Doug Weight traded to the Carolina Hurricanes

RALEIGH, NC (January 30, 2006) - Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has acquired former Laker Superior State University standout center Doug Weight from the St. Louis Blues. Weight played for LSSU from 1989-91, amassing 50 goals, and 94 assists for 144 points. Weight will join the Hurricanes for the team's practice at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday. Rutherford will be available to the media today at 3 p.m. in the RBC Center's fourth floor conference room. "Doug is one of the premier forwards in the National Hockey League and will add a strong element to our top lines," said Rutherford. "His skill, leadership and experience will be a great benefit for our team." In exchange for Weight and left wing Erkki Rajamaki, the Hurricanes have traded their first round draft pick in 2006, Toronto's fourth-round pick in 2006, Chicago's fourth-round pick in 2007, right wing Jesse Boulerice, center Mike Zigomanis and rights to unsigned draft pick Magnus Kahnberg to the Blues. Carolina acquired the fourth-round pick from Toronto in the draft-day deal that sent Jeff O'Neill to the Maple Leafs, and acquired Chicago's 2007 fourth-round pick in the Dec. 29 trade that sent Radim Vrbata to the Blackhawks. Weight, 35, leads St. Louis with 33 assists and 44 points, and ranks third on the team with 50 penalty minutes in 47 games this season. The Warren, MI, native has notched seven of his 11 goals on the power play. He will represent the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy along with Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette and left wing Erik Cole, and former Lakers Brian Rolston and John Grahame. The Carolina Hurricanes will be Doug Weight's fourth NHL team, with the U.S. Olympian having previously played for the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues. Weight was originally drafted by the New York Rangers in the second round, 34th overall, in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He began his professional career with the Rangers during the 1991 Stanley Cup playoffs, following his second season at Lake Superior State University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. In 959 career NHL regular-season games, Weight (5' 11", 200 lbs.) has tallied 235 goals and 648 assists (883 points) with the Rangers, Edmonton and St. Louis. Rajamaki, 27, is a native of Vantaa, Finland, and is currently playing in the Finnish league. He played all of the 2004-05 season with the Worcester Ice Cats of the American Hockey League and recorded five goals and four assists (9 points) in 60 regular-season games. The Tampa Bay Lightning drafted Rajamaki (6' 2", 205 lbs.) in the eighth round, 216th overall, in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.