Mike Weaver (ice hockey) explained

Mike Weaver
Position:Defence
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:5
Height In:10
Weight Lb:183
Birth Date:May 2, 1978
Birth Place:Bramalea, Ontario, Canada
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2000
Played For:Atlanta Thrashers
Los Angeles Kings
Vancouver Canucks
St. Louis Blues
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Career End:2015

Arthur Michael Robert Weaver (born May 2, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.

Playing career

As a youth, Weaver played in the 1992 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Chinguacousy Blues minor ice hockey team from Bramalea, Ontario.[1] He later joined the Richmond Hill-Vaughan Kings of OMHA. After being a 7th round draft choice of the OHL's Guelph Storm in 1995, Weaver decided to continue playing OHA Junior A hockey to maintain his NCAA scholarship eligibility.

Weaver played Tier II Jr.A. with both the Thornhill Islanders and the Bramalea Blues. In his final season with the Blues he led the club to a Dudley Hewitt Cup as OHA Junior A Champions and a berth in the 1999 Royal Bank Cup in Yorkton, Saskatchewan; Weaver's team was eliminated in the semi-finals.

The diminutive defenceman acquired a scholarship with the Michigan State Spartans and spent four very productive years in the CCHA that included two First All-Star team nods and two Best Defensive Defenceman awards.

Undrafted by the NHL, Weaver was signed as a free agent by the Atlanta Thrashers on June 15, 2000. He spent the subsequent season with Atlanta's IHL affiliate, Orlando, with whom he won the Turner Cup as IHL champions. In 2001–02, Weaver played his first 16 games in the NHL, in addition to helping the Thrashers' AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to a Calder Cup championship. Most of his four seasons as a Thrasher would be spent in the AHL.

In the summer of 2004, Weaver would sign with the Los Angeles Kings as a free agent. After playing 2004–05 with the Kings' AHL affiliate, Manchester, Weaver would play 2005–06 and 2006–07 in the NHL.

On August 8, 2007, Weaver was signed again as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, just before the start of the 2007–08 season, he was placed on waivers and picked up by Vancouver, where he played in 55 games. In the proceeding off season, he was signed by the St. Louis Blues. On August 3, 2010, Weaver left the Blues as a free agent and signed a two-year $1.8 million contract with the Florida Panthers.

In the 2013–14 season, his fourth with the Panthers, Weaver was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for 5th round draft pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft on March 4, 2014.[2]

On May 15, 2015, it was announced by Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, that Weaver will not return to the Montreal Canadiens next season.[3] Having gone un-signed over the summer, on October 5, 2015, Weaver announced his retirement from professional hockey.[4]

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1996–97Michigan State SpartansCCHA3907746
1997–98Michigan State SpartansCCHA444222668
1998–99Michigan State SpartansCCHA4216754
1999–00Michigan State SpartansCCHA2607720
2000–01Orlando Solar BearsIHL6808834160228
2001–02Atlanta ThrashersNHL1601110
2001–02Chicago WolvesAHL582810672513421
2002–03Atlanta ThrashersNHL4005520
2002–03Chicago WolvesAHL332243290334
2003–04Atlanta ThrashersNHL10000
2003–04Chicago WolvesAHL783141789922420
2004–05Manchester MonarchsAHL79122236160110
2005–06Los Angeles KingsNHL5309914
2006–07Los Angeles KingsNHL3936916
2006–07Manchester MonarchsAHL71342
2007–08Vancouver CanucksNHL5501133
2008–09St. Louis BluesNHL580771240000
2009–10St. Louis BluesNHL77191029
2010–11Florida PanthersNHL822111334
2011–12Florida PanthersNHL82016161471010
2012–13Florida PanthersNHL271898
2013–14Florida PanthersNHL5506623
2013–14Montreal CanadiensNHL1716781713414
2014–15Montreal CanadiensNHL310446
NHL totals633889972272823514

Awards and honours

AwardYear
OPJHL Defenceman of the Year1995-96
CCHA All-Tournament Team1997[5]
All-CCHA First Team1998-99[6]
CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman1998-99
AHCA West Second-Team All-American1998–99
All-CCHA First Team1999-00
CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman1999-00
AHCA West Second-Team All-American1999-00

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA. 2018. Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2019-02-03.
  2. Web site: Panthers trade Weaver to Canadiens for fifth-round pick . . 2014-03-04 . 2014-03-04.
  3. Web site: Gonchar, Malhotra, Weaver done with Canadiens . . 2015-05-15 . 2015-05-15.
  4. Web site: Defenseman Weaver retires from NHL after 13 seasons . . 2015-10-05 . 2022-07-28.
  5. News: 2012-13 CCHA Media Guide. ISSUU.com. 2014-04-23.
  6. News: All-CCHA Teams. College Hockey Historical Archives. 2013-07-27.