From Kelowna to the NHL, legendary status followed Weber to HHOF

All photos courtesy of Getty Images

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Tyson Barrie knew the legend of Shea Weber long before they shared NHL ice.

On the day Weber is officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Barrie, current NHL defenceman for the Calgary Flames and Kelowna Rockets alumnus, took time to share some thoughts on one of the game’s premier blueliners.

Weber will be inducted alongside fellow players Jeremy Roenick, Pavel Datsyuk, Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-Pohl. They will be joined by Colin Campbell and David Poile, who will also enter the hall in the builder category.

“Shea Weber was a name that was larger than life when I started playing in Kelowna,” said Barrie, who started playing in Kelowna just one season after Weber’s departure from the junior ranks.

By the time his WHL career came to a close, the imposing 6-foot-4 defenceman had won a pair of WHL championships, a Memorial Cup and was named the Most Valuable Player in the 2005 WHL playoffs. Weber also had numerous WHL, CHL and Memorial Cup All-Star Team recognitions.

Barrie, who had a decorated career with the Rockets, including Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy recognition as the WHL’s Defenceman of the Year in 2010, had heard the stories of Weber. They covered crunching body checks, selfless leadership and big-time playoff performances.

Then there was the shot.

Weber possessed one of the hardest shots in the junior ranks, a cannonading blast that regularly saw players scatter every time he loaded up.

Barrie saw the aftermath of someone who didn’t escape the flight path of the puck off Weber’s stick.

“I think the biggest memory I have of Shea was before I got into the NHL,” recalled Barrie, who played just over four seasons in Kelowna before making his NHL debut with the Colorado Avalanche.

“[Former NHL defenceman] Josh Gorges came back to Kelowna because he had taken a Shea Weber slap shot off the helmet and his head exploded. He came into the dressing room, and we all saw his head and that added to the legend of Shea Weber and his infamous slap shot.”

But the player raised in Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada, was much more than just a big shot.

Drafted by the Nashville Predators in the second round, 49th overall, of the 2003 NHL Draft, Weber made his NHL debut on Jan. 6, 2006. He played 11 heralded seasons with the Predators, six of them as captain.

“Shea was an awesome teammate – always the hardest working guy,” former Predators teammate and current Predators captain, Roman Josi, told NHLPA.com.

“I think he was the hardest player in the league to play against for forwards.”

Traded to Montreal for fellow defenceman P.K. Subban in the summer of 2016, Weber then played five campaigns with the Canadiens, captaining the Original Six team for three of those seasons. In what would be his last NHL season in 2021, he led the Canadiens to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1993.

Injuries caused Weber to be sidelined for the entire 2021-22 NHL season, and he was subsequently unable to return to NHL play.

Weber ended his career with 1,038 regular-season NHL games to his name and recorded 224 goals and 365 assists as part of 589 points. He totaled 42 points in 97 playoff games.

His efforts did not go unnoticed by fans and those who cover the game.

Weber played in seven NHL All-Star Games and won the Hardest Shot competition at the NHL’s Skills Competition in four of those years.

He was three-time finalist for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s best defenceman and received the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2015-16.

“I learned so much from him,” said Josi, who was named the seventh captain in Predators history shortly after Weber’s departure.

“He was one of those defencemen who did it all, offence and defence.”

Added Barrie, “I think to be that good is obviously impressive, but to be that consistent was incredible.”

“Shea was able to be both throughout his entire career. His teammates and organizations leaned on him to be the best player and best leader year in and year out and he consistently delivered.”

Weber’s impact on the game extended beyond NHL circles.

He struck gold with Team Canada at the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship and Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014. He was also named to the Olympic All-Star team in 2010 and served as the team’s alternate captain in 2014.

Weber, whose trophy case also includes a gold medal at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, is one of only a few players who have won a Western Hockey League Championship, a Memorial Cup and gold medals at the world juniors, world championship and the Olympics.

Barrie’s highest compliment of Weber, however, is more about the person than the player.

“He was as good as it gets, and I was fortunate to meet him several times when I started playing for the Rockets.

“To meet a guy who you hear so much about and then to have him be so welcoming and engaging was another level of cool for me at that age.”

Josi remains grateful for the time he and Weber had together in Nashville.

“Shea was a great captain and friend. Everybody loved him as a teammate.

“He always put his team first. That is what impressed me the most.”