| 1985 NHL DRAFT PICK |
 |
Tom Chorske
Selected in first round
No.
16 overall by
Montreal Canadiens
Born September 18, 1966
 | Position:
Left Wing
Height: 6-1 Weight: 185
|
|
| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Minneapolis Southwest (Minn. H.S.)
Birthplace:
Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA)
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota |
 |
 |
|
| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1981-82 |
Southwest | Minn. H.S. |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | 1982-83 |
Southwest | Minn. H.S. |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | 1983-84 |
Southwest | Minn. H.S. |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | 1984-85 |
Southwest | Minn. H.S. |
23 | 44 |
26 | 70 |
-- |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
Minnesota High School Mr. Hockey Award: 1984-85 (Southwest)
Minn. H.S. All-State First Team: 1983-84, 1984-85 (Southwest)
Miscellaneous: Ranked by NHL Central Scouting Bureau as No. 22 overall
prospect for the 1985 NHL draft. ... Also played quarterback for Minneapolis
Southwest High School football team in 1983 and 1984. ... Named to his high
school all-conference first team in 1984-85. ... Played for Team Minnesota
in 1985 U.S. Junior Olympic Tournament. ... Coached by Jim Baxter during his first three years of high school.
Baxter's predecessor at Southwest High School, Dave
Peterson, later named Chorske to Team USA for the 1987-88 pre-Olympic
tour. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 5, 1989 (Montreal at
Hartford)
Numbers: 31 (Montreal); 9, 17
(New Jersey); 17 (Ott.); 14, 15 (NYI);
9 (Washington); 26
(Calgary); 17 (Pittsburgh)
Stanley Cup: 1995.
Playing Status:
Retired 2001 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1989-2000 |
Mont., N.J., Ott., NYI,
Wash., Calgary, Pitt. | 596 |
114 | 122 |
237 | 225 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1992-1997 |
New Jersey, Ottawa | 50 |
5 | 12 |
17 | 10 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Miscellaneous: Missed part of 1989-90 season with hip pointer, an injury
suffered during Montreal's Oct. 26, 1989, game, at Chicago. He did not
return to action until Montreal's Nov. 4, 1989, game vs. N.Y. Rangers. ...
Missed part of 1990-91 season with sprained right shoulder, an injury
suffered during Montreal's March 14, 1991, game at Boston. He did not return
to action until Montreal's March 25, 1991, game vs. Hartford. ... Scored
goal and had two assists in his first game in a New Jersey uniform, on Oct.
5, 1991, vs. St. Louis. ... Led New Jersey with three shorthanded goals in
1991-92. ... Tied for New Jersey lead with five shorthanded points in
1991-92. ... Also played right wing for New Jersey in 1992-93. ... Missed
part of 1992-93 season with charley horse, suffered during New Jersey's Jan.
14, 1993, game vs. Los Angeles. He did not return to action until New
Jersey's Jan. 22, 1993, game vs. Montreal. ... Switched from No. 9 to No. 17
for New Jersey prior to 1993-94 season so that Bernie Nicholls could wear
No. 9. ... Shifted from his natural position of left wing to play right wing
on a full-time basis during 1993-94 season. He later shifted back to left
wing for the balance of his NHL career. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season
with elbow injury, suffered during New Jersey's April 10, 1994, game at
Florida. ... Missed part of 1995 season with pulled groin, an injury
suffered during New Jersey's April 1, 1995, game vs. Montreal. ... Played on
line with Bob Carpenter and Stephane Richer for New Jersey in 1995. ...
Missed part of 1995 season with bruised right leg, an injury suffered during
New Jersey's April 20, 1995, game at Florida. He did not return to action
until New Jersey's April 28, 1995, game vs. Florida. ... Placed on waivers
by New Jersey and claimed by Ottawa on Oct. 5, 1995. ... Missed part of
1995-96 season with back injury, suffered in December 1995. ... Missed part
of 1995-96 season with the flu, an illness contracted in January 1996. ...
Tied for Ottawa lead with two shorthanded goals in 1995-96. ... Missed part of 1996-97 season with hip pointer injury, suffered during
Ottawa's Oct. 9, 1996, game vs. N.Y. Islanders. He did not return to action
until Ottawa's Oct. 23, 1996, game at Florida. ... Missed part of 1996-97 season with
re-aggravation of hip injury, suffered during Ottawa's Oct. 26, 1996, game
at Dallas. He did not
return to action until Ottawa's Nov. 7, 1996, game vs. Toronto. ... Missed part of 1996-97
season with left eye injury, suffered when he was hit in the eye by a stick during Ottawa's
Dec. 15, 1996, game vs. Dallas. The injury
required laser retinal surgery on Dec. 18, 1996, and Chorske did not return
to action until Ottawa's Jan. 1, 1997, game vs. Boston. ... Missed part of
1997 playoffs with the flu, an illness contracted in April 1997. ... Left unprotected by Ottawa for 1997 NHL Waiver Draft. He was claimed by N.Y.
Islanders on Sept. 27, 1997. ... Beat Patrick Roy on shorthanded
penalty-shot goal during N.Y. Islanders' March 7, 1998, game vs. Colorado.
