Shawn Weller Explained

Position:Left wing
Shoots:Left
Birth Date:July 8, 1986
Birth Place:South Glens Falls, New York, U.S.
Career Start:2007
Career End:2023
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lbs:205
Draft Year:2004
Draft Team:Ottawa Senators
Draft:77th overall
Played For:Adirondack Thunder
Binghamton Senators
Abbotsford Heat
Manitoba Moose
St. John's IceCaps
Texas Stars
Starbulls Rosenheim
Ravensburg Towerstars
Dresdner Eislowen
SC Bietigheim-Bissingen
Tölzer Löwen

Shawn Weller (born July 8, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey forward who most recently played for the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. He attended Clarkson University and graduated from South Glens Falls. Weller was drafted in the third round, 77th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft

Playing career

Weller played prep hockey for South Glens Falls High School until his sophomore year when he decided to play junior hockey with the Capital District Selects of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.[1] Weller was playing for Capital District Select during his draft eligible year. He was named an EJHL All-Star and EJHL MVP prior to the 2004 draft.[2] Weller was drafted in the third round, 77th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. The pick had been received in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings for Radek Bonk.

After being drafted, Weller enrolled in Clarkson University as a Business major. He played three seasons for the Clarkson Golden Knights. His freshman season began late due to NCAA eligibility issues that forced Weller to sit out the first four games of the season.[3] However, once he was able to play, he scored his first two collegiate goals in his debut against Niagara on October 29, 2004.[2] During the first round of the 2004 ECAC Hockey Tournament, the Golden Knights beat the Union Dutchmen in three games with Weller scoring the winning goal in overtime to win game three and help the Golden Knights advance to the quarterfinals.[4] The Golden Knights eventually lost to the Harvard Crimson in the Championship match.

In his sophomore year, Weller increased his offensive scoring and recorded 14 goals, a new career high.[2] He stepped it up again in his junior season by leading the Golden Knights in scoring with 41 points, including a team-high 19 goals, and was named to the ECAC All-Tournament Team.[2] After Weller had finished the NCAA season with the Golden Knights, he was signed to an entry-level contract with the Senators on March 30, 2007.[5] He made his professional debut with Ottawa's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Binghamton Senators for five games.

Weller was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on September 4, 2009, in exchange for Jason Bailey.[6]

On July 26, 2010, Weller signed an AHL Contract, with the Manitoba Moose.[7] He remained in the AHL the following season, splitting the year between the St. John's IceCaps and the Texas Stars.

On October 1, 2012, with limited AHL interest, Weller signed a one-year contract with ECHL club, the South Carolina Stingrays for the 2012–13 season. As captain of the Stingrays, Weller featured in 24 games for 15 points before he returned on loan to the St. John's IceCaps. On January 25, 2013, while with the IceCaps, Weller's ECHL rights were traded by the Stingrays to the Stockton Thunder.[8] Weller finished the season with the Thunder, producing 11 points in 23 post-season games to help reach the Kelly Cup finals.

On August 3, 2013, Weller agreed to his first European contract on a one-year deal with German club, Starbulls Rosenheim of the DEL2.[9] He played one season with club, scoring 70 points in 44 games. In May 2014, he signed with EV Ravensburg of the DEL2.

In the 2017–18 season, he captured the DEL2 championship with SC Bietigheim-Bissingen and was named Most Valuable Player of the playoffs.[10] [11]

Weller played seven seasons in the DEL2 before returning to North America and sitting out the pandemic shortened 2020–21 season. On August 6, 2021, Weller resumed his professional career in returning to the ECHL in signing with the Kansas City Mavericks.[12] In the 2021–22 season, Weller made 19 appearances with the Mavericks before he was traded to the Adirondack Thunder in exchange for future considerations on January 13, 2022.[13]

