NHL

Hurricanes acquire Weight

RALEIGH, N.C. - The top team in the NHL isn't content to stand pat.

The Hurricanes acquired veteran center Doug Weight from St. Louis on Monday, adding another important piece in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup. Weight, a four-time All-Star and a member of the U.S. Olympic team, is scheduled to join Carolina on Thursday.

"This is certainly a statement to everybody how serious we are about our chances to make a run to the championship," said Jim Rutherford, Carolina's president and general manager.

Weight, 35, led the Blues with 33 assists and 44 points in 47 games. He was named to the U.S. team that will be led by Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette next month in Turin, Italy, and was considered a target for several top teams. Weight is in the last year of a five-year contract that pays $5.7-million this season, with Carolina picking up $2.1-million of that salary, Rutherford said.

The Hurricanes also received the rights to left wing Erkki Rajamaki of the Finnish League. They sent right wing Jesse Boulerice, center Mike Zigomanis and the rights to unsigned draft pick Magnus Kahnberg to the Blues, along with three draft picks - including this year's first-round selection.

Weight, who waived a no-trade clause, said he expected to be traded after next month's Olympic break.

"It makes me happy to go somewhere where they're ecstatic to get me," Weight said. "I want to be a part of that."

Rutherford said the team - which had extra draft picks - didn't consider the price too hefty.

Weight goes from the worst team in the league - with 30 points heading into Monday's game against Calgary - to a team with a league-best 76 points through 51 games.

The deal was the second in as many days for the Blues, who traded second-leading scorer and former Lightning player Mike Sillinger to Nashville on Sunday for forward Timofei Shishkanov.

CANADA MINUS JOVANOVSKI: Canucks defenseman Ed Jovanovski will miss the Olympics because of a lower abdominal injury. The Canucks said the Canadian star was scheduled for surgery Wednesday in Philadelphia.

[Last modified January 31, 2006, 00:31:05]