Shea Weber

At 39 years old, Shea Weber has this physical status:

Shea Michael Weber (born August 14, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League. (NHL)

He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a NHL All-Star. Weber was drafted in the second round, 49th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, before being sent to Montreal.

He had played for the Sicamous Eagles of the Kootena International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL), the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL), and the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL). Weber has represented Canada at numerous International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) sanctioned tournaments, including a gold medal in 2005, an Ice Hockey World Championships gold medal in 2007, and two gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. On June 29, 2016, Weber was traded to the Canadiens in exchange for P. K. Subban.

Early life

In Sicamous, British Columbia, Weber was born on August 14, 1985. Tracy Weber, a hairdresser, and his father, James Weber, were a sawmill worker. At age six, Weber first played organized ice hockey. As a youth, he competed in the Sicamous and District Minor Hockey Association, a part of the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association (BCAHA), frequently switching between forward and defenceman positions. In Weber's second year of bantam, he permanently switched to defense. He praises his father for assisting him in moving to the United States because he believes Weber would "have a better chance at a pro career as a defenseman." Weber grew 5 inches between the ages of 14 and 15, from 5-foot-9 (1.75 meters) to 6-foot-2 (1.88 meters).

Personal life

Brandon, Weber's brother, is two years older than him. Brandon grew up playing hockey with Shea's former Predators teammate Cody Franson. When Weber was 14 years old, his mother was diagnosed with brain cancer, which was mostly removed from surgery. However, she soon started experiencing similar symptoms and had a string of seizures in early 2010. On August 11, 2010, the Weber's mother was put in a controlled coma and died.

Bailey Munro, a high school sweetheart who had played junior hockey in Kelowna, married Weber on July 20, 2013. The couple have three children together.

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Playing career

Weber was undrafted in his Western Hockey League (WHL) Draft year, but he was drafted by the Kelowna Rockets on their protected-players list during his second season of bantam. With his hometown Sicamous Eagles of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, he went up to junior "B" ice hockey at the end of the season (KIJHL). Weber's 42 points in 47 games helped his team to a near-perfect season, winning both the British Columbian Cyclone Taylor Cup and the Western Canadian Keystone Cup. In a 2–1 victory over the Spruce Grove Regals, Weber scored the Eagles' first goal of the season. Weber appeared in five games for the Kelowna Rockets during their 2001–02 WHL season, in addition to his championship run with the Eagles.

Weber's rookie season with the Rockets began with him. Weber established a physical presence early in the campaign, often fighting opposing players. He played 167 penalty minutes in his entire career, the most in his entire playing career. Weber's rookie season came to an end with eighteen points in seventy games played. In 19 playoff games, he also scored 5 points, a franchise record, as the Rockets won the inaugural Ed Chynoweth Cup, defeating the Red Deer Rebels in the finals. The Rockets competed in the WHL in Quebec City, Quebec, where they were defeated 2–1 by the Hull Olympiques in the semi-finals. Weber was eligible to be drafted into the National Hockey League (NHL) at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, at the conclusion of his rookie WHL season. He was ranked 42nd among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scout Bureau and 54th overall by International Scouting Services as he entered the draft. He was drafted in the second round, 49th overall by the Nashville Predators on June 21, 2003.

Weber was named to the WHL roster for the 2004 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge in Red Deer and Lethbridge, Alberta, in his second season with the Rockets. He had one assist in the two games played. Weber had boosted his offensive numbers from the previous season, scoring 32 points in 60 games at the end of the regular season. After scoring one goal and six assists in four Kelowna victories over the Tri-City Americans as the Rockets moved the Americans from four to two in the Western Conference semi-finals, Weber was dubbed WHL Player of the Week for April 6–12, 2004. With the Rockets losing four games to three by the Everett Silvertips in the Western Conference finals, he finished the WHL playoffs with 17 points in 17 games. Despite being cut from the WHL playoffs, the Rockets won their second straight Memorial Cup as the host team. Weber was named to the tournament all-star team after four games played as the Rockets defeated the Gatineau Olympiques 2–1 in the championship game to win their first Memorial Cup. Weber was named to the second all-star team of the WHL Western Conference at the end of the season.

Despite a late season injury, Weber's last season with the Rockets was his best with the team. He suffered his left knee after colliding with Vancouver Giants left winger Cam Cunning on March 5, 2005. Due to the injury, Weber was forced to miss the remainder of the season and the Rockets' Western Conference quarter-finals series against the Vancouver Giants. Despite the injury, Weber posted their best goals (12), assists (29) and points (41) in 55 games played. As the Rockets lifted the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 18 playoff games, Weber scored 9 goals and 17 points in 18 playoff games, winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the third time in a row. He was named the most valuable player of the WHL playoffs for his efforts. The Rockets were disqualified after losing all three of their round robin games at the 2005 Memorial Cup, which was regarded as one of the finest tournament fields in Memorial Cup history. Weber was named to the first all-star squad in the WHL and was the Western Conference nominee for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the top defenceman in the WHL, but Dion Phaneuf received the award at the end of the season. Weber was also selected to the Canadian Major Junior second all-star team.

