Montreal Canadiens: Looking Back at the Habs Four Clydesdales

Shea Weber

Shea Weber led the Canadiens’ blueline, but it was more than just the C on his sweater that instilled a dog mentality in him. The man Mountain played with more of an edge than usual, shooting the puck harder and punishing opposing forwards with huge body checks, Weber’s two-way style was put on full display. He went to war each night with his fellow Canadiens bandmates and left it all on the ice.

It was revealed after the Canadiens’ loss that Weber had played through injuries, and while it isn’t uncommon for players to continue playing, Weber’s decision was the eventual undoing of his career. As Weber hasn’t played a game since, and his contract was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Evgenii Dadonov in June 2022. For his part, the Canadiens’ former captain played 22 games, recording one goal and five assists, but points weren’t telling of his performance.

Ben Chiarot

Ben Chiarot was the total opposite of Petry and Edmundson, who are a little more even-tempered and slightly less physical. He helped aid Weber, as he loved to mix it up in the corners and was a nightmare along the boards, and crossing his side of the blueline would result in a monstrous body check. Chiarot would hit you, and then deal with the consequences afterwards, and he loved to get in the middle of the scrum. While he played a mean, rugged game, he also skated beautifully, and his booming shot complemented his solid first pass, making him a solid two-way defender.

He was no dynamo on offence, but he could skate the puck up the ice well, and make solid passes to help aid his forwards. He was the third of the four defenders to play all 22 games, and he scored one goal and one assist. As we all know, Chiarot was more of a contributor to the offence, and his focus was more on being a physical defensive defenseman.

Jeff Petry

Jeff Petry was an important player because he could help balance the big minutes with Weber, and while he was a hesitant shooter, his playmaking was a welcomed addition at the top of the powerplay.  His skating ability made him a two-way threat, as he cut off angles with ease and could transition up the ice, acting as a fourth forward. Petry was the perfect second-pairing offensive defenseman, and with Chiarot and/or Edmundson supporting him defensively, he was able to pinch, at times.

During the Habs Cup run, Petry was relied on heavily to create offence from the backend and aid his wingers along the wall. He played the least games of the four, with 20 and he managed six assists in total. He was never very physical, and we can all agree he doesn’t shoot nearly enough, but his skating and strong positioning helped to be effective in all three zones.

Joel Edmundson

Edmunson had a Stanley Cup ring, and along with that, his experience aided in the locker room, and during the moments of adversity. He blocked shots, killed penalties and dared opposing forwards to cross his side of the blue line. If they did, he would use his 6’5” 225-lb frame to send them flying

An all-situations defenseman, who was more known for his defensive acumen, Edmundson was very important to the Canadiens’ pursuit of Lord Stanley. He would play 22 games for the Habs during their playoff run, recording six assists. The preceding two seasons saw Eddy deal with some back issues, and he was dealt to the Washington Capitals at the beginning of the offseason.

These four monsters were an integral part of the Canadiens Cup run and helped make Carey Price’s life easier. They cemented themselves in the Canadiens’ record books, and the Canadiens’ young players gained such crucial playoff experience. The four Clydesdales were a positive presence, after their loss to the Lightning.

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