Upon signing a one-year contract with the Thunder in September 2023, Weller announced that he would be returning to the team for one more year, after which he would retire.[14] However, his career would come to an early end suddenly and unceremoniously on November 9, 2023, when the team released him from his contract before he played a single regular season game. Weller stated in an interview that the reason for his release was an incident on October 13, 2023, when he accepted an alcoholic beverage from a fan at a preseason game in which he was not playing. He could not be released until a month later, when he was activated from injured reserve.[15]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Team League GP GP G A Pts PIM
2001–02Glens Falls High SchoolHSNY25323163
2002–03Capital District SelectsEJHL356612109
2003–04Capital District SelectsEJHL3617223911733366
2004–05Clarkson UniversityECAC333111472
2005–06Clarkson UniversityECAC37141024103
2006–07Clarkson UniversityECAC3919214062
2006–07Binghamton SenatorsAHL50004
2007–08Binghamton SenatorsAHL59881640
2007–08Elmira JackalsECHL1045911
2008–09Binghamton SenatorsAHL7045957
2008–09Elmira JackalsECHL41122
2009–10Bakersfield CondorsECHL4218284655
2009–10Abbotsford HeatAHL31841219311214
2010–11Manitoba MooseAHL6712112350100004
2011–12St. John's IceCapsAHL4110142428
2011–12Texas StarsAHL182136
2012–13South Carolina StingraysECHL24781524
2012–13St. John's IceCapsAHL30000
2012–13Stockton ThunderECHL19512171723381130
2013–14Starbulls RosenheimDEL24424467056
2014–15Ravensburg TowerstarsDEL228720278
2014–15Dresdner EislöwenDEL21627920610120
2015–16Bietigheim SteelersDEL2425263146125131826
2016–17Bietigheim SteelersDEL2331725424013591428
2017–18Bietigheim SteelersDEL25025426714011951418
2018–19Bietigheim SteelersDEL2381828467474158
2019–20Tölzer LöwenDEL24726285489
2021–22Kansas City MavericksECHL191566
2021–22Adirondack ThunderECHL2205510
2022–23Adirondack ThunderECHL511413274951 0 1 2
AHL totals 2944443872041311218

International

Notes and References

  1. News: Tobey . Pete . Weller enjoying pro hockey career in Germany . January 9, 2019 . The Post Star . June 23, 2018.
  2. Web site: ALL-TIME KNIGHTS - SHAWN WELLER . clarksonathletics.com . January 9, 2019.
  3. Web site: 2005-06 CLARKSON HOCKEY OUTLOOK . clarksonathletics.com . January 9, 2019 . August 3, 2005.
  4. Web site: First Round Complete ... Quarterfinals Ready to Roll . ecachockey.com . January 9, 2019 . March 7, 2005.
  5. Web site: Bulletin: Senators sign prospect Shawn Weller . . March 30, 2007 . March 16, 2010.
  6. Web site: Ducks acquire Weller from Ottawa . . September 4, 2009 . March 16, 2010.
  7. Web site: Moose Sign Shawn Weller to AHL Contract . . July 26, 2010 . July 26, 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100815005740/http://www.moosehockey.com/moosenews/407/1848 . August 15, 2010 . mdy .
  8. Web site: Stingrays receive Brodie, future considerations from Stockton . . January 25, 2013 . January 25, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131220064311/http://www.stingrayshockey.com/news/teamnews/?article_id=2365 . December 20, 2013 . mdy .
  9. Web site: Signings conclude with a cracker . https://archive.today/20130804060015/http://www.starbulls.de/vcms/index.php?cat=52&dcat=400&Session=17947ccae253df630fe8e7147b6f23d9 . dead . August 4, 2013 . . August 3, 2013 . August 3, 2013 .
  10. Web site: Die Bietigheim Steelers gewinnen beim SC Riessersee mit 2:0 und feiern dritte Meisterschaft in sechs Jahren. www.eishockeynews.de. de. 2018-04-23.
  11. News: Weller part of championship team in Germany . January 9, 2019 . The Post-Star . April 24, 2018.
  12. Web site: Welcome to Mavs Country Shawn! . . August 6, 2021 . August 6, 2021.
  13. Web site: Thunder acquire South Glen Falls native Shawn Weller . . January 13, 2022 . January 13, 2022.
  14. Web site: Schott . Ken . 2023-09-17 . Weller returns to Adirondack Thunder for final ECHL season . 2023-11-26 . The Daily Gazette . en.
  15. Web site: Schott . Ken . 2023-09-17 . Weller returns to Adirondack Thunder for final ECHL season . 2023-11-26 . The Daily Gazette . en.
  16. News: All-Tournament Honors. ECAC Hockey. May 12, 2014.