{{Short description|American ice hockey player (1962–2021)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | image = TomKurvers.png | caption = Kurvers in 1984 photo | birth_date = {{birth date|1962|9|14}} | birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|6|21|1962|9|14}} | death_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lb = 190 | position = Defense | shoots = Left | played_for = Montreal Canadiens<br>Buffalo Sabres<br>New Jersey Devils<br>Toronto Maple Leafs<br>Vancouver Canucks<br>New York Islanders<br>Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | draft = 145th overall | draft_year = 1981 | draft_team = Montreal Canadiens | career_start = 1984 | career_end = 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 he won the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986. After his playing career, he was an executive for the Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and 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.<ref name="mgztd">{{cite web|url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-inside-out/former-canadiens-defenceman-tom-kurvers-dies-from-lung-cancer-at-58|title=Former Canadiens defenceman Tom Kurvers dies from lung cancer at 58|date=June 21, 2021|publisher=Montreal Gazette|website=montrealgazette.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=1984 Winner – TOM KURVERS of University of Minnesota-Duluth |url=https://www.hobeybaker.com/hbma-results-1984 |website=hobeybaker.com |accessdate=July 17, 2018}}</ref>
Kurvers made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut in the 1984–85 season with the Montreal Canadiens,<ref name="espnd"/> with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 1986.<ref name="mgztd"/> 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.<ref name="mgztd"/>
Before the 1987–88 season, the Sabres traded Kurvers to the New Jersey Devils.<ref name="pucksandpitchforks20210621">{{Cite web|date=June 21, 2021|title=Tom Kurvers Was A Major Part Of New Jersey Devils Success|url=https://pucksandpitchforks.com/2021/06/21/tom-kurvers-major-part-new-jersey-devils-dynasty/|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Pucks and Pitchforks|language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref name="pucksandpitchforks20210621"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Fischler |first1=Stan |title=Stan Fischler Remembers Tom Kurvers |url=https://www.nhl.com/devils/news/tom-kurvers-stan-fischler-remembers-devils-memories/c-325427460 |website=NHL.com |access-date=June 23, 2021 |date=June 22, 2021 |quote=His career as a Devil was capped by a 15-point postseason during New Jersey's memorable 1988 playoff run.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tom Kurvers Stats and News |url=https://www.nhl.com/player/tom-kurvers-8448568?stats=career-p-nhl&season=null |website=NHL.com |access-date=June 23, 2021}}</ref> He followed up by notching career highs of 16 goals and 66 points in the 1988–89 season.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Maple Leafs Trade Tree: Tom Kurvers - Sportsnet.ca|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/maple-leafs-trade-tree-tom-kurvers/|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=www.sportsnet.ca}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |last1=Stellick |first1=Gord |title=Leafs revisionist history: Niedermayer trade |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/leafs-revisionist-history-niedermayer-trade/ |website=sportsnet.ca |accessdate=July 17, 2018 |date=October 16, 2014}}</ref>
Kurvers was a highly skilled, puck-moving defenceman, especially dangerous on the power play.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Jana Hollingsworth |author2=Chris Miller |title=Wild assistant GM Tom Kurvers dies at age 58 |url=https://www.startribune.com/wild-assistant-gm-tom-kurvers-dies-at-age-58/600070464/ |access-date=June 23, 2021 |work=Star Tribune |date=June 21, 2021 |quote=Noted as a power-play specialist, he had 93 goals and 328 assists in 659 NHL games.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kuzma |first1=Ben |title=Canucks: Former defenceman Tom Kurvers loses long battle with lung cancer |url=https://theprovince.com/sports/canucks-former-defenceman-tom-kurvers-loses-long-battle-with-lung-cancer |access-date=June 23, 2021 |work=The Province |date=June 22, 2021 |language=en-CA |quote=... 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.}}</ref> 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.<ref name="mgztd" /> He played a season in Japan before retiring.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Kurvers dies at 58, was Wild assistant general manager|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/minnesota-wild-assistant-general-manager-tom-kurvers-dies-at-58/c-325412304|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=NHL.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
