Canadian hockey player Shi Weber: biography, sports career

Hockey player Shi Weber, known as the youngestThe captain of the Nashville Predators team is rightfully considered one of the best defenders in the NHL. He is the world champion and two-time Olympic champion in the Canadian team.

Biography of the athlete

Shi Michael Weber born in 1985 in a provincial town Sycamuswhich is located in british columbia in canada. For the first time future star NHL picked up a stick at the age of six. The boy hesitated for a long time at which position he had better play, but subsequently chose the role of defender.

Until 2002 Weber played for the local youth team "Sycamus Eagle. "Next he was invited to the club."Kelowna Rockets"who took part in one of the biggest junior tournaments in Canada - the Western Hockey League.

The first steps in a professional career

In the "Rocket" Shi Weber played three full seasons, twice winning with his team in the regular season. Also "Kelowna Rockets"they won the final tournament of the champions of the three leagues, while receiving the title of the best team in North America among youth clubs.

Weber in the "Rocket" remembered not so much spectaculargame, how much their hooligan behavior on the ice arena. At the slightest conflict, he immediately threw off his gloves and entered into a fight with an opponent. This lack of discipline had its results - only in the 2002/03 season Shi served on the penalty box for a record 167 minutes.

Shi Weber got on draft NHL in the summer of 2003, where he was chartered by the club "Nashville Predators". However, the defender played for his new team only after 2 years. Another season Weber continued to advocate "Kelowna Rockets", and next year I tried my hand at AHL in the club "Milwaukee Edmirals".

For the Admirals, the Canadian hockey player played 46 matches in the regular season, in which he scored 27 (12 +15) points, as well as 14 games in the series play-offwhere he managed to earn 11 (5 + 6) points. Such performance significantly brought closer what he dreamed Shi Weber - NHL I was ready to meet a new talented player.

Career in the NHL

In January 2006, a Canadian first appeared on the ice in a match of the most prestigious hockey league in the world. His debut was in a match against a very strong contender - "Detroit Red Wings". Three months later Weber recorded in his asset the first abandoned washer in NHL. Just this season Shi played 28 matches in which he managed to hit another goal twice and scored 10 times.

Next year Weber started as a player base. He in 79 games of the regular season went on the ice, scored 17 goals and gave 23 accurate transmission. Thanks to such indicators Shi Weber He was selected to the match of all the young stars, and his club managed to break into play-off conference.

In the 2007/2008 season due to frequent injuries, the defender missed most of the first half of the regular season. But this did not prevent him from signing a new one. three year old contract with "Predators" in which Weber expected to earn 4.5 million dollars a year.

In the new season Shi from the first games began to work out their fees. In the regular season 2008/09, he set a personal record for performance - 23 goals and 30 accurate passes in 81 matches played. This game did not go unnoticed - Weber was invited to the All-Star Game NHL.

Over the next seven years spent in a team NHL "Nashville Predators", the Canadian defender showed a stable and confident game. He still four times became a member of the All-Star Game. In 2010 Weber became the youngest captain of "Predators" in the history of the club. In 2016 Shi received the award "Mark Messier Leadership Award"- a prize that is awarded to a player with outstanding leadership qualities.

After the end of the 2015/16 season Weber switched in exchange with "Nashville Predators"in" montreal Canadiens".

Incredibly strong throw

The Canadian defender has always been famous for an incredibly powerful cast. The puck from under his stick flew out with such force that sometimes hitting other players would lead to fractures.

At the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, a curious incident occurred: in the game with the German national team after hitting Weber the puck went through the net, and only with a few video replays the judges were able to see and count the scoring.

Games for the national team

Shi Weber first played for the Canadian youth team, with which in 2005 he managed to win the World Championship. Great game in the club allowed the defender to make his debut in the composition of the main team of his country.

From the first for themselves World Cup 2007 Weber returned with a gold medal. Two years later, the Canadian team won second place in the world championship, and the 24-year-old defender became one of the best defensive players. In 9 matches played Shi Weber managed to throw the puck into the opponent's goal four times four times and eight times assisted his team-mates.

In addition to the World Championships, the player participated intwo Olympiads (Vancouver and Sochi), and both times replenished their collection of awards with gold medals. The most significant was the tournament in Sochi: for the six games held Weber earned 6 (3 + 3) points, while never visiting the penalty box. </ span </ p>