Weber began a three-year, $1.425 million entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators on September 10, 2004. Weber made his NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings on January 6, 2006, scoring three shots on goal in 11:08 minutes of icetime. In a 3–0 victory over Nashville, three months later, he scored his first NHL goal against Reinhard Divis of the St. Louis Blues on April 6, 2006. During his rookie season, Weber appeared in 28 games, winning with two goals and ten assists. In four Stanley Cup playoff games with the Predators, he has also scored two goals before the team was disqualified in the first round by the San Jose Sharks. Weber was reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals' roster for the remainder of the AHL playoffs with Nashville's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, also in playoff play. During his time with the Admirals, who finished in second place in the Calder Cup, losing to the Hershey Bears in six games in the Calder Cup Finals, he scored 6 goals and 5 assists in 14 games.

Weber made his debut as a sophomore at the University of Nashville and became one of Nashville's most popular players. Weber had 26 points by the mid-point of the season, and his play was acknowledged on January 14, 2007, when he was named to the Western Conference roster for the 2007 NHL YoungStars Game in Dallas, Texas. Weber ended the season with 40 points, ranking eighth on the Predators' roster in total points. Before the Predators were eliminated by San Jose for the second straight season, he had five assists in five playoff games.

Weber's third season with the Predators began with a string of injuries. Weber collapsed awkwardly and dislocated his kneecap after only playing 2:19 minutes of the first period in Nashville's season-opening game against the Colorado Avalanche. After recovering from the injury during a game with the St. Louis Blues on November 17, 2007, he missed the next six weeks of play before returning to the Nashville line-up. Weber was sidelined again soon after, injuring his leg and missing another 11 games until returning to action against the Calgary Flames on January 15, 2008. Weber won 20 points in 54 games last season. In the James Norris Memorial Trophy voting as the NHL's top defenseman, he received a single fifth-place vote to tie for 17th with seven other participants.

Weber extended his three-year, $13.5 million deal with the Predators on June 23, 2008, avoiding a restricted free agency. Weber established himself as one of the best defenseman in the league in his first year with the new deal. He was one of the defencemen statistical experts at the start of the season, and he was selected to the Western Conference roster for the 2009 National Hockey League All-Star Game in Montreal. Weber's career-highs in all major statistical categories, including games played (81), assists (23), and penalty minutes (80). His 23 goals set a new Predators franchise record for goals by a defenseman in a single season. Despite receiving no first-place votes, Weber came in fourth place in the Norris Trophy voting, behind champion Zdeno Chára (1,034 points) and runners-up Mike Green (982 points) and Nicklas Lidström (733 points). After receiving four-first place votes and 172 voting points, Weber barely made it to the final defenseman pick, Dan Boyle, only a few points behind Dan Boyle.

Weber's record continued his excellent play in his fifth season with the Predators. In 59 games for the Predators, Weber gained 35 points in February. He also played a key leadership role and demonstrated his willingness to protect his teammates, as shown by three games in a row in which he fought against opponents. After the Olympic break, Weber's offensive output slowed, and he ended the season with 43 points in 78 games played. Despite a drop in offence from the previous year, Weber became a Norris Trophy nominee for the third year in a row, winning one first-place vote and 96 voting points to finish as the sixth runner-up behind winner Duncan Keith (1,096 points). Weber also received a single fifth-place vote, tying for 23rd with six other participants in Hart Memorial Trophy voting, and was the seventh-ranked defenseman in NHL All-Star team voting with 83 voting points.

Weber was named the fifth captain of the Nashville Predators in history on July 8, 2010, after losing Jason Arnott, who had been traded to the New Jersey Devils, on July 8. He was the team's youngest captain and the first Predators captain to have been drafted by the team. Weber was one of 42 players invited to the 2011 NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina, on January 11, 2011. The NHL selected teams for the All-Star Game for the first time in history, and Team Lidstrom selected Weber eighth overall. Weber had four assists and was a +6, finishing the game tied for most points and second to Nicklas Lidström for best plus-minus. In a game against the Detroit Red Wings on February 9, 2011, Weber scored his 200th career NHL point—an assist—in a game against the Detroit Red Wings. Weber averaged 25:19 in ice time and set career-highs in games played (82), assists (32) and shots on goal (25). As the Predators lost to the Vancouver Canucks after progressing to the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time in history, Weber scored three goals and five points in 12 playoff games. Weber was one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy, alongside Zdeno Chára and Nicklas Lidström, the first finalist nomination of his career, at the end of the regular season. In Norris Trophy voting, he came in second, losing 727 points to Lidström's 736. With two fifth-place votes, Weber also ranked 25th in Hart Memorial Trophy voting. For the first time in his career, Weber was elected to the NHL's first All-Star team, ranking second among defensemen to Lidström's 464. Weber became a restricted free agent on July 1, 2011. However, he said he wanted to remain with the Predators. The Predators filed for wage arbitration with Weber, preventing the possibility of other teams signing him to a new deal, while the team and Weber waited for their team's decision to negotiate a new one. Weber's case went to arbitration on August 2, the first time a team-elected arbitration candidate had failed to reach a decision by their hearing. He was given a one-year, $7.5 million deal from which the Predators could not walk away because the team had chosen arbitration rather than arbitrate the following day.

