Canadiens' Weber returns for 1st game since December 2017

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber is back in the lineup versus the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night, marking his first NHL action in nearly a year.

Weber hadn't suited up since Dec. 16, 2017. He missed the remainder of last season due to a tendon tear in his left foot.

The veteran blue-liner was expected to make a full recovery over the offseason, but a knee injury kept him sidelined for the first 24 games of the 2018-19 campaign.

Weber returns with Montreal holding down the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. It's his first appearance for the Canadiens since being named the 30th captain in franchise history.

The 33-year-old finished last season with 16 points in 26 games.