Shea Weber

Weber went unselected in his Western Hockey League (WHL) Bantam Draft year, but was placed by the Kelowna Rockets on their protected players list during his second season of bantam.[2] At the end of the season, he moved up to junior "B" ice hockey with his hometown Sicamous Eagles of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). Weber's 42 points in 47 games played helped his team to a near perfect season of 43–5–1–1, winning both the British Columbian Cyclone Taylor Cup KIJHL league championship and the Western Canadian Keystone Cup.[4] In the Keystone Cup championship game, Weber scored the Eagles' first goal of the game in a 2–1 victory over the Spruce Grove Regals.[5] In addition to his championship run with the Eagles, Weber played in five games for the Kelowna Rockets during their 2001–02 WHL season.

The following season Weber began his rookie season with the Rockets. Early into the campaign, Weber established a physical presence, often fighting opposing players.[6] Overall, he had 167 penalty minutes that season, the most in his entire playing career.[7] Offensively, Weber finished his rookie season with eighteen points in seventy games played. He also scored 5 points in 19 playoff games as the Rockets won the franchise's first Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions, defeating the Red Deer Rebels in the finals.[8] As WHL champions, the Rockets represented the WHL at the 2003 Memorial Cup in Quebec City, Quebec, where they were defeated by the Hull Olympiques 2–1 in the semi-final.[8][9] At the completion of his rookie WHL season, Weber was eligible to be drafted into the National Hockey League (NHL) at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.[10] Heading into the draft, he was ranked 42nd among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau and 54th overall by International Scouting Services.[10] On June 21, 2003, he was drafted in the second round, 49th overall, by the Nashville Predators.[11]

In his second season with the Rockets, Weber was named to the WHL roster for the 2004 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge in Red Deer and Lethbridge, Alberta.[12] In the two games played, he recorded one assist.[13] At the completion of the regular season, Weber had improved his offensive statistics from the previous season, recording 32 points in 60 games. Weber was named the WHL player of the week for April 6–12, 2004, after recording one goal and six assists in four Kelowna wins over the Tri-City Americans as the Rockets eliminated the Americans four games to two in the Western Conference semi-finals.[14] He finished the WHL playoffs with 17 points in 17 games as the Rockets were eliminated four games to three by the Everett Silvertips in the Western Conference finals. Despite being eliminated from the WHL playoffs, the Rockets advanced to their second consecutive Memorial Cup as the host team.[15] At the 2004 Memorial Cup, Weber was named to the tournament all-star team after recording four points in four games played as the Rockets defeated the Gatineau Olympiques 2–1 in the championship game to win their first Memorial Cup.[16] At the completion of the season, Weber was named to the WHL Western Conference's second all-star team.[7]

Weber's final season with the Rockets proved to be his best with the team, despite a late season injury. On March 5, 2005, he injured his left knee after colliding with Vancouver Giants left winger Cam Cunning.[17] The injury resulted in Weber missing the remainder of the regular season and the Rockets' Western Conference quarter-finals series against the Vancouver Giants.[17][18] Despite the injury, Weber finished the regular season with WHL career bests for goals (12), assists (29) and points (41) in 55 games played. After returning from injury, Weber scored 9 goals and 17 points in 18 playoff games as the Rockets won the Ed Chynoweth Cup en route to their third consecutive Memorial Cup. For his efforts, he was awarded the airBC Trophy as the most valuable player of the WHL playoffs.[18] At the 2005 Memorial Cup, with what was considered as one of the best tournament fields in Memorial Cup history, the Rockets were eliminated after losing all three of their round robin games.[19][20] At the completion of the season, Weber was named to the WHL Western Conference first all-star team and was the Western Conference nominee for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the top defenceman in the WHL, although Dion Phaneuf ultimately won the award.[21] Weber was also named to the Canadian Major Junior second all-star team.[22]

Weber with the Nashville Predators during the sophomore season. He was later named on the roster for the 2007 NHL YoungStars Game.