In a game against Vancouver on October 20, 2011, Weber defeated forward Jannik Hansen from behind in the first month of the 2011–12 season. Although Hansen was uninjured on the field, Weber was fined $2,500, the maximum allowable financial penalty by the NHL the next day.

After being struck by Zetterberg in Nashville's first game of the 2012 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, Weber slammed centre Henrik Zetterberg's head against the glass boards in the closing seconds of the game. The blow cracked Zetterberg's helmet, but he sustained no injury and played in the next game. The NHL fined Weber $2,500 (the maximum permitted under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement [CBA] at the time) as punishment for retaliatory conduct. Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner, was present at this game. With two, Weber led all defensemen in shorthanded goals scored in the regular season.

Weber's 2012 off-season, when the Predators unable to bring Weber to arbitration (a player can only be subjected to team-elected arbitration once in his career), Weber decided against a front-loaded $110 million, 14-year contract sheet ($68 million of it as a signing bonus) from the Philadelphia Flyers. The offer sheet was the most valuable in NHL history in terms of total value, money per season, and length, surpassing Thomas Vanek's previous offer sheet record. The Predators matched the offer sheet five days later, having lost Weber's defensive partner Ryan Suter to an unrestricted free agency. Following the 2012–2013 NHL lockout, the CBA was updated to discourage teams from signing other players to similar contracts.

Weber led all NHL defencemen with 23 goals in the 2013–14 season, as well as his career-best. With 56 points, Kimmo Timonen tied for single-season points by a defenseman, who also led the Predators for the season. For the third time in his career, Weber was chosen a finalist for the Norris Trophy; the other finalists, Zdeno Chára and Duncan Keith, the latter of whom were named finalists, were named on April 28, the latter of whom received the award. In the polls, Weber came in third place.

Weber was also elected to the NHL second All-Star team for the 2014–2015 season, his fourth post-season All-Star team selection.

Weber's first hat-trick against the Detroit Red Wings on December 5 was his first hat-trick against the Predators in 2015, the first time a defenseman in the United States. Weber will keep his goal-scoring efforts going forward, tying Paul Kariya's franchise record for power-play goals in a season with 14 goals and finishing with his third 20+ goals this season. Weber was also a finalist for the Mark Messier Leadership Award, which he won.

On June 29, 2016, Weber was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for P. K. Subban. Many ice hockey fans were taken aback by the trade's details, which were kept strictly private until the agreement was finalized. Weber's first season with the Canadiens was very encouraging offensively, scoring 17 goals and 42 points in 78 games. During the team's first-round elimination to the New York Rangers, Weber scored three points in six post-season games.

After suffering a tendon tear in his left foot, Weber was only able to skate in 26 games for Montreal the following season. It was expected that he would be out of the Canadiens lineup by mid-December during the 2018–19 offseason.

After being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on September 10, 2018, Weber was named the 30th captain of the Canadiens on October 1, 2018. However, Weber did not join the Canadiens team until November 27 due to an injury during the offseason that required surgery. In a 5–2 victory over the New York Rangers in his second game back, he scored two goals.

Weber won by 5–3 over the Vancouver Canucks on February 2, 2021, in his 1,000th game.

The remainder of Weber's 2020-21 season was marred by lingering injuries. Weber was unable to play in the playoffs for Montreal because the guy was hurt. Even under those circumstances, he coached the team's top defensive line and on-ice time, guiding them to a surprisingly difficult playoff run that saw them all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. In five games, Montreal lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. After the season's end, Montreal's front office revealed that Weber's physical injury was too severe for him to recover and that he would not be active in the 2021-22 season, with the possibility of early retirement despite five years remaining on his deal.

In exchange for Evgenii Dadonov, Weber's contract was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on June 16, 2022. Weber's deal was acquired by the Golden Knights for the sole purpose of salary cap relief, but there was no promise that he would play for the team.

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