Craig Weller
Encyclopedia
Craig Weller is a professional ice hockey
defenseman/right wing.
, he was signed as a free agent by the Phoenix Coyotes
on July 19, 2007.
He scored his first career NHL goal on October 25, 2007 against the Anaheim Ducks
; the goal turned out to be the game winning goal.
On July 1, 2008, Weller signed a two-year, $1.2 million contract with the Minnesota Wild
. On October 18, 2009, he was traded to the Boston Bruins
along with prospect Alexander Fallstrom and a second round draft pick in 2011 in exchange for Chuck Kobasew
.
On March 3, 2010, Weller was traded from the Bruins to the Florida Panthers along with Byron Bitz
and a second round draft pick in exchange for Dennis Seidenberg
and Matt Bartkowski
.
On the 1st of November 2010, the Cardiff Devils
of the EIHL in the UK announced they had signed Weller, who was a free agent at the time. He became the most experienced NHL player after Theoren Fleury
to play in the Elite League, playing in his preferred position as a defenceman.
With Weller on board, the Cardiff Devils
embarked on 22 game unbeaten streak, breaking the league record and coming close to the world record. However, the Devils narrowly missed out on the league title, finishing level on points with the Sheffield Steelers but having won 1 regulation game less, before being beaten in the Playoff final 5-4 to the Nottingham Panthers. After his first season in the UK Weller quickly established himself as a reliable, solid two way defenceman, drawing admiration from across the league, culminating in 3 awards - League Player of the Season (Journalist's Choice),Player of the Season (Voted by League GM's and Coaches) and Defenceman of the Season (Voted by League GM's and Coaches).
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenseman/right wing.
Playing career
Weller was the St. Louis Blues 5th round choice, 167th overall, in the 2000 NHL Draft. After playing with the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL and the Hartford Wolfpack of the American Hockey LeagueAmerican Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, he was signed as a free agent by the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
on July 19, 2007.
He scored his first career NHL goal on October 25, 2007 against the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
; the goal turned out to be the game winning goal.
On July 1, 2008, Weller signed a two-year, $1.2 million contract with the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. On October 18, 2009, he was traded to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
along with prospect Alexander Fallstrom and a second round draft pick in 2011 in exchange for Chuck Kobasew
Chuck Kobasew
Nicholas James "Chuck" Kobasew is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League .-Amateur:...
.
On March 3, 2010, Weller was traded from the Bruins to the Florida Panthers along with Byron Bitz
Byron Bitz
Byron John Bitz is a Canadian professional ice hockey player with the Vancouver Canucks organization of the National Hockey League . A third- or fourth-line forward, he is known for his size and physicality....
and a second round draft pick in exchange for Dennis Seidenberg
Dennis Seidenberg
Dennis Seidenberg is a German professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League...
and Matt Bartkowski
Matt Bartkowski
Matt Bartkowski is an American professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League.-Playing career:...
.
On the 1st of November 2010, the Cardiff Devils
Cardiff Devils
The Cardiff Devils are a Welsh ice hockey team who play in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. The team currently plays in the temporary Cardiff Arena...
of the EIHL in the UK announced they had signed Weller, who was a free agent at the time. He became the most experienced NHL player after Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League...
to play in the Elite League, playing in his preferred position as a defenceman.
With Weller on board, the Cardiff Devils
Cardiff Devils
The Cardiff Devils are a Welsh ice hockey team who play in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. The team currently plays in the temporary Cardiff Arena...
embarked on 22 game unbeaten streak, breaking the league record and coming close to the world record. However, the Devils narrowly missed out on the league title, finishing level on points with the Sheffield Steelers but having won 1 regulation game less, before being beaten in the Playoff final 5-4 to the Nottingham Panthers. After his first season in the UK Weller quickly established himself as a reliable, solid two way defenceman, drawing admiration from across the league, culminating in 3 awards - League Player of the Season (Journalist's Choice),Player of the Season (Voted by League GM's and Coaches) and Defenceman of the Season (Voted by League GM's and Coaches).
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1997–98 | Calgary AAA Flames | AMHL Alberta Midget Hockey League The Alberta Midget Hockey League or AMHL is the provincial Midget AAA ice hockey league for Alberta, Canada. The league consists of 18 teams split into the Dodge and Chrysler Divisions. League champions go on to compete with the BC Hockey Major Midget League champions to represent the Pacific at... |
33 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 65 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1998–99 | Calgary Canucks Calgary Canucks The Calgary Canucks are a junior ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Max Bell Centre, capacity 3500.... |
AJHL Alberta Junior Hockey League The Alberta Junior Hockey League is an Alberta-based Junior A hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League . It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The regular season league champions receive the Dave Duchak Trophy... |
49 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 80 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 1999–00 | Calgary Canucks | AJHL | 53 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 100 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs | WCHA Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference.... |
6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Kootenay Ice Kootenay Ice The Kootenay Ice are a major junior ice hockey team based in Cranbrook, British Columbia and competing in the Western Hockey League. The team plays its home games at the Cranbrook Recreational Complex, also nicknamed the RecPlex.-History:... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
30 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 40 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 26 | ||
| 2001–02 2001-02 WHL season The 2001–02 WHL season was the 36th season for the Western Hockey League. Nineteen teams completed a 72 game season. The Kootenay Ice won the President's Cup before going on to win the Memorial Cup.-League notes:... |
Kootenay Ice | WHL | 69 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 127 | 22 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 27 | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hartford Wolf Pack Hartford Wolf Pack The Connecticut Whale is a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. They play in the American Hockey League . They play their home games at the XL Center.... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Charlotte Checkers | ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
48 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 2003–04 AHL season The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer.... |
Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 68 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 86 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 30 | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 AHL season The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 76 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 182 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 80 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 152 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 44 | ||
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 56 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 96 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | Phoenix Coyotes Phoenix Coyotes The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena.... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
59 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
NHL | 36 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 AHL season The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11... |
Houston Aeros Houston Aeros The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :... |
AHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Providence Bruins Providence Bruins The Providence Bruins are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. They play in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.-History:... |
AHL | 55 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Chicago Wolves Chicago Wolves The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois... |
AHL | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 2010-11 EIHL season The 2010-11 Elite Ice Hockey League season started on August 25, 2010, with the annual Charity Shield match between Coventry Blaze and Belfast Giants. The League proper started on September 4. Two new teams joined for the 2010-11 season- the Braehead Clan and the Dundee Stars... |
Cardiff Devils Cardiff Devils The Cardiff Devils are a Welsh ice hockey team who play in the British Elite Ice Hockey League. The team currently plays in the temporary Cardiff Arena... |
EIHL Elite Ice Hockey League Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other... |
41 | 16 | 36 | 52 | 52 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 95 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 127 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| AHL totals | 365 | 42 | 60 | 102 | 614 | 45 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 88 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
||
| West Second All-Star Team | 2002 | |
| EIHL Elite Ice Hockey League Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other... |
||
| Defenseman of the season | 2011 | |
| Player of the season | 2011 | |
| League Player of the season | 2011 | |