... Finished seventh in NHL and led N.Y. Islanders with four shorthanded
goals in 1997-98. ... Missed part of 1998-99 season with strained groin, an
injury suffered during N.Y. Islanders' Oct. 12, 1998, game at Boston. While
he was out with the injury, the Islanders traded Chorske and 1999
eighth-round pick (Maxim Orlov) to Washington in exchange for 1999
sixth-round pick (Bjorn Melin) on Oct. 16, 1998. He did not return until
Washington's Oct. 23, 1998, game at Buffalo. ... Missed more than half
of 1998-99 season with strained abdomen, an injury initially suffered during
Washington's Nov. 20, 1998, game vs. Ottawa and re-aggravated for the finals
time during
Washington's Nov. 28, 1998, game at St. Louis. The injury required surgery,
and Chorske did not return to action until
Washington's March 15, 1999, game at N.Y. Rangers. ... Missed part of 1998-99 season with
re-aggravation of abdominal injury, suffered in Calgary's April 3, 1999,
game vs. Toronto. He did not return until Calgary's April 15, 1999, game vs.
Colorado. ... Signed with Pittsburgh as a Group III unrestricted free agent
on Sept. 2, 1999. ... Missed part of 1999-00 season with separated right
shoulder, suffered during Pittsburgh's Dec. 18, 1999, game vs.
Florida. He did not return to action until Pittsburgh's Jan. 13, 2000, game
at Colorado. ...
Missed remainder of 1999-00 season and entire 2000 playoffs with strained
shoulder, an injury suffered in Pittsburgh's Feb. 3, 2000, game vs. N.Y. Islanders
-- the final game of his NHL career. | | NHL SALARY HISTORY |
Contract signed with Montreal on Aug. 17, 1989
(Three years, $450,000 Cdn., including club option, plus incentives) |
1989-90: $125,000 (Cdn.)
(earned $40,000 in AHL) ($32,000 U.S.) |
1990-91: $225,000 (Cdn.) (with bonus)
($180,000 U.S.) |
$80K Cdn. bonus for 20 GP in 90-91
Montreal picks up option, 6/30/91 |
1991-92: $180,000 (Cdn.)
($160,000 U.S.) |
|
Contract signed with New Jersey in September 1992
(Three years, $900,000. Contract later finalized in arbitration) | |
1992-93: $275,000 |
1993-94: $300,000 |
1994-95: $325,000
(renegotiated, never paid) |
|
Contract extension with New Jersey signed Jan. 31, 1995
(Three years, $1.2 million, plus incentives) |
1995: $489,304
(incentives: $89,304) |
1995-96: $496,000
(incentives: $96,000) |
1996-97: $400,000
(renegotiated, never paid) |
|
Contract extension with Ottawa signed July 31, 1996
(Three years, $1.7 million, plus incentives) |
1996-97: $577,000
(incentives: $77,000) |
1997-98: $600,000 |
1998-99: $600,000
|
|
Contract signed with Pittsburgh on Sept. 2, 1999
(One year, $400,000, plus club option for second year) |
1999-00: $400,000
|
Pittsburgh declined option on June 30, 2000 |
|
Total NHL Earnings: $4,109,304
(Base salary payout plus reported bonuses through 1999-00) |
|
|
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams:
Minnesota (WCHA); Team USA; Sherbrooke (AHL); Utica (AHL); Milan Devils
(Italy); Houston (IHL)
World Championships: 1989 (sixth place), 1996 (bronze
medal); 1998 (12th place), 1999 (5-8 place)
World Junior Championships: 1986
(bronze medal)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
WCHA All-Star First Team: 1988-89 (Minnesota)
1989-90: Played on AHL regular-season champion (Sherbrooke).
Education: Majored in business at
University of Minnesota.
Miscellaneous: Competed in 1985 U.S.
National Sports Festival in Baton Rouge, La. ... Played on first U.S.
team to win a medal at World Junior Championships when he won bronze medal
in 1986. ... Competed in 1986 U.S. National Sports Festival in Houston. ... Left University of Minnesota after his sophomore year to joint
U.S. Olympic program. He spent the majority of the 1987-88 season with Team USA on its
pre-Olympic tour, but was last player cut from roster before the Olympics. ... Competed
in 1987 U.S. National Sports Festival in Greensboro, N.C.. ... Wore No. 7
for Team USA in 1987-88. ... Missed part of 1988-89 season with separated
shoulder, an injury suffered in Minnesota's Nov. 18, 1988, game at
Minnesota-Duluth. He did not return until Minnesota's Dec. 29,
1988, game at Denver. ... Tied for Minnesota (WCHA) lead with 49 points in 1988-89. ... Left University of Minnesota after
his junior year to pursue pro hockey career. ... Was on Montreal team that joined
Minnesota to compete in the 1990 NHL Friendship Tour in Soviet Union. ...
Played in Italy during 1994-95 NHL lockout. ... Signed with Houston (IHL) as
unrestricted free agent prior to 2000-01 season. ... Worked as a senior
account executive in the St. Paul, Minn., office of Merrill Corp.
after his retirement. ... Also served as a senior instructor at Canadian
Hockey Connection hockey school in Frederick, Md., after retirement.
Personal: Full name is Thomas
P. Chorske. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE:
Montreal traded Chorske and Stephane Richer to New Jersey for Kirk Muller
and Roland Melanson on September 20, 1991. |
|
