"The adjustment was made pretty quickly, and it was easier than I thought it would be. I thought it was going to be difficult. Having been in one place for 11 years, I wasn't sure what to expect," said Weber, who played 763 games in a Predators uniform before being dealt to the Canadiens last June. "Looking back now, I'm really happy with everything. I love it here. I'm looking forward to moving ahead and getting better."
With 157 blocked shots and 140 hits to his credit, Weber was nothing short of a rock defensively. He was equally productive on offense, too, ranking in the Top 5 on the roster with 17 goals - including 12 power-play markers and four game winners - 25 assists, 42 points, and 183 shots on the year, picking up right where he left off in Music City.
The Sicamous, BC native insists his new teammates had everything to do with his personal success during his freshman campaign in Montreal.
"There's a good group of guys in here who made the transition easy. I felt like I fit in with them right away, and that's the difficult part," explained Weber, who earned his sixth All-Star nod in January, joining longtime buddy Carey Price in Los Angeles where he successfully defended his hardest shot crown during the annual Skills Competition. "I think I only knew two guys in this room before I got here, so I knew it was going to take a bit of time. Now, we'll keep building."
Come playoff time, Weber continued to prove his worth. Once again, the 2016 Mark Messier Leadership Award winner was the player Claude Julien and his staff featured the most, and the Canadiens' No. 6 answered the call with the game-winning tally in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, while blocking a team-leading 20 shots during the series with his imposing frame.