Tom Kurvers
Thomas Kurvers | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 September 1962 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | 21 June 2021 (aged 58) |
| Occupation(s) | Ice hockey defenseman, executive |
| Years active | 1984–1995 (player) |
| Known for | Winning the 1984 Hobey Baker Award; Stanley Cup champion (1986); NHL executive roles with Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild |
Thomas James Kurvers (September 14, 1962 – June 21, 2021) was a professional American ice hockey defenseman who competed in the National Hockey League (NHL). Over the course of eleven NHL seasons spanning from 1984 to 1995, he earned the 1984 Hobey Baker award as the premier collegiate player and captured the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986. Following his playing days, Kurvers took on executive positions with the Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Minnesota Wild organizations.
Playing career
Kurvers attended the University of Minnesota Duluth and was selected 145th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft following his freshman year. In the 1983–84 season, he secured the esteemed Hobey Baker Award, tallying 76 points across 43 games.
He made his NHL debut during the 1984–85 season with Montreal and was part of their Stanley Cup-winning squad in 1986. After completing two full seasons plus one game in 1986–87, Montreal traded him to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a draft selection.
Prior to the start of the 1987–88 campaign, Kurvers joined the New Jersey Devils, where he stood out by contributing 15 points in the playoffs as they advanced to the 1988 Wales Conference Finals. The following year, he posted career-best numbers with 16 goals and 66 points during the regular season. After two full seasons and a single game with New Jersey, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a draft pick that was later used to select Scott Niedermayer.
Recognized as a talented, puck-moving defenseman and expert on power plays, Kurvers amassed totals of 93 goals and 328 assists over 659 NHL contests. Toward the end of his career, he became a journeyman player, suiting up for the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim before retiring following the 1994–95 season. Additionally, he spent one season competing in Japan prior to ending his playing career.
Throughout his NHL tenure, Kurvers appeared in 659 games, registering 93 goals and 328 assists for an overall total of 421 points. He also participated in 57 playoff matchups, recording eight goals alongside 22 assists.
Post-hockey career
Upon concluding his professional playing career, Kurvers transitioned into broadcasting as a radio analyst for the Phoenix Coyotes, utilizing his relationship with then-general manager Bobby Smith. After one year in this role, he moved into scouting before advancing to director of player personnel in 2005.
In 2008, Kurvers was named assistant general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning and briefly served as interim general manager at the close of the 2009–10 season. Between 2011 and 2018, he acted as senior advisor to the Lightning’s general manager before accepting a position as assistant general manager with the Minnesota Wild.
Following his death, the Wild inaugurated an annual prospect tournament bearing his name that features young talent from Minnesota, the Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues.
Personal life
Kurvers was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in nearby Bloomington. He and his wife Heather had two children together; additionally, he had two daughters from a previous marriage. In January 2019, Kurvers received a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small-cell lung cancer. He passed away on June 21, 2021, at age 58.
Awards and honors
Kurvers was honored with induction into the University of Minnesota Duluth Hall of Fame in 1991.
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| All-WCHA First Team | 1983–84 |
| AHCA West First-Team All-American | 1983–84 |
| Stanley Cup | 1986 |
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |||||||||||
| 1979–80 | Bloomington Jefferson High School | HS-MN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1980–81 | Bloomington Jefferson High School | HS-MN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1980–81 | University of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 39 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1981–82 | University of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 37 | 11 | 31 | 42 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1982–83 | University of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 45 | 8 | 36 | 44 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1983–84 | University of Minnesota Duluth | 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 NHL season | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 56 | 5 | 29 | 34 | 46 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 38 | |||||||||||
| 1988–89 NHL season | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 74 | 16 | 50 | 66 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||
| 1989–90 NHL season | 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 NHL season | 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 NHL season | New York Islanders | NHL | 74 | 9 | 47 | 56 | 30 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1992–93 AHL season | Capital District Islanders | AHL | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — |
- |- |
1992–93 NHL season | New York Islanders | NHL | 52 | 8 | 30 | 38 | 38 | 12 | 02 | 26 |
| 1993–94 NHL season | New York Islanders | NHL | 66 | 9 | 31 | 40 | 47 | ||||||||||||||||
| NHL totals !659 | 93 | 328 | 421 | 352 !57 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 68 | |||||||||||||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | Penalty Minutes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | United States | WJC | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 16 | |
| 1987 | United States | WC | 10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 11 | |
| 1989 | United States | WC | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | |
| Junior career totals | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 16 | |||
| Senior career totals | 20 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 19 | |||