Weber’s presence on, off ice big reason defenseman heading to Hall of Fame, Price says

Goalie Carey Price was a teammate and opponent of Shea Weber, the defenseman to whom he grew close while both were wearing the red, white and blue jersey of the Montreal Canadiens and the red and white of Team Canada. Each a product of small-town British Columbia, each now raising a young family in Kelowna, British Columbia. Price had a unique view of Weber during five seasons together in Montreal and on the international stage, taking gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, then winning the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto. Here, Price shares his thoughts on Weber, who will be inducted into the Hall on Monday, in a special testimonial for NHL.com:

Presence.

To me, this describes Shea Weber to a T. Wherever you may meet him, whether on the ice or off, you can’t help but notice his presence. “Webs” is a man of great physical stature, of course, but it’s not only that which defines his presence. It’s the way he carries himself.

Webs is a walking definition of a captain and receives respect from everyone who comes into contact with him. Never was that more apparent than at the Olympics in Sochi, sitting in the Team Canada dressing room that included six NHL team captains, including himself with Nashville; his quiet presence was felt by all.

I’m sure Shea would agree that playing for our country would be among the highlights of an amazing career. He represented Canada at two Olympics, the World Cup of Hockey, IIHF World Championship and an IIHF World Junior Championship, winning gold medals in each.

Some of the best hockey I have ever witnessed took place watching the boys in red and white.

The team that was assembled for the Sochi Olympics was what I call the Navy Seals of hockey. Never have I watched a game plan executed so well, nor have I seen a blue line so stout with Webs being the tip of the spear.

Webs scored a huge goal for us against Latvia -- the game-winner late in the third period to break a 1-1 tie -- to move us into the semifinal and ultimately our gold-medal win against Sweden in the championship game.

As a small-town boy, Webs is a quiet, modest feller with a quick wit and a genuine passion for the game. He was able to make critical decisions under pressure and maintain his composure until he turned into the Hulk. If there was ever a guy I wanted to go to war with, it would be him.

I had the opportunity to play against Webs during his years with Nashville, and with him for five years in Montreal. As an opponent, I most certainly had to respect his shot from my right flank and as a teammate I had the utmost respect for him because he was the backbone of our team.

He had the type of work ethic that’s contagious. It was always easier to get back to work on the hard days when you have a guy leading the charge with that type of mentality.

Webs is known for his shot and bruise-inducing conduct in front of the net, but his most important attribute was his ability to understand when a teammate needed a pat on the back or a kick in the pants. Understanding what action needed to be taken next was his specialty.

Never was his leadership more on display than when we made our four-round Stanley Cup run in 2021, playing through the pain and grind of playoff hockey. If you could build a player for the postseason, the mold would be this big man. Tough, smart and mean.

He played more than 1,000 games with Nashville and Montreal and the guy never complained, never was outworked and always showed up prepared. A classic lead-by-example attitude… always a team-first guy and never one to hog the spotlight. The big fella’s a bit shy that way.

But Webs isn’t stoicism all the time. Behind the iron facade is a guy with a great sense of humour, one who was always ready to get the guys together for a hot-stove talk. That was another one of his leadership qualities: bringing the guys together.

Webs has a beautiful family and it’s been a blessing to watch his children grow up alongside my own.

What an honor it is to write these words for a friend and a man I admire. Upon his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, I speak for all of his former teammates in saying, “Congrats, Webs. You deserve it.”