Tom Kurvers - Misplaced Pages

American ice hockey player (1962–2021)

Ice hockey player

Tom Kurvers
Born	(1962-09-14)September 14, 1962 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	June 21, 2021(2021-06-21) (aged 58) Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
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 (September 14, 1962 – June 21, 2021) was an American professional ice hockey defenseman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent eleven seasons in the NHL between 1984 and 1995. He won the 1984 Hobey Baker award as the best collegiate ice hockey player, and won the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986. After his playing career, he was an executive for the Phoenix Coyotes, the Tampa Bay Lightning and then the Minnesota Wild.

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 at Duluth culminated in winning the Hobey Baker Award, given to the most outstanding collegiate hockey player in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), as a senior in the 1983–84 season after registering 76 points in just 43 games.

Kurvers made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut in the 1984–85 season with the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 1986. After two full seasons with the Canadiens, 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 played his most productive post-season hockey that year for the Devils, posting 15 points in 19 games during their run to the 1988 Wales Conference Finals. He followed up by notching career highs of 16 goals and 66 points in the 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 ultimately used to draft Scott Niedermayer.

Kurvers was a highly skilled, puck-moving defenceman, especially dangerous on the power play. Later in his career, Kurvers became 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 from playing professional hockey, Kurvers landed a job as a radio commentator for the Phoenix Coyotes, in part due to his connection to former Montreal teammate Bobby Smith who was the general manager in Phoenix at the time. Following one season in that capacity, he was hired as a professional scout by the Coyotes. Kurvers was promoted to director of player personnel in 2005.

In 2008, Kurvers was named assistant general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He became the interim general manager for the Lightning at the end of the 2009–10 season. From 2011 to 2018, Kurvers served as the senior advisor to the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning before being named the assistant general manager of the Minnesota Wild.

Following his death, the Wild annually host a prospect tournament named after Kurvers, featuring prospects from the Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues.

Personal life

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tom Kurvers grew up in nearby Bloomington.

Kurvers and his wife Heather had two children together. He also had two daughters from his first marriage. In January 2019, Kurvers was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small-cell lung cancer. Kurvers died on June 21, 2021, from cancer at the age of 58.

Awards and honors

In 1991, Kurvers was inducted into the University of Minnesota Duluth Hall of Fame.

Award	Year	Ref
All-WCHA First Team	1983–84
AHCA West First-Team All-American	1983–84
Stanley Cup	1986

Career statistics

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	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 Tetsudo	JPN	40	18	34	52	85	2	1	2	3	36
NHL totals			659	93	328	421	352	57	8	22	30	68

Sources:

International

Year	Team	Event	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
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 totals			7	3	3	6	16
Senior totals			20	5	3	8	19

Sources:

