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The Montreal crowd let out a collective howl for Dale Weise as he skated back onto the ice on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.

He’d just scored two goals in a 6-2 win against the New Jersey Devils and one can only imagine the sensation of pure ecstasy taking over in that moment — the tingly, almost weightless feeling that pulsated across Weise’s body.

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Some chanted his name; others clapped and hollered for the Canadiens forward. It was one of those rare nights he’d be named among the game’s three stars, so Weise soaked it in, raised his stick to the crowd and returned to the Montreal dressing room.

For a Canadiens player, to succeed in this city is to be embraced with a kind of love that borders on suffocation. The fans’ embrace may have tightened a little the following night, when Weise picked up a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win against the Bruins in Boston.

Just over a year ago, nobody in Quebec seemed to know who Dale Weise was. Now, he’s a household name.