On September 10, 2004, Weber signed a three-year, $1.425 million entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators.[23][24] A year-and-a-half later, Weber made his NHL debut on January 6, 2006, against the Detroit Red Wings, recording three shots on goal in 11:08 minutes of icetime.[25][26] Three months later, on April 6, 2006, he scored his first NHL goal, against Reinhard Divis of the St. Louis Blues in a 3–0 Nashville victory.[27] Weber went on to play in 28 games during his rookie season, finishing with two goals and ten assists. He also scored two goals in four Stanley Cup playoff games with the Predators before the team was eliminated in the first round by the San Jose Sharks.[7][28] With Nashville's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, still in playoff action, Weber was reassigned to the Admirals' roster for the remainder of the AHL playoffs.[29] He recorded 6 goals and 5 assists in 14 games 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.[7][30]

It was during his sophomore season Weber evolved into one of Nashville's most important players.[31] By the midpoint of the season, Weber already had 26 points,[31] and his play was recognized on January 14, 2007, when he was named to the Western Conference roster for the 2007 NHL YoungStars Game in Dallas, Texas.[32] Weber finished the season with 40 points, ranking eighth on the Predators' roster in total points.[7][33] He added an additional three assists in five playoff games before the Predators were eliminated by San Jose for the second consecutive season.[7][34]

Weber's third season with the Predators began with a series of injuries. After playing only 2:19 minutes of the first period in Nashville's season opening game against the Colorado Avalanche, Weber fell awkwardly and dislocated his kneecap.[35] The injury caused him to miss the next six weeks of play before returning to the Nashville line-up during a game with the St. Louis Blues on November 17, 2007.[36] Weber was sidelined again shortly after, injuring his leg and missing another 11 games before he returned during a January 15, 2008, game against the Calgary Flames.[37] Weber finished the season with 20 points in 54 games. He received a single fifth-place vote to tie for 17th with seven other players in James Norris Memorial Trophy voting as the NHL's best defenceman.[38]

Weber (right) in a fight with Andreas Lilja (left) of the Detroit Red Wings during the 2008–09 season.

On June 23, 2008, Weber signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension with the Predators, avoiding restricted free agency.[39] During his first year of the new contract, Weber established himself as one of the top defenceman in the NHL. At the mid-way point of the season, he was among the defencemen statistical leaders, was considered a favourite to win the Norris Trophy and was named to the Western Conference roster for the 2009 National Hockey League All-Star Game in Montreal.[40][41] Weber finished the season with career-highs in all major statistical categories, including games played (81), goals (23), assists (30), points (53) and penalty minutes (80).[7] His 23 goals set a new Predators franchise record for goals by a defenceman in a single season.[42] Although he received no first-place votes, Weber finished fourth in the Norris Trophy voting with 186 voting points, behind winner Zdeno Chára (1,034 points) and runners-up Mike Green (982 points) and Nicklas Lidström (733 points).[43][44] Weber narrowly missed being named to the NHL Second All-Star Team after receiving four-first place votes and 172 voting points, a single voting point behind Dan Boyle, the final defenceman selected.[45]

Entering his fifth season with the Predators, Weber continued his stellar record. At the February Olympic break, Weber accumulated 35 points in 59 games for the Predators.[46] He also established a strong leadership role and willingness to defend his teammates, highlighted by three consecutive games in March 2010 in which he fought opposing players.[47] Weber's offensive production slowed after the Olympic break and he finished the season with 43 points in 78 games played. Despite a decrease in offence from the previous season, Weber was a Norris Trophy candidate for the third consecutive year, receiving 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 players in Hart Memorial Trophy voting, and was the seventh-ranked defenceman in NHL All-Star Team voting with 83 voting points.[48]

Weber with the Predators during the 2009–10 season. He was later named as the Predators' captain in the following off-season.

