A B.C. artist’s work was part of a prestigious hockey ceremony earlier this week.
Two days after playing in his 1,000th NHL game, the Montreal Canadiens honoured their captain, Shea Weber, for reaching the plateau in a pre-game ceremony.
Weber was presented with a silver stick — given to players who reach 1,000 games — and a custom art piece created by Justin Maas of Salmon Arm.
The portrait illustrates Weber as a young NHL player with the Nashville Predators and as Montreal’s captain.
“So honoured to be part of this special moment for Shea,” Maas wrote on social media.
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“Getting a commission like this is always great, but when it’s your team and your favourite player, well, it’s pretty special,” said Maas.
On Tuesday, Feb. 2, Weber reached 1,000 games, a 5-3 home-ice win over Vancouver.
Weber’s 1,000th game was acknowledged at a stoppage in play halfway through the first period. Players from both teams tapped their sticks on the ice and Weber waved as crowd noise was piped into the empty Bell Centre.
Then on Thursday, Feb. 4, prior to a 3-2 loss to Ottawa, Weber was presented with the stick and painting.
Weber, who grew up in Sicamous, became the 349th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 games.
Originally born in Hartford, Conn., Maas now resides in the Shuswap.
The 48-year old studied briefly at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Milwaukee Art Museum before enrolling in the visual communications program at the Alberta College of Art and Design, where he earned a four-year diploma.
Maas is also a senior signature member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and is an elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists.
— With files from the Canadian Press