Yannick Weber retires from NHL after 13 seasons

Yannick Weber
announced Tuesday he is retiring from the NHL after 13 seasons.

The 32-year-old defenseman scored 94 points (28 goals, 66 assists) in 499 games for the Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins.
He scored six points (four goals, two assists) in 42 Stanley Cup Playoff games. In 2017, Weber had one assist in 22 postseason games to help the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Final, which it lost to the Penguins in six games.
This season, Weber played two games for the Penguins (Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 at the New York Rangers) before being assigned to the taxi squad. He signed a one-year, two-way contract with Pittsburgh on Jan. 27.
Weber, who was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the third round (No. 73) of the 2007 NHL Draft, made his announcement on Instagram

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"Dear Lord Stanley Cup," Weber wrote. "Fifteen years ago, I left Switzerland with a dream: to be drafted by an NHL team. With only a handful of Swiss players ever playing in the best league in the world, for me it seemed more of a hope than a possibility to be next in line.
"2017, I was two wins away from meeting and hoisting you, but Sidney Crosby decided to keep you for another year and I was left heartbroken and devastated. You made me understand why it's the hardest trophy to win and how fortunate you have to be to have your name engraved."
Weber will continue playing in his native Switzerland after signing a three-year contract with ZSC of the National League, the country's top professional league, on June 8.
He played for Switzerland at the IIHF World Junior Championship three times (2006-08), the IIHF World Championship four times (2009, 2014, 2016, 2019), and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and 2014 Sochi Olympics.
"Even though I can't call myself a champion, you left me with a lifetime of memories and great friendships," he wrote. "Now it's time to head back home and enjoy time with my family."