References

^ "Former Canadiens defenceman Tom Kurvers dies from lung cancer at 58". montrealgazette.com. Montreal Gazette. June 21, 2021.
"1984 Winner – TOM KURVERS of University of Minnesota-Duluth". hobeybaker.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
^ "Former NHL player Tom Kurvers dies at 58 from lung cancer". Associated Press. June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
^ "Tom Kurvers Was A Major Part Of New Jersey Devils Success". Pucks and Pitchforks. June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
Fischler, Stan (June 22, 2021). "Stan Fischler Remembers Tom Kurvers". NHL.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021. His career as a Devil was capped by a 15-point postseason during New Jersey's memorable 1988 playoff run.
"Tom Kurvers Stats and News". NHL.com. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
"Maple Leafs Trade Tree: Tom Kurvers - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
^ Stellick, Gord (October 16, 2014). "Leafs revisionist history: Niedermayer trade". sportsnet.ca. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
Jana Hollingsworth; Chris Miller (June 21, 2021). "Wild assistant GM Tom Kurvers dies at age 58". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 23, 2021. Noted as a power-play specialist, he had 93 goals and 328 assists in 659 NHL games.
Kuzma, Ben (June 22, 2021). "Canucks: Former defenceman Tom Kurvers loses long battle with lung cancer". The Province. Retrieved June 23, 2021. ... a highly skilled, puck moving defenceman that was extremely dangerous on the power play," Hrudey recalled Monday of the well-travelled Minneapolis, Minn., native, who would play for seven NHL clubs and just one partial season for Vancouver.
^ "Kurvers dies at 58, was Wild assistant general manager". NHL.com. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
"Who is Tom Kurvers' wife, Heather? Late NHL manager's family explored". The Focus. June 22, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
Dahlia, Jeff (July 1, 2006). "Q&A with Tom Kurvers, Coyotes Director of Player Personnel". hockeysfuture.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
Reyes, Lorenzo. "Minnesota Wild assistant GM Tom Kurvers, former hockey great, dies of lung cancer at 58". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
^ "Minnesota Wild names Tom Kurvers assistant general manager". NHL.com. June 26, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
Stark, Mariah (September 12, 2023). "Wild Prospects to Watch in Tom Kurvers Showcase". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
^ "Former Habs player Tom Kurvers dead at 58 from lung cancer". cbc.ca. June 21, 2021.
Russo, Michael. "Wild assistant GM and Minnesota hockey legend Tom Kurvers dies after battle with cancer". The Athletic. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
Russo, Michael (February 8, 2019). "Diagnosed with lung cancer, Wild's Tom Kurvers prepares for his toughest battle". theathletic.com. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
"UMD Athletic Hall of Fame TOM KURVERS". umdbulldogs.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
"WCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
"Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
Wellens, Matt (June 21, 2021). "Bulldogs hockey legend Tom Kurvers dies at age 58". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
"Wild assistant GM Tom Kurvers, a Stanley Cup champion from Bloomington, dies of lung cancer at 58". Twin Cities. June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
"Tom Kurvers at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
"1982 WJC | U.S. National Junior Team Statistics". teamusa.usahockey.com. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
"1987 Roster". teamusa.usahockey.com. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
"1989 Roster". teamusa.usahockey.com. Retrieved June 22, 2021.

External links

Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded byBob Mason	WCHA Most Valuable Player 1983–84	Succeeded byBill Watson
Preceded byMark Fusco	Winner of the Hobey Baker Award 1983–84	Succeeded byBill Watson
Sporting positions
Preceded byBrian Lawton	General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning Interim 2010	Succeeded bySteve Yzerman

v t e Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey
Playing venues	Duluth Amphitheater (1930–1932) Duluth Curling and Skating Club (1946–1966) DECC Arena (1966–2010) AMSOIL Arena (2010–present)
Head coaches	Frank Kovach (1930–32) Joe Oven (1946–47) Hank Jensen (1947–51) Gord Eddolls (1951–54) Bob Boyat (1954–55) Connie Pleban (1955–59) Ralph Romano (1959–68) Bill Selman (1968–70) Terry Shercliffe (1970–75) Gus Hendrickson (1975–82) Mike Sertich (1982–2000) Scott Sandelin (2000–present)
Seasons	1930–31 1931–32 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Conference affiliations	MIAC (1946–1961) WCHA (1965–2013) NCHC (2013–present)
Rivalries	Minnesota
Culture & lore	North Star College Cup
All-time leaders	Statistical leaders Dan Lempe (222 Points) Thomas Milani (100 Goals) Hunter Shepard (76 Wins)
Retired numbers	9 Keith Christiansen 14 Bill Watson 29 Brett Hull
National championships	2011 2018 2019
Frozen Four appearances	1984 1985 2004 2011 2017 2018 2019 2021
NCAA Tournament appearances	1983 1984 1985 1993 2004 2009 2011 2012 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022
Conference Tournament titles	WCHA: 1984 1985 2009 NCHC: 2017 2019 2022
Hobey Baker winners	Tom Kurvers (1984) Bill Watson (1985) Chris Marinucci (1994) Junior Lessard (2004) Jack Connolly (2012) Scott Perunovich (2020)
University of Minnesota Duluth Duluth, MN

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