth remembering that the main player will be honoured at the Bell Centre on November 16, and Weber says he’s excited about the occasion.

He knows he’s probably going to cry, because there’s going to be a lot of emotion in the air:

Shea Weber, on returning to the Bell Centre next week: pic.twitter.com/KN3llHfPgn

– Eric Engels (@EricEngels) November 8, 2024

Shea Weber deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Note that his good friend Carey Price will be eligible for induction into the Hall as early as next year… And it will be interesting to see if he, too, is admitted in his first year of eligibility.

Overtime

– That would be something.

Most 3+ assist games from a defenseman in a decade:

2020s – Quinn Hughes (19)
2010s – Erik Karlsson (20)
2000s – Nicklas Lidstrom (17)
1990s – Coffey & Bourque (33)
1980s – Paul Coffey (49)
1970s – Bobby Orr (53)

Is Quinn going to be the first defenseman with 40+ since Coffey? pic.twitter.com/nGmKO4myGE

– Big Head Hockey (@BigHeadHcky) November 8, 2024