Stan Weir

Stanley Brian "Stash" Weir (born March 17, 1952 in Ponoka, Alberta) is a retired ice hockey centre. He played on five different teams for the National Hockey League over an 11-year career. Weir was drafted 2nd (28th overall) by the California Golden Seals in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft.

During summers in his childhood, Weir attended Glen Sather's hockey school 200 miles from hometown Ponoka in Banff, Alberta. Sather would later recognize Weir as the first graduate of his program to play in NHL.

Weir started play and earning respect in 1968 while playing with his hometown Ponoka Stampeders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. In the 1969–70 season, Weir amassed 35 goals and 26 assists in only 42 games, earning him the Ernie Love Trophy (given to the AJHL Scoring Champion) at the age of 17. The following season saw Weir join the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League and win the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (given to the WHL's Rookie of the Year). Weir also played on a line with future NHLer Lanny McDonald and they became friends. McDonald would later say he considered Weir one of the best junior players in Canada. Weir continued to put up big numbers in the WCHL, scoring a combined 244 points in two seasons. While still only 19, the California Golden Seals had seen enough and decided to draft Weir with their 2nd overall pick in the 1972 draft.

After scoring 133 points the previous season, big things were expected of the young centre in the National Hockey League. He jumped right into playing with the big boys and found that his game was slowing down. Weir played 78 games for the Seals in 1972–73 and notched 39 points, a great rookie campaign. However, his offensive prowess was expected to grow as he got used to the speed and size of the NHL. The following season saw Weir scoring only 16 points in 58 games before ending the season with a knee injury. California expected more from their star centre and Weir delivered for them in 1974–75. Weir lead the team in points with 45 and assists with 27, but that paled in comparison to the point totals in the rest of the league.

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