B.C.-born hockey players vie for Stanley Cup as friends, family cheer them on

There are a lot of nerves inside the Weber household come game night. And the stakes just keep getting higher.

James Weber tries to put on a brave face when he watches his son's team compete for hockey's ultimate prize.

"I may not show it like a lot of people do," Weber told CBC News. "It's a lot of stress for sure ... when [your child] is involved in something like that, it becomes very personal."

Weber is father of Montreal Canadiens captain Shea Weber. The ice hockey defenceman is among a handful of players on the team with B.C. roots, along with renowned goaltender Carey Price.

Both are competing in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in their tenured careers, much to the delight — and occasional stress — of friends, family, and hometown fans. Weber is from Sicamous, B.C., while Price is from Anahim Lake.

"Everywhere you go, everybody is pumped up about it," said Weber of Sicamous, a town of fewer than 2,500 residents. "It's hard to avoid talking about it."

The team plays the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals Wednesday night. The Lightning currently leads the series 1-0.

Hard workers early on

Weber coached his son until he was 14. He said Shea was easy to coach, largely because he listened and was committed to doing his best.

"I would put a certain amount of pressure on him, I just wanted him to play hard. But the good thing about Shea is that he wanted to do things the right way."

Weber was drafted by the NHL in 2003 to the Nashville Predators before eventually being traded to the Canadiens in 2016. Among his career accolades are two Olympic gold medals, including one in Vancouver 2010 — a tournament where he famously shot the puck so hard it ripped the netting of the goal.

Rob Sutherland, Weber's cousin and current assistant general manager of the Sicamous Eagles, says he was always in awe watching Shea's powerful slapshot growing up.

"You might think you're a good hockey player, you got something, and then you get out there with one of those guys and they take a shot, and you're like, 'Wow!'" he told CBC News.

Sutherland says the entire town is behind Weber and the Canadiens.

"We've all been waiting for this and hoping for Shea that this would happen. Not a lot of guys get to get to the Stanley Cup finals, never mind win one," he said.

"We'd love to see the cup back here. I just dream of that being here."

Power of poise

Vancouver-born goalie Carey Price grew up in the small B.C. town of Anahim Lake. He would travel to Williams Lake — a five-hour drive each way — to play hockey in the winters.

In 2002, at just 14 years old, he was drafted by the Washington-based Tri-City Americans, a Western Hockey League (WHL) team. The WHL is a high level junior hockey league.

The team's general manager, Bob Tory, said Price had a maturity about him that encouraged team managers to pursue him, even as a youngster.

"He was an elite player at that time, even at that age. Very quick, very athletic, tremendous concentration and positioning," he said. "A lot of teams were afraid to [draft] goalies early."

Tory says Price's poise and concentration between the pipes has carried on into his NHL career, where he has become an all-star goaltender.

Tory says he's proud to watch what Price has accomplished, but admits there are still stressful moments when he watches the games on TV.

"When the other teams got the puck and they're shooting, [my heart] is beating pretty fast," he said. "It's exciting and we're wishing Montreal the best."

Watching from the sidelines

The team will return to Montreal for games 3 and 4 of the series, where there will be a limited crowd size.

For James Weber, it's a chance to cheer on his son from the sidelines as he plays some of the biggest games of his career. The NHL's COVID-19 protocols will prevent him from getting much closer.

If the team wins, it would mark the first time a Canadian team has raised the Stanley Cup since 1993 — the last time the Canadiens won it.

"Hopefully at the end we can celebrate together," said Weber.