Jari Kurri
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Jari Kurri (born May 18 1960, in Helsinki, Finland) was a professional Ice Hockey Right Winger in the NHL. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Kurri played his first nine and a half seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, and was then traded to the Los Angeles Kings where he played 3 and 2 half seasons, followed by a trade to the New York Rangers where he would play for half a season. He was then dealt to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim where he played for 1 season, before finally signing with the Colorado Avalanche, where he would play 1 season. Kurri won five Stanley Cups, all with Edmonton (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1990). He was drafted by Edmonton in 1980, and retired in 1998. His best season was 1984-85 when he had 135 points. A year later, he would lead the league in goals with 68. While he was definitely a very talented player in his own right,
Kurri was helped by the fact that he often played as a linemate of Wayne Gretzky while they were both on the Oilers (Gretzky was credited with assists on 60% of Kurri's goals, though they played several seasons on different teams.)
Kurri's 19 goals in the 1985 post-season (18 games played) tied an NHL record set by the Philadelphia Flyers' Reggie Leach in the 1976 playoffs (16 games played). He also had three hat tricks in the conference finals, another feat that no player has ever equalled.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. His 1398 points are still 17th all-time, and the highest among European players. He is 14th in all-time goals with 601. He is the second leading scorer in Oiler history, with 1,043 points in 754 games, behind only Gretzky who had 1669 points in 696 games.
Achievements
- 1978- European Junior Hockey Championship All-Star Team
- 1978- Named best forward at the European Junior Hockey Championship
- 1983- Played in NHL All-Star Game
- 1984- NHL Second All-Star Team
- 1985- Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
- 1985- NHL First All-Star Team
- 1985- Played in NHL All-Star Game
- 1986- NHL Second All-Star Team
- 1986- Played in NHL All-Star Game
- 1987- NHL First All-Star Team
- 1988- Played in NHL All-Star Game
- 1989- NHL Second All-Star Team
- 1989- Played in NHL All-Star Game
- 1990- Played in NHL All-Star Game
- 1991- World Hockey Championship All-Star Team
- 1993- Played in NHL All-Star Game
- 1994- World Hockey Championship All-Star Team
- 1998- Played in NHL All-Star Game
External Links
- Video: Gretzky to Kurri (http://www.oilersheritage.com/memories/videos_kurri_7_goals.html)
- Gretzky to Coffey to Kurri (http://www.oilersheritage.com/memories/videos_kurri_ot_goal_2.html)fi:Jari Kurri