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| 1983 NHL DRAFT PICK |
 |
Russ Courtnall
Selected in first round
No.
7 overall by Toronto Maple Leafs
Born June 2, 1965
 | Position:
Center
Height: 5-11 Weight: 175
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Victoria (WHL)
Birthplace:
Duncan, British Columbia (Canada)
Hometown: Oak Bay, British
Columbia |
 |
 |
|
| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1981-82 |
Notre Dame | Sask. AAA |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | 1982-83 |
Victoria | WHL |
60 | 36 |
61 | 97 |
33 |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
Victoria Rookie of Year: 1982-83
Miscellaneous: Ranked by NHL Central Scouting Bureau as No. 10 overall
prospect for the 1983 NHL draft. ... Rated in The Hockey News draft preview
issue as No. 17 overall prospect for the 1983 NHL draft. ... Attended Athol Murray
College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sask., before entering major
junior hockey. ... Competed in Victoria Racquet Club minor hockey system as
a child. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: February 26, 1984 (Toronto at
Vancouver)
Numbers: 23, 26, 16, 9 (Toronto); 6
(Montreal); 26 (Minn./Dallas);
9 (Vancouver); 21 (N.Y. Rangers); 19 (Los Angeles)
Stanley Cup: Never won.
Playing Status:
Retired 1999 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1984-1999 |
TOR, MTL, MIN/DAL,
VAN, NYR, L.A. | 1,029 |
297 | 447 |
744 | 557 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1986-1998 |
Toronto, Mon., Dallas,
Vancouver, NYR, L.A. | 129 |
39 | 44 |
83 | 83 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
All-Star Game: 1994 (Dallas)
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost): 1989 (Montreal)
Toronto Emery Edge Award (+/- Leader): 1985-86 (even)
Montreal Molson Cup (Three-Stars Leader): 1990-91
Minn. Star of
Game Award (Home 3-Stars Leader): 1992-93
Minnesota Most Improved
Player: 1992-93
Toronto Points
Leader: 1986-87 (73)
Toronto Assists
Leader: 1986-87 (44)
Montreal Points
Leader: 1990-91 (76)
Montreal Assists
Leader: 1990-91 (50)
Minnesota Goals
Leader: 1992-93 (36)
Dallas Assists
Leader: 1993-94 (57)
Dallas Playoffs Assists
Leader: 1994 (8, tie)
Vancouver Playoffs Assists
Leader: 1995 (8)
Minnesota/Dallas Records: Most assists in one season by a right wing
(57 in 1993-94), most games played in one season (84 in 1992-93 and 1993-94,
shares record)
1993-94: Played on first Dallas Stars team.
Miscellaneous: Joined Toronto for balance of 1983-84 season after
competing in 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. ... Played his first NHL game
in Vancouver, the closest NHL city to his hometown of Victoria, British
Columbia. ... Played on line with Wendel Clark and Gary Leeman for Toronto
in 1985-86. ... Missed part of 1986-87 season with groin injury, suffered in
Toronto's March 11, 1987, game at Minnesota. ... Led Toronto with six
short-handed goals in 1986-87 