"Doug Weight paused several times to catch his breath or to wipe away tears Thursday as he officially announced his retirement from the NHL, bidding farewell to an impressive 19-year career that began in New York with the Rangers and concluded as captain and mentor to the rebuilding Islanders.

Weight, who was limited to 18 games last season due to a debilitating back injury, will remain with the Isles as an assistant coach and a special adviser to GM Garth Snow.

"I knew the writing was on the wall and it was something I was going to have to face," said Weight, who totaled 1,033 points in 1,278 NHL games, the sixth-highest point total ever for an American-born player. "Saying goodbye and never playing again, it's terrible. It's tough. It's a sickening, sad feeling. But it's also a new chapter to hopefully the greatest chapter of my life."

Weight, 40, was a second-round pick of the Rangers in 1990 before being traded to Edmonton for Esa Tikkanen in 1993 as the Blueshirts assembled the parts of their 1994 Stanley Cup championship team.

The playmaking center went on to become a four-time All-Star with the Oilers and the St. Louis Blues, including a breakout 104-point campaign with Edmonton in 1995-96. He also was a key member of the U.S. World Cup gold-medal squad in 1996, a three-time U.S. Olympian - including a silver medal in 2002 in Salt Lake City - and a Stanley Cup champion with Carolina in 2006.

"His playing career speaks for itself," Snow said. "And his value to this team's young core has been immeasurable."

Serving as a mentor, sounding board and - in the cases of emerging stars John Tavares and Matt Moulson, a landlord in his guest house - Weight made an indelible impression with the Isles despite being limited to just 107 appearances over three seasons due to multiple injuries.

In his new role, Weight said he primarily will be designing the Isles' power play as an addition to Jack Capuano's coaching staff, while also being involved with Snow in personnel and other front-office decisions."