After a week of speculation, the Rangers made it official with the signing of free agent goaltender Kevin Weekes.  The 6’0″ 210lb native of Toronto found himself without a job after the Carolina Hurricanes decided not to make a qualifying offer in favor of going with trade acquisition Martin Gerber.  Weekes comes to the Rangers looking to oust incumbent Mike Dunham from the starting spot after the former US netminder struggled with injuries and criticism in the press from Rangers GM Glen Sather.

The 29 year old Weekes is coming off a 23-30-11 season in 66 appearances, with a career best goals against average of 2.33, a number the netminder has improved each of the past six seasons, while playing for Carolina, Tampa Bay, Vancouver and the New York Islanders.  In addition the former 2nd round pick (41st overall) of the Florida Panthers in the 1993 draft, has struggled to secure a starting job during his 10 year NHL career, though it appeared he had finally broken through for the Hurricanes before he became a victim of the continuing uncertainty over the pending CBA negotiations.

Weekes began his NHL career in 1997 with the Florida Panthers, but did not record his first victory until the 1999-00 season when he backstopped the Canucks to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Rangers.  The goaltender nicknamed “Shady 80” went 0-13-2 in 22 appearances during his first season, and has since gone 78-123-31 in 255 games with five different NHL clubs.  Weekes has a 3-4-1 record at MSG for his career to date.

Reference sites:
Hockeydb – Career Statistics
NHLPA – Career Profile
HockeyGoalies.com – Profile
The Unofficial Kevin Weekes “Shady 80” Website

OTG’s Take:
Weekes continues to improve his play, but still has plenty to prove in his NHL career.  He will come in and likely compete with Dunham for starts under Renney, with neither goaltender a clear cut favorite to be a starter at this stage.  Perhaps more importantly, Weekes could serve as a transition starter, holding the position until such time as one of the Rangers prospects is ready to challenge for the position.