Ready for the big day

MONTREAL - Not far removed from inking a six-year contract with the Canadiens, Andrew Shaw is on the cusp of committing himself to a different kind of long-term agreement.

On Saturday in Toronto, Andrew Shaw and his longtime girlfriend, Chaunette Boulerice, will officially become husband and wife after living together for several years.
The 26-year-old may be a fearless player known for taking everything that comes his way head-on, but admits he still had the butterflies when it came time to pop the question.
"I was nervous when I asked her to marry me, but it wasn't too bad. We've lived together for over 4 years," explained Shaw, who met Chaunette in their hometown of Belleville, ON, and has been with her since 2011. "She put up with me for this long, so I think she can put up with me for the rest of her life.
"It's going to be a big day. Pretty exciting. It's a big day coming up but we're both looking forward to it."

After arriving in Montreal last summer, Shaw didn't waste any time fitting in with his new teammates, and quickly became one of the more popular players in the Habs' locker room. Not surprising, given that his teammates in Chicago felt the same way during his time there. It goes without saying, then, that he'll be celebrating his wedding in the company of several hockey player friends he's made along the way since starting in the pro's as a 20-year-old.
"I hope a lot of the guys will be able to make it," outlined Shaw, who spent his first five NHL seasons in the Windy City. "In the summer, obviously, it's tough for everyone with scheduling, but the invites were given out to pretty much the whole team. There will probably also be a few of my old teammates that I played with in Chicago, as well as guys who have moved on to different teams.
"I'm one of those guys that put myself out there and became friends with a lot of my teammates," he continued. "I've become close with a lot of guys that I've played with. I'm sure there should be a few there."
The daily life of an NHL player has kept Shaw pretty busy in the lead-up to the celebration. With lots of time spent on the road and a few injuries to mend over the 2016-17 season, it's fair to say that the wedding wasn't always necessarily top of mind for No. 65.
As a result - and with no arm-twisting required to convince him - Shaw's future wife led the charge with the wedding preparations. That didn't stop the energetic winger from giving his input on some of the details for the big day.

"She took care of the majority of the decisions, but I did my fair share," explained Shaw, who said he made sure the DJ would be spinning lots of 70's tunes on the dance floor. "She asked for my opinion, I took out the suit that I'll be wearing. I'm pretty involved, but it's her show that she's running."
The newlyweds will be bucking tradition by not embarking on a honeymoon right after the celebration, having decided to set out on a romantic getaway earlier in the summer. The couple headed over to Europe to take in the sights in England, Italy and the Netherlands, a trip that was scheduled to leave Shaw enough room to get in tip-top shape ahead of training camp.
"Our trip in Europe in May was pretty much the honeymoon because we're getting married in August and I'm more focused on being in the best possible shape," he concluded. "We did that big three-week trip before summer started so that when the wedding will be done, we'll be able to relax and focus on the upcoming season."