New York Islanders center and captain Doug Weight announced his retirement from the sport after 19 years on Thursday.
The 40-year-old will be staying with the club as an assistant coach and special assistant to general manager Garth Snow.
“It was an honor to be a member of the NHL for the 19 years I laced up my skates,” said Weight. “I have a lifetime of memories from playing this game and cherish them all. I am excited to begin this next phase of my professional career and help the Islanders continue to climb the ladder to winning the Stanley Cup.”
Weight was limited to just 18 games this past season, thanks to an injury suffered in November which caused nerve damage in his back and muscle atrophy in his left leg. Islanders medical staff advised against Weight’s return for the club’s final six games of the regular season.
It was the second straight year that the 40-year-old saw his campaign come to an untimely end. Weight played in just 36 games in 2009-10, but was shut down after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum and a damaged rotator cuff in his left shoulder.
“Doug is the ultimate leader,” said Snow. “He has taken our young core of players, over the past three years, and helped elevate their game to a point where we now see our franchise competing with the top teams in the league. On behalf of the organization, I’d like to thank Doug for his commitment to the New York Islanders and we are excited to have him join our hockey operations department.”
The Detroit native broke into the NHL during the 1991-92 season and racked up 278 goals and 1,033 points in 1,238 regular-season games with six teams. He’s added 23 goals and 72 points over 97 playoff tilts, including a Stanley Cup win with Carolina in 2006.
His career included time with the Rangers, Oilers, Blues, Hurricanes, Ducks and Islanders. Also, he was a member of two Team USA squads in the Winter Olympics and won a silver medal at Salt Lake City in 2002.
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