Weber: 'It's time to get back to work in Montreal'

ST. LOUIS - Shea Weber enjoyed everything about his 2020 NHL All-Star Weekend experience.

After wowing the Enterprise Center crowd on Friday night with his 106.5 mph winning blast in the Hardest Shot event, the 34-year-old defenseman offered up a solid performance for the Atlantic Division during the 3-on-3 tournament on Saturday.
Weber scored a goal and collected a pair of assists, but his squad ultimately fell 5-4 to the Pacific Division in the Final.

"These are always a lot of fun. This year was no different. It was close at the end there, but we just couldn't quite pull it off," said Weber, shortly after the championship contest came to an end. "I hate losing. I think as the game went on, it tightened up there. I think guys tried a little bit more and more."
Unfortunately, it just wasn't meant to be for Weber and company.
Interestingly enough, the Canadiens' captain even dished out a rare hit over the course of the evening during the tournament opener against the Metropolitan Division.
The victim was none other than Pittsburgh Penguins blueliner Kris Letang.
It was all in good fun, though. Weber made that perfectly clear.
"I had to get everything in, every stat. I missed penalty minutes, but that's a good one to miss," joked the 15-year NHL vet following his seventh appearance in the League's midseason showcase. "I was talking to Kris, I was letting him know I was coming the whole way. I told him "Heads up!" and he ended up stepping on my stick. As long as he didn't get hurt, it was all good."

In retrospect, it was tough for Weber to single out just one moment from the past few days in Missouri that really stood out from the rest.
He genuinely appreciated being the Canadiens' representative on site.
"I was looking at pictures of the Tkachuk kids. I had pictures with them in Montreal from my first All-Star Game [in 2009], so it's like coming around full circle by getting a chance to play with them," reminisced Weber, referencing youngsters - and fellow All-Stars - Brady (Ottawa Senators) and Matthew (Calgary Flames). "Obviously being with all these guys was special, too. There were a lot of first-time guys in here. I'm sure it was really special for them. No matter which number All-Star Game it was for me, it was special."
Now, it's back to business as usual for the veteran of 975 NHL games, who will be doing everything in his power going forward to help the Canadiens earn a playoff berth.
Claude Julien's contingent will practice on Sunday afternoon at the Bell Sports Complex before playing host to the Washington Capitals on Monday night at the Bell Centre.

"Obviously, the fun's kind of over with," concluded Weber. "It's time to get back to work in Montreal."