Tom Kurvers

Tom Kurvers
Born	September 14, 1962 Minneapolis, MN, USA
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Defense
Shot	Left
Played for	Montreal Canadiens Buffalo Sabres New Jersey Devils Toronto Maple Leafs Vancouver Canucks New York Islanders Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
NHL Draft	145th overall, 1981 Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1984–1996

Thomas James Kurvers (born September 14, 1962) is an American retired professional ice hockey defenseman who spent 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1984 and 1995. He was a member of the 1986 Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadiens. He is also a former interim General Manager for the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2009-10 season. Kurvers was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Playing career

Kurvers played collegiately at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and was selected 145th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft following his freshman season. His time with the Bulldogs culminated with winning the Hobey Baker Award, given to the most outstanding collegiate hockey player in the NCAA, as a senior in 1983–84 after registering 76 points in just 43 games.

Kurvers made his NHL debut in the 1984–85 season with the Canadiens. He won the Stanley Cup in 1986 with Montreal. After two full seasons with Montreal, and one game in the 1986–87 season, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for a draft pick.

Before the 1987–88 season, the Sabres traded Kurvers to the New Jersey Devils. He would play some of his best hockey for the Devils, posting 15 points in their surprising run to the 1988 Wales Conference Finals, and notching career highs of 16 goals and 66 points in 1988–89 season. He played two full seasons, and one game in the 1989–90 season, with the Devils before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the pick that would turn out to be Scott Niedermayer.

He was always a highly productive player, especially dangerous on the powerplay due to his wicked point shot and playmaking skills. That said, at even strength Tom was often a defensive liability. Several coaches along the way attempted to fix his defensive shortcomings, however, without result. Thus, Kurvers was destined to become a journeyman, making stops with the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim before leaving the league after the 1994–95 season. He played a season in Japan before retiring.

In his NHL career, Kurvers appeared in 659 games. He scored 93 goals and added 328 assists for 421 points. He also appeared in 57 Stanley Cup playoff games, scoring eight goals and recording 22 assists.

Post-hockey career

Following his retirement, Kurvers landed a job doing radio commentary for the Phoenix Coyotes, in part due to his connection to former Montreal teammate Bobby Smith who was GM in Phoenix at the time. Following one season in that capacity, he was hired as a pro scout by the Coyotes. Kurvers was promoted again, to Director of Player Personnel, in 2005.

Kurvers is married and has 4 children.

Awards and honors

Award	Year
All-WCHA First Team	1983–84	[1]
AHCA West First-Team All-American	1983–84	[2]

• Stanley Cup championship (Montreal) 1986

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1980–81	Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs	WCHA		39	6	24	30	48		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs	WCHA		37	11	31	42	18		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs	WCHA		45	8	36	44	42		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs	WCHA		43	18	58	76	46		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		75	10	35	45	30		12	0	6	6	6
1985–86	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		62	7	23	30	36		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		1	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		55	6	17	23	22		—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	New Jersey Devils	NHL		56	5	29	34	46		19	6	9	15	38
1988–89	New Jersey Devils	NHL		74	16	50	66	38		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	New Jersey Devils	NHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		70	15	37	52	29		5	0	3	3	4
1990–91	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		19	0	3	3	8		—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		32	4	23	27	20		6	2	2	4	12
1991–92	New York Islanders	NHL		74	9	47	56	30		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Capital District Islanders	AHL		7	3	4	7	8		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	New York Islanders	NHL		52	8	30	38	38		12	0	2	2	6
1993–94	New York Islanders	NHL		66	9	31	40	47		3	0	0	0	2
1994–95	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL		22	4	3	7	6		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Seibu	Japan		40	18	34	52	85		2	1	2	3	36
NHL totals				659	93	328	421	352		57	8	22	30	68

References

1. "WCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
2. "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

External links

• Tom Kurvers's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database