Shea Weber’s speech was short… but perfect at the same time.

Yesterday was a special night at the Bell Centre.

Fans gathered on site had the opportunity to honor Shea Weber, who wore the “C” on his jersey for a few years in Montreal.

He received a warm welcome.

Weber then addressed the fans in the amphitheatre… And let’s just say he didn’t mess around with the puck.

He began by greeting the crowd in French, saying he was happy to follow in the footsteps of Jean Béliveau, Yvan Cournoyer and Maurice Richard… Before ending by saying he’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to don a Habs jersey.

It’s no secret that the main interested party is a man of few words. But on various platforms, some criticized the former captain’s speech for being too short.

Let’s face it: it was a bit of a bland speech.

The most shea Weber speech

– c (@goalcauf) November 17, 2024

Weber isn’t the one who loves cameras, and he isn’t the one who speaks the loudest in public.

That said, personally, I thought he did what he had to do.

It looked like he was embarrassed/emotional, but he thanked the Canadiens fans for their support. He felt like crying, but he still wanted to keep talking… which is not usually in his nature.

And in all this, you have to realize that before the game, Weber spoke to the media for some 15 minutes to answer their questions.

He showed his class:

Shea Weber addresses the media at the Bell Centre before Saturday’s game against the Blue Jackets

Shea Weber addresses the media ahead of Saturday’s game against the Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre#GoHabsGo https://t.co/objPj3iSoj

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) November 16, 2024

Weber’s presence obviously motivated his former teammates, because it’s rare for the Canadiens to score five goals at the Bell Centre.

Especially on a Saturday night!

All in all, it was a perfect evening. The Habs won, Weber was inducted into the Ring of Honor… And he was able to send his love to the fans, even if we’re talking about a guy who’s embarrassed at first.

Overtime

– Love this.

#Habs Juraj Slafkovský on Cole Caufield giving him some encouragement last night when he was temporarily benched: “he’s a great guy; it was a little chat, nothing crazy. He’s a great guy and always by my side so it was nice.”

– Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) November 17, 2024

– Nice line-up.

Best and Worst Goalies (Goals Saved Above Expected) – November 17 pic.twitter.com/skBunYJ3Yl

– JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 17, 2024

– Any way to improve!

And a week later, the Japanese pitched seven innings without allowing a hit against the Pirates. https://t.co/trJCORpZT7

– Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) November 17, 2024