On July 8, 2010, Weber was named the fifth captain in Nashville Predators history, replacing Jason Arnott, who was traded to the New Jersey Devils.[49] He became the youngest captain in franchise history and the only Predators captain to have been drafted by the team.[50] On January 11, 2011, Weber was among 42 players named to the 2011 NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina.[51] For the first time in its history, the NHL used a fantasy draft format to select teams for the All-Star Game, and Weber was selected eighth overall by Team Lidstrom.[52] At the game, Weber recorded four assists and was a +6, finishing the game tied with Loui Eriksson for most points and second to Nicklas Lidström for best plus-minus.[53] Shortly after his All-Star Game appearance, Weber recorded his 200th career NHL point—an assist—in a game against the Detroit Red Wings on February 9, 2011.[54] During his sixth season with the Predators, Weber averaged 25:19 in ice time and set career-highs in games played (82), assists (32) and shots on goal (25).[55] Weber also contributed 3 goals and 5 points in 12 playoff games as the Predators lost to the Vancouver Canucks after advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time in their history.[56] At the conclusion of the regular season, Weber was named one of three finalists—along with Zdeno Chára and Nicklas Lidström—for the Norris Trophy, the first finalist nomination of his career.[57] He finished second in Norris Trophy voting, losing with 727 voting points to Lidström's 736.[58] Weber also finished 25th in Hart Memorial Trophy voting with two fifth-place votes.[58] For the first time in his career, Weber was voted to the NHL First All-Star Team after receiving 445 voting points, second among defencemen to Lidström's 464.[59] On July 1, 2011, Weber became a restricted free agent.[60] However, he said he wanted to remain with the Predators.[61] To prevent the possibility of other teams signing him to an offer sheet, the Predators filed for salary arbitration with Weber, giving the team and Weber until their hearing to negotiate a new contract.[62] Failing to come to terms on a new contract by their hearing, Weber's case went to arbitration on August 2, the first time in NHL history a team-elected arbitration candidate had reached a hearing. The following day, he was awarded a one-year, $7.5 million contract from which the Predators could not walk away, as they (not Weber) had opted for arbitration.

In the first month of the 2011–12 season, Weber hit forward Jannik Hansen from behind in a game against Vancouver on October 20, 2011. While Hansen was uninjured on the play, Weber was fined $2,500 – the maximum allowable financial penalty – by the NHL the following day.[63]

In Nashville's first game of the 2012 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, against Detroit, Weber slammed centre Henrik Zetterberg's head into the glass boards during the closing seconds of the game after being hit by Zetterberg.[64] The force of the blow cracked Zetterberg's helmet but he suffered no injury and would play in the next game. As punishment, the NHL imposed a $2,500 fine (the maximum allowable under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement [CBA] at the time) on Weber for retaliatory action.[65] NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was in attendance at this game.[66] Weber finished the regular season leading all defencemen in shorthanded goals scored, with two.[67]

In the 2012 off-season, with the Predators unable to take Weber to arbitration again (a player can only be subjected to team-elected arbitration once in his career), Weber signed a front-loaded $110 million, 14-year offer sheet ($68 million of it as a signing bonus) from the Philadelphia Flyers on July 19. The offer sheet was the richest in NHL history in terms of total money, money per season, and length; surpassing the previous offer sheet record set by Thomas Vanek.[68] Already having lost Weber's defensive partner Ryan Suter to unrestricted free agency, the Predators matched the offer sheet five days later.[69] Following the 2012–13 NHL lockout, the CBA was changed to prevent teams from signing other players to similar deals.

For the 2013–14 season, Weber led all NHL defencemen with 23 goals, which also matched his career high. He broke Kimmo Timonen's Predator record for single-season points by a defenceman with 56 points, which also led the Predators for the season. On April 28, Weber was named a finalist for the Norris Trophy for the third time in his career; the other finalists were Zdeno Chára and Duncan Keith, the latter of which won the award. Weber finishing third in voting.[70]

Weber was again voted to the NHL Second All-Star Team for the 2014-2015 season, his fourth post-season All-Star Team selection.

During the 2015–16 season, Weber recorded his first career hat-trick on December 5 against the Detroit Red Wings, which was also the first ever by a Predators defenceman. Weber would continue his goal-scoring ways, tying Paul Kariya's franchise record for power play goals in a season with 14 and finishing with his third 20+ goal season.[71] Weber was also named a finalist for the Mark Messier Leadership Award,[72] which he would eventually win.

On June 29, 2016, Weber was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenceman P. K. Subban. The trade surprised many hockey fans because the details to this trade were kept strictly confidential until the deal was already made.[73] Weber's first season with the Canadiens was rather successful offensively, recording 17 goals and 42 points in 78 games. In six post-season games, Weber recorded three points during the team's first round elimination to the New York Rangers.[74]

Weber only managed to skate in 26 games for Montreal the following season after suffering a tendon tear in his left foot.[75] During the 2018–19 off-season, it was announced he was expected to be out of the Canadiens lineup until mid-December.[76]

On October 1, 2018, Weber was named the 30th captain of the Canadiens, replacing Max Pacioretty after he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on September 10, 2018.[77] However, Weber did not join the Canadiens lineup until November 27 due to an injury during the offseason that required surgery. In his second game back, he scored two goals in a 5-2 win against the New York Rangers.[78]