Kevin Weekes

**Kevin Weekes** (born on April 4, 1975 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the NHL for the Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils.

Weekes was drafted by the Panthers 41st overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

## Playing Career

As a youth, Kevin played in the 1989 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Red Wings minor ice hockey team. His career began with the Owen Sound Platers of the Ontario Hockey League. He also had a brief stint with the Ottawa 67's.

Chosen 41st overall by the Florida Panthers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, he joined the team for the 1997–98 season, going 0–5–1 in 11 appearances for the Panthers.

The following summer, Kevin was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in a trade for Pavel Bure and compiled a 6–15–5 record in 31 appearances over a season and a half before being traded to the New York Islanders halfway through the 1999–2000 season.

At the end of that season, Kevin was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he played until late in the 2001–02 season. On March 5, 2002, he was acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Chris Dingman and Shane Willis. He essentially served as a backup to Arturs Irbe during the remainder of the regular season, only playing in two of the final seventeen games for the Hurricanes.

During the playoffs, Kevin played an important part in the Hurricanes run to the 2002 Stanley Cup Finals. He played in eight games during the 2002 playoffs, including relieving Irbe in a first round, game four loss against the New Jersey Devils, and starting in goal during the critical games five and six of that series (which the Hurricanes won four games to two).

He also started games one, two and three of the second round against the Montreal Canadiens before being replaced by Irbe.

During the playoffs, he recorded back to back shutouts, with a 32 save shutout in game six of the first round against the New Jersey Devils and a 25 save shutout in game one of the second round against the Montreal Canadiens.

Kevin was the primary goalie for the Hurricanes during the 2002-03 season playing in 51 games and compiling a 14-24-9 record and was the primary goalie for the Hurricanes in 2003-04 playing in 66 games compiling a 23-30-11 record.

He signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent prior to the 2004–05 NHL lock-out, winning his first start with the Rangers on October 5, 2005, in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers. His time with the Rangers looked to be promising until an injury kept him out and he lost his number one spot to Henrik Lundqvist.

Kevin remained in good spirits upon his healthy return to the team even though he had been bumped to the number two spot and back up to the rookie Lundqvist. He became an unrestricted free agent following a less-than-stellar 2006–07 season.

On July 5, 2007, Kevin signed with the New Jersey Devils to serve as a backup to All-Star Martin Brodeur. In the 2008-09 season, Brodeur suffered an injury which sidelined him for almost the entire season, leaving Kevin and Scott Clemmensen battling for the number one spot. Brodeur returned, Kevin remained as the backup goaltender and Clemmesen was sent back down to the AHL.

On April 3, 2009, Kevin was injured in a game and Clemmensen took over as the backup to Brodeur. The Devils made the playoffs, but they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarter finals.

On September 27, 2009, he announced his retirement from playing professional hockey.

## Broadcasting Career

In 2009, Kevin made history when he became the first black analyst in hockey. He provides color commentary for NHL games on the NHL Network and "Hockey Night in Canada."

## Personal Life

Kevin's parents emigrated from Barbados to Canada and went to Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute.

The reason that he sometimes wore jersey number 80 was because he wanted to wear 00; however, the NHL does not allow a player to wear single or double zero jerseys. Weekes chose the number that most closely resembled 00.

Upon signing with the New Jersey Devils, as a result of former general manager Lou Lamoriello's policy of wearing jerseys 1–40 with exception of marquee players, Kevin was given jersey number 1; he wore 00 in junior hockey when he played for the Ottawa 67's.