Doug Weight was always one of the most honest and candid players I came across during all my years covering the Edmonton Oilers. That said, it’s not surprising that the future captain of the Oilers admitted after being acquired from the New York Rangers in March 1993 that, at the time, he probably couldn’t find Edmonton on a map if he tried.

It’s somewhat ironic, then, that by the time Weight was traded to St. Louis on Canada Day 2001 with the Oilers unable to afford him, Edmonton was home and where his heart was. He’d left a significant mark on the town that the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and other Oiler greats had put on the NHL map in the 1980s. Weight, a native of Warren, Michigan, loved playing in Edmonton and Edmonton had adopted him as one of its own. 

Doug Weight

Center
Born Jan 21 1971 — Detroit, MI
Height 5.11 — Weight 200 [180 cm/91 kg]

Drafted by New York Rangers

Round 2 #34 overall 1990 NHL Entry Draft

BY THE NUMBERS

PLAYOFFS

NOTABLE

“I didn’t know much about Edmonton, didn’t know where it was on the map to be honest with you,” said Weight, who was just 22 when he was acquired from the Rangers for Esa Tikkanen. “Glen Sather, Ron Low, the organization, they put pressure on me, they challenged me, they made me a better player, made me compete, made me a leader, and for that I thank them.”

With the Dynasty Days of the Oilers done and most of the Boys on the Bus traded away or sold by owner Peter Pocklington, Weight and younger, cheaper players like him – Jason Arnott, Zdeno Ciger, Dean McAmmond and Kirk Maltby – were supposed to be the new core of the five-time Stanly Cup champions. It didn’t take Weight long to establish himself as the Oilers’ marquee guy. He had 104 points in 1995-96. Weight was named team captain, taking over from popular Kelly Buchberger, in 1999.

During his nine-year tenure in Edmonton, the final two as captain, Weight led the Oilers to five consecutive playoff berths, including what became an annual spring rite – showdowns with the Dallas Stars. During the back-half of that stretch Weight was Edmonton’s best player, the highlight reel guy on a team that always found itself battling in the middle of the pack instead of running out front like in the glory days. Highlights? Just a few.

THE STORY

Remember Weight’s goal against the Calgary Flames? That’s here. How about Weight starting the play on Todd Marchant’s overtime goal in a stunning first-round upset of the Stars in 1997? That’s  here. You can see a clip of Weight’s career highlights from his U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction here. In between, Weight’s best years in a career that spanned 1,238 games came with the Oilers – not counting, ahem, that 2006 Stanley Cup win as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes. Let’s move on . . .

Weight never wanted to leave Edmonton, but as was the case with so many players in the era when Pocklington’s financial house of cards was exposed, the Oilers could no longer afford to keep him. Weight had made $4.3 million for two consecutive seasons and was due for a raise. GM Kevin Lowe knew there was no way he could give Weight market value – Lowe was right as Weight’s salary doubled with the Blues. Like that, Weight, seen by many along with Ryan Smyth as the greatest post-dynasty Oilers until the arrival of Connor McDavid, was gone.

“It was really, really difficult when I got traded,” Weight said. “I remember Kevin Lowe, when we talked in the summer. He pretty much let me know and explained to me that it was going to be hard to give me what everybody was being paid. Still, when the trade happened, it was just really tough on me. I didn’t look forward to anything for a while. I knew I was going to miss the Edmonton culture. It was hard. Edmonton was everything you could want in a city and an organization.” Likewise, Weight, the young man who couldn’t find Edmonton with a map when he arrived, had been everything this city could want in a player by the time he left.

This series will look at the top 100 Edmonton Oilers from the NHL era 1979-80 to 2014-15, starting with 100 and working up.

PREVIOUSLY:

• 11. Bill Ranford
• 12. Randy Gregg
• 13. Charlie Huddy
• 14. Andy Moog
• 15. Chris Pronger
• 16. Steve Smith
• 17. Craig MacTavish
• 18. Craig Simpson
• 19. Lee Fogolin
• 20. Jason Smith
• 21. Kevin McLelland