In his NHL career, Kurvers appeared in 659 games. He scored 93 goals and added 328 assists for 421 points.<ref name=":0" /> He also appeared in 57 Stanley Cup playoff games, scoring eight goals and recording 22 assists.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 22, 2021|title=Who is Tom Kurvers' wife, Heather? Late NHL manager's family explored|url=https://www.thefocus.news/american-sports/tom-kurvers-wife/|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=The Focus|language=en-GB}}</ref>
==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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dahlia |first1=Jeff |title=Q&A with Tom Kurvers, Coyotes Director of Player Personnel |url=http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/8924/qa_with_tom_kurvers_coyotes_director_of_player_personnel/ |website=hockeysfuture.com |accessdate=July 17, 2018 |date=July 1, 2006}}</ref>
In 2008, Kurvers was named assistant general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.<ref name="mgztd" /> He became the interim general manager for the Lightning at the end of the 2009–10 season.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reyes|first=Lorenzo|title=Minnesota Wild assistant GM Tom Kurvers, former hockey great, dies of lung cancer at 58|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/wild/2021/06/21/minnesota-wild-assistant-gm-tom-kurvers-dies-lung-cancer/7771908002/|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref name = "Minnesota GM">{{cite web |title=Minnesota Wild names Tom Kurvers assistant general manager |url=https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/kurvers-named-agm-062618/c-299279274 |website=NHL.com |accessdate=July 17, 2018 |date=June 26, 2018}}</ref>
Following his death, the Wild annually host a prospect tournament named after Kurvers, featuring prospects from the Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stark |first=Mariah |url=https://thehockeywriters.com/wild-prospects-to-watch-tom-kurver-showcase/ |title=Wild Prospects to Watch in Tom Kurvers Showcase |work=The Hockey Writers |date=September 12, 2023 |accessdate=September 7, 2024 }}</ref>
==Personal life== Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tom Kurvers grew up in nearby Bloomington.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=June 21, 2021|title=Former Habs player Tom Kurvers dead at 58 from lung cancer|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/tom-kurvers-dies-at-58-from-lung-cancer-1.6074031|website=cbc.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Russo|first=Michael|title=Wild assistant GM and Minnesota hockey legend Tom Kurvers dies after battle with cancer|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2658482/2021/06/21/tom-kurvers-wild-lung-cancer/|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=The Athletic |date=June 21, 2021 }}</ref>
Kurvers and his wife Heather had two children together. He also had two daughters from his first marriage.<ref name = "Minnesota GM"/> In January 2019, Kurvers was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small-cell lung cancer.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Russo |first1=Michael |title=Diagnosed with lung cancer, Wild's Tom Kurvers prepares for his toughest battle |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/808713/2019/02/08/tom-kurvers-lung-cancer-wild-assistant-gm/ |website=theathletic.com |access-date=February 10, 2019 |date=February 8, 2019}}</ref> Kurvers died on June 21, 2021, from cancer at the age of 58.<ref name="espnd">{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31681022/former-nhl-player-tom-kurvers-dies-58-lung-cancer |title=Former NHL player Tom Kurvers dies at 58 from lung cancer |date=June 21, 2021 |website=Associated Press |access-date=June 21, 2021}}</ref>
==Awards and honors== In 1991, Kurvers was inducted into the University of Minnesota Duluth Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |title=UMD Athletic Hall of Fame TOM KURVERS |url=https://umdbulldogs.com/hof.aspx?hof=15 |website=umdbulldogs.com |accessdate=July 17, 2018}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year ! Ref |- | All-WCHA First Team | 1983–84 | <ref name=WCHA>{{cite news|title=WCHA All-Teams|url=http://www.augenblick.org/chha/wcha_all.html|publisher=College Hockey Historical Archives|accessdate=May 19, 2013}}</ref> |- | AHCA West First-Team All-American | 1983–84 | <ref>{{cite news|title=Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_icehockey_rb/2013/MIH%20awards%20for%202013.pdf|publisher=NCAA.org|accessdate=June 11, 2013}}</ref> |- | Stanley Cup champion | 1986 | <ref name="mgztd" /> |}
