MONTREAL - Montreal Canadiens general manager, Kent Hughes, announced on Thursday that the Club has traded defenseman Shea Weber to the Vegas Golden Knights in return for forward Evgenii Dadonov.

"First of all, I would like to thank Shea for all that he has done for and represented to the Montreal Canadiens," said Hughes. "Not only was Shea an exceptional hockey player who played through significant injuries in an attempt to bring the Stanley Cup back to Montreal, he was also a great leader whose leadership will have a positive impact on our team well beyond his time with us. I also want to welcome Evgenii Dadonov to our organization. He is a talented forward who has produced at all levels since the start of his career."

Dadonov, 33, played 78 games with the Golden Knights in 2021-22, recording 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists). The left-handed forward also served 18 penalty minutes. The Chelyabinsk, RU native skated in 413 career games in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, and Golden Knights, tallying 124 goals and 141 assists.

Weber registered 146 points (58 goals, 88 assists) in 275 games with the Canadiens. In 2020-21, he captained the team to its first Stanley Cup Final since 1993.