UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Longtime center Doug Weight is ending his NHL career, retiring as captain of the New York Islanders.
The 40-year-old Weight made the announcement Thursday morning, flanked by Islanders owner Charles Wang and general manager Garth Snow and with family, friends and former teammates such as Bill Guerin in attendance.
A severe back injury limited Weight to 18 games last season, none after Nov. 17, when he put up two goals and seven assists. Weight played in only 36 games during the 2009-10 season, and 53 games the previous season, his first with the Islanders.
In 1,238 NHL games over 19 seasons with six teams, Weight had 278 goals and 1,033 points as one of the league’s top playmakers. He won a World Cup of Hockey championship for the United States, and was a three-time Olympian — winning a silver medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
Weight, a four-time All-Star, ranks sixth in career points among American-born players.