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em;" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM |- | 1979–80 | Bloomington Jefferson High School | HS-MN | — || — || — || — || — | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1980–81 | Bloomington Jefferson High School | HS-MN | — || — || — || — || — | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1980–81 | University of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 39 || 6 || 24 || 30 || 48 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1981–82 | University of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 37 || 11 || 31 || 42 || 18 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1982–83 | University of Minnesota Duluth | WCHA | 45 || 8 || 36 || 44 || 42 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1985–86 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 62 || 7 || 23 || 30 || 36 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1986–87 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1988–89 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 74 || 16 || 50 || 66 || 38 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1989–90 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 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 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1995–96 | Seibu Tetsudo | JPN | 40 || 18 || 34 || 52 || 85 | 2 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 36 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"|NHL totals ! 659 !! 93 !! 328 !! 421 !! 352 ! 57 !! 8 !! 22 !! 30 !! 68 |}
Sources:<ref name="mgztd" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|first=Matt|last=Wellens|title=Bulldogs hockey legend Tom Kurvers dies at age 58|url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/hockey/7081956-Bulldogs-hockey-legend-Tom-Kurvers-dies-at-age-58|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Duluth News Tribune|date=June 21, 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=June 21, 2021|title=Wild assistant GM Tom Kurvers, a Stanley Cup champion from Bloomington, dies of lung cancer at 58|url=https://www.twincities.com/2021/06/21/wild-assistant-gm-tom-kurvers-a-stanley-cup-champion-from-bloomington-dies-of-lung-cancer-at-58/|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=Twin Cities|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Tom Kurvers at eliteprospects.com|url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/28703/tom-kurvers|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=www.eliteprospects.com|language=en}}</ref>
===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:50em;" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 1982 | United States | WJC | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 16 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1987 | United States | WC | 10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 11 |- | 1989 | United States | WC | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"|Junior totals ! 7 ! 3 ! 3 ! 6 ! 16 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"|Senior totals ! 20 ! 5 ! 3 ! 8 ! 19 |} Sources:<ref>{{Cite web|title=1982 WJC {{!}} U.S. National Junior Team Statistics|url=https://teamusa.usahockey.com/page/show/2923074-1982-wjc-u-s-national-junior-team-statistics|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=teamusa.usahockey.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=1987 Roster|url=https://teamusa.usahockey.com/page/show/2673912-1987-roster|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=teamusa.usahockey.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=1989 Roster|url=https://teamusa.usahockey.com/page/show/2673898-1989-roster|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=teamusa.usahockey.com}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Ice hockey stats |nhl=8448568}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | before = Bob Mason | title = WCHA Most Valuable Player | years = 1983–84 | after = Bill Watson}} {{succession box | before = Mark Fusco | title = Winner of the Hobey Baker Award | years = 1983–84 | after = Bill Watson}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box | before = Brian Lawton | title = General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning<br>{{small|Interim}} | years = 2010 | after = Steve Yzerman}} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kurvers, Tom}} Category:1962 births Category:2021 deaths Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans Category:American men's ice hockey defensemen Category:Arizona Coyotes announcers Category:Arizona Coyotes coaches Category:Arizona Coyotes executives Category:Arizona Coyotes scouts Category:Buffalo Sabres players Category:Capital District Islanders players Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Minnesota Category:Hobey Baker Award winners Category:Ice hockey coaches from Minnesota Category:Ice hockey people from Minneapolis Category:Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players Category:Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey players Category:Minnesota Wild executives Category:Montreal Canadiens draft picks Category:Montreal Canadiens players Category:New Jersey Devils players Category:New York Islanders players Category:Ice hockey people from Bloomington, Minnesota Category:Stanley Cup champions Category:Tampa Bay Lightning executives Category:Tampa Bay Lightning personnel Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players Category:Vancouver Canucks players Category:Sports coaches from Minneapolis Category:20th-century American sportsmen