Background and career
Shea Weber (born August 14, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who was a defenceman for 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Originally selected in the second round, 49th overall, by the Nashville Predators in the 2003 NHL entry draft, he spent eleven seasons in Nashville (including six seasons as captain) until being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in June 2016. Weber is predominantly known for his powerful slapshot, winning the hardest shot event four times at the annual NHL All-Star Skills Competition. Weber was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024. Weber has represented Canada at a number of International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)-sanctioned events, winning a World Junior Ice Hockey Championship gold medal in 2005, an Ice Hockey World Championships gold medal in 2007, and two Olympic gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.
Weber was born on August 14, 1985, in Sicamous, British Columbia. His mother, Tracy, was a hairdresser, and his father, James Weber, a sawmill worker. Weber first played organized ice hockey at age six. Growing up, he played in the Sicamous and District Minor Hockey Association, a division of the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association (BCAHA), often switching between forward and defenceman positions. In Weber's second year of bantam, he permanently switched to defence. He credits his father for convincing him to make the switch because he thought Weber would "have a better shot at a pro career as a defenceman". Between the ages of fourteen and fifteen, Weber grew 5 inches, from 5-foot-9 (1.75 metres) to 6-foot-2 (1.88 metres).
Weber went unselected in his Western Hockey League (WHL) Bantam Draft year, but was placed by the Kelowna Rockets on their protected-players list during his second season of bantam. At the end of the season, he moved up to junior "B" ice hockey with his hometown Sicamous Eagles of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). Weber's 42 points in 47 games played helped his team to a near-perfect season of 43–5–1–1, winning both the British Columbian Cyclone Taylor Cup KIJHL league championship and the Western Canadian Keystone Cup. In the Keystone Cup championship game, Weber scored the Eagles' first goal of the game in a 2–1 victory over the Spruce Grove Regals. In addition to his championship run with the Eagles, Weber played in five games for the Kelowna Rockets during their 2001–02 WHL season. The following season Weber began his rookie season with the Rockets. Early into the campaign, Weber established a physical presence, often fighting opposing players. Overall, he had 167 penalty minutes that season, the most in his entire playing career. Offensively, Weber finished his rookie season with eighteen points in seventy games played. He also scored 5 points in 19 playoff games as the Rockets won the franchise's first Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions, defeating the Red Deer Rebels in the finals. As WHL champions, the Rockets represented the WHL at the 2003 Memorial Cup in Quebec City, Quebec, where they were defeated by the Hull Olympiques 2–1 in the semi-final. At the completion of his rookie WHL season, Weber was eligible to be drafted into the National Hockey League (NHL) at the 2003 NHL entry draft. Heading into the draft, he was ranked 42nd among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau and 54th overall by International Scouting Services. On June 21, 2003, he was drafted in the second round, 49th overall, by the Nashville Predators. In his second season with the Rockets, Weber was named to the WHL roster for the 2004 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge in Red Deer and Lethbridge, Alberta. In the two games played, he recorded one assist. At the completion of the regular season, Weber had improved his offensive statistics from the previous season, recording 32 points in 60 games. Weber was named the WHL player of the week for April 6–12, 2004, after recording one goal and six assists in four Kelowna wins over the Tri-City Americans as the Rockets eliminated the Americans four games to two in the Western Conference semi-finals. He finished the WHL playoffs with 17 points in 17 games as the Rockets were eliminated four games to three by the Everett Silvertips in the Western Conference finals. Despite being eliminated from the WHL playoffs, the Rockets advanced to their second consecutive Memorial Cup as the host team. At the 2004 Memorial Cup, Weber was named to the tournament all-star team after recording four points in four games played as the Rockets defeated the Gatineau Olympiques 2–1 in the championship game to win their first Memorial Cup. At the completion of the season, Weber was named to the WHL Western Conference's second all-star team. Weber's final season with the Rockets proved to be his best with the team, despite a late season injury. On March 5, 2005, he injured his left knee after colliding with Vancouver Giants left winger Cam Cunning. The injury resulted in Weber missing the remainder of the regular season and the Rockets' Western Conference quarter-finals series against the Vancouver Giants. Despite the injury, Weber finished the regular season with WHL career bests for goals (12), assists (29) and points (41) in 55 games played. After returning from injury, Weber scored 9 goals and 17 points in 18 playoff games as the Rockets won the Ed Chynoweth Cup en route to their third consecutive Memorial Cup. For his efforts, he was awarded the airBC Trophy as the most valuable player of the WHL playoffs. At the 2005 Memorial Cup, with what was considered as one of the best tournament fields in Memorial Cup history, the Rockets were eliminated after losing all three of their round robin games. At the completion of the season, Weber was named to the WHL Western Conference first all-star team and was the Western Conference nominee for the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the top defenceman in the WHL, although Dion Phaneuf ultimately won the award. Weber was also named to the Canadian Major Junior second all-star team.
On September 10, 2004, Weber signed a three-year, $1.425 million entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators. A year-and-a-half later, Weber made his NHL debut on January 6, 2006, against the Detroit Red Wings, recording three shots on goal in 11:08 minutes of icetime. Three months later, on April 6, 2006, he scored his first NHL goal, against Reinhard Divis of the St. Louis Blues in a 3–0 Nashville victory. Weber went on to play in 28 games during his rookie season, finishing with two goals and ten assists. He also scored two goals in four Stanley Cup playoff games with the Predators before the team was eliminated in the first round by the San Jose Sharks. With Nashville's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, still in playoff action, Weber was reassigned to the Admirals' roster for the remainder of the AHL playoffs. He recorded 6 goals and 5 assists in 14 games during his time with the Admirals, who finished in second place in the Calder Cup, losing to the Hershey Bears in six games in the Calder Cup Finals. It was during his sophomore season Weber evolved into one of Nashville's most important players. By the midpoint of the season, Weber already had 26 points, and his play was recognized on January 14, 2007, when he was named to the Western Conference roster for the 2007 NHL YoungStars Game in Dallas, Texas. Weber finished the season with 40 points, ranking eighth on the Predators' roster in total points. He added an additional three assists in five playoff games before the Predators were eliminated by San Jose for the second consecutive season. Weber's third season with the Predators began with a series of injuries. After playing only 2:19 minutes of the first period in Nashville's season-opening game against the Colorado Avalanche, Weber fell awkwardly and dislocated his kneecap. The injury caused him to miss the next six weeks of play before returning to the Nashville line-up during a game with the St. Louis Blues on November 17, 2007. Weber was sidelined again shortly after, injuring his leg and missing another 11 games before he returned during a January 15, 2008, game against the Calgary Flames. Weber finished the season with 20 points in 54 games. He received a single fifth-place vote to tie for 17th with seven other players in James Norris Memorial Trophy voting as the NHL's best defenceman.
On June 23, 2008, Weber signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension with the Predators, avoiding restricted free agency. During his first year of the new contract, Weber established himself as one of the top defenceman in the NHL. At the mid-way point of the season, he was among the defencemen statistical leaders, was considered a favourite to win the Norris Trophy and was named to the Western Conference roster for the 2009 National Hockey League All-Star Game in Montreal. Weber finished the season with career-highs in all major statistical categories, including games played (81), goals (23), assists (30), points (53) and penalty minutes (80). His 23 goals set a new Predators franchise record for goals by a defenceman in a single season. Although he received no first-place votes, Weber finished fourth in the Norris Trophy voting with 186 voting points, behind winner Zdeno Chára (1,034 points) and runners-up Mike Green (982 points) and Nicklas Lidström (733 points). Weber narrowly missed being named to the NHL second All-Star team after receiving four-first place votes and 172 voting points, a single voting point behind Dan Boyle, the final defenceman selected. Entering his fifth season with the Predators, Weber continued his stellar record. At the February Olympic break, Weber accumulated 35 points in 59 games for the Predators. He also established a strong leadership role and willingness to defend his teammates, highlighted by three consecutive games in March 2010 in which he fought opposing players. Weber's offensive production slowed after the Olympic break and he finished the season with 43 points in 78 games played. Despite a decrease in offence from the previous season, Weber was a Norris Trophy candidate for the third consecutive year, receiving one first-place vote and 96 voting points to finish as the sixth runner-up behind winner Duncan Keith (1,096 points). Weber also received a single fifth-place vote, tying for 23rd with six other players in Hart Memorial Trophy voting, and was the seventh-ranked defenceman in NHL All-Star team voting with 83 voting points.
On July 8, 2010, Weber was named the fifth captain in Nashville Predators history, replacing Jason Arnott, who was traded to the New Jersey Devils. He became the youngest captain in franchise history and the only Predators captain to have been drafted by the team. Weber recorded his 200th career NHL point—an assist—in a game against the Detroit Red Wings on February 9, 2011. At the conclusion of the 2010–11 season, Weber was named one of three finalists—along with Zdeno Chára and Nicklas Lidström—for the Norris Trophy, the first finalist nomination of his career. He finished second in Norris Trophy voting, losing with 727 voting points to Lidström's 736. For the first time in his career, Weber was voted to the NHL first All-Star team after receiving 445 voting points, second among defencemen to Lidström's 464. Entering the first round of the 2011 playoffs as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, Weber and the Predators would defeat the fourth seeded Anaheim Ducks in six games, marking the first time in Weber's career and in Predators history where a playoff series was won. After upsetting the Ducks in the opening round, Weber and the Predators would go on to lose in the second round to the Presidents' Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks in six games. Although Weber became a restricted free agent on July 1, he said he wanted to remain with the Predators. To prevent the possibility of other teams signing him to an offer sheet, the Predators filed for salary arbitration with Weber, giving the team and Weber until their hearing to negotiate a new contract. Failing to come to terms on a new contract by their hearing, Weber's case went to arbitration on August 2, the first time in NHL history a team-elected arbitration candidate had reached a hearing. The following day, he was awarded a one-year, $7.5 million contract from which the Predators could not walk away, as the team had opted for arbitration.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
