Kevin Weekes was not exactly a traditional hockey goalie. Born in Toronto after his family had emigrated from Barbados, he told The New York Times he began playing hockey at age 6 because an older cousin was playing the game with friends.
"If I wanted to hang out with those guys, I had to play goalie," he said. "You don't really have much say when you're 6 years old and the guys around you are 13, 14."
Selected by the Florida Panthers in the second round (No. 41) of the 1993 NHL Draft, he was sent to his fifth NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes, in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 5, 2002, to add goalie depth.
Arturs Irbe started the first four games for Carolina in the 2002 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the New Jersey Devils, with Weekes relieving him in Games 3 and 4. But coach Paul Maurice started Weekes in Game 5 and was rewarded with a 40-save performance in a 3-2 overtime victory, Weekes' first playoff start since he was a 15-year-old playing junior hockey in Toronto. His biggest save came when he robbed New Jersey's John Madden in overtime.
Maurice stayed with the hot goalie in Game 6, and Weekes outplayed Martin Brodeur by making 32 saves in a 1-0 victory that clinched the series.
Weekes started Game 1 of the conference semifinals against the Montreal Canadiens and made 25 saves in a 2-0 victory. It was his last win that postseason; Carolina eventually went back to Irbe and reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Detroit Red Wings.
Weekes was the No. 1 goalie for the Hurricanes in 2002-03 and 2003-04 and played with the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils before retiring in 2009. He became the first black analyst in the sport, joining "Hockey Night in Canada" and NHL Network.
