High praise for Shea

BROSSARD - Shortly after the Canadiens held their first practice of the regular season on Monday, Shea Weber's teammates reacted to his appointment by management as the 30th captain in franchise history.

To a man, Weber's colleagues were delighted to learn that the veteran defenseman would be sporting the coveted "C" going forward.
Time and again, they cited the 33-year-old rearguard's leadership experience both on and off the ice as second-to-none.
Weber, of course, was an alternate captain in his first two seasons with the Canadiens before assuming the captaincy.
"I'm happy for him. He was my choice. He's the best guy I've played with. He's a very good leader. The list is so long to describe everything that he represents," praised Paul Byron, who was named one of two alternate captains on Monday, along with Brendan Gallagher. "A lot of guys in the room call him "dad." For what he can bring and what he represents for this team, there's no doubt that he was the logical choice."

The Sicamous, BC native became the 25th Canadian-born player to captain the Canadiens, and the first since Vincent Damphousse (1996-99). He is also the first defenseman since Chris Chelios - who served as co-captain with Guy Carbonneau in 1989-90 - to sport the "C", and the 11th blueliner in team history to do so.
Weber most recently served as captain of the Nashville Predators between the 2010-11 and 2015-16 campaigns, before being dealt to the Canadiens in June 2016.
For his part, Gallagher was a big fan of the six-time All-Star's appointment as well.
"Giving that responsibility to Webs, I think it puts us in a really good position. I think he's capable of handling all of the responsibilities that come with it. He's done it before. He knows exactly what he's doing. In all the sense of the word leadership, I think he exemplifies those qualities," explained Gallagher. "It comes naturally to him. It's just something that he brings with him every day when he comes to the rink. He's a leader, and guys want to follow him. He's doing the right things, so guys follow him in the right direction."

Goaltender Carey Price chimed in on his good friend's promotion, too.
"He's obviously a big presence, both verbally and physically. He's a guy that's been around and knows the ins and outs of the league and what it takes to be a good leader. He's got the experience and he definitely has the respect of our locker room," shared Price, who went on to praise the Canadiens' newly-minted alternate captains. "Tenacity is a pretty good word for [Byron and Gallagher]. They're both guys that like to push the envelope. I like the letters that we have, for sure."

Green light for Shaw
Andrew Shaw confirmed on Monday that team doctors have cleared him to return to the Canadiens' lineup.
The 27-year-old right-winger underwent left knee surgery back in April.
"I've been bag-skating for five weeks, so my stamina is there. My battling and my intensity, I feel like that's all there. I did a week of that," explained Shaw, who mentioned that he added 10 pounds of muscle to his frame during the offseason. "My head is clear, my knee feels great. I'm excited and full of energy. I just can't wait to get out there with the boys. I'm happy to be out there right now with them and feeling like I'm a part of the team again."

Shaw also shared his thoughts on the Habs' newest captain.
"He's like a dad to all of us. He's our leader. We follow him. We'll go anywhere with him, and we know when the tough gets going, he's going to be the first one in there," said Shaw. "He's a competitor, he's a battler, he's a hard worker, and he's a fun guy to be around. Everyone respects him and listens to him. It's a huge step for us."