Age and injury finally caught up to Doug Weight, who retired from the NHL after a three-decade career that ended with a stint as the New York Islanders' captain.

The 40-year-old Weight, who played for six teams, accepted a job with the Islanders as an assistant coach and senior adviser to General Manager Garth Snow.

"Saying goodbye and never going to play again in the league, it's terrible," Weight said. "... It's a sickening, sad feeling, but it's also a new chapter to hopefully the greatest part of my life."

The Michigan native had 278 goals and 1,033 points -- sixth among American-born players -- in 1,238 NHL games.

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