Habs place Shea Weber on injured reserve
The Montreal Canadiens placed captain Shea Weber on injured reserve with a lower-body ailment, the team announced Thursday.
Weber, who will be sidelined at least one week, sustained the injury during Montreal’s 5-4 shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
Coach Claude Julien said the 34-year-old defenceman is experiencing swelling in the affected area.
«You’re losing your captain,» Julien said. «I can’t tell you how disappointed I am, but at the same time we have to do something about what we have and we have to keep trying to win hockey games.
«It’s going to demand a lot from a lot of players to step up and play their best hockey of the season for a lot of guys. And if we all do that, then we might be able to survive this.»
Weber has collected 13 goals and 21 assists in 55 games this season. He represented the Canadiens at the all-star game and won the hardest shot competition for the fourth time.
WATCH | Weber records 106.5 mph clapper to win hardest shot:
Also on Thursday, the Canadiens recalled defenceman Xavier Ouellet and forward Jake Evans from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League.
Ouellet, 26, has nine goals and 15 assists in 39 games with Laval this season. He had three assists in 19 games with Montreal in 2018-19.
Evans, 23, has a team-leading 34 points (12 goals, 22 assists) in 48 games with the Rocket this season.
