When Dale Weise was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens on February 3, 2014, the initial reaction consisted mainly of, "that's all they could get for Raphael Diaz?" After Weise played a few games with his childhood team, however, the masses' tune changed from "why?" to "whoa."
Fans were impressed by Weise's work ethic, speed, and physical presence that earned him a steady spot in the Canadiens' bottom six. These qualities endeared the Manitoba native to his new coach, Michel Therrien, and before long Weise wound up with a promotion and frequently found himself playing with the team's top-six corps.