Aug. 14: Weber born in British Columbia

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: Aug. 14
1985: Shea Weber, a defenseman who develops one of the hardest shots in NHL history, is born in Sicamous, British Columbia.

The Nashville Predators take Weber in the second round (No. 49) of the 2003 NHL Draft. He makes the roster as a 20-year-old in 2005-06 and quickly becomes known for his big shot, scoring 166 goals in 11 seasons with Nashville. That includes two seasons with 23 goals (2008-09 and 2013-14) and one with 20 (2005-16). Weber also wins the hardest shot competition during NHL All-Star Weekend in 2015 and 2016, exceeding 108 mph each time.
Weber, a two-time NHL First-Team All-Star, appears to be a fixture in Nashville, but is
traded to the Montreal Canadiens
for defenseman P.K. Subban on June 29, 2016.

MORE MOMENTS
1926:The New York Rangers, preparing for their first season in the NHL, sign defenseman
Clarence Abel
, a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, who becomes the first U.S.-born player to earn a regular spot in the League. Abel, nicknamed "Taffy," is one of the biggest players of his era at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds. He plays three seasons with the Rangers and is a member of their Stanley Cup-winning team in 1928 before being sold to the Chicago Blackhawks. Abel spends five seasons with Chicago and helps the Blackhawks win the Cup for the first time in 1934, then retires.
2009:
Ted Kennedy
, captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1948-55 and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame,
dies at age 83
. The Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup five times during Kennedy's
14 seasons with Toronto
; he leads all scorers during the run to the Cup in 1948 with eight goals and 14 points. Kennedy, best known as "Teeder," wins the
Hart Trophy
as MVP in 1954-55, his final full NHL season. He finishes his NHL career with 560 points (231 goals, 329 assists) in 696 games, and is inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966. In 2017, Kennedy is named to the
100 Greatest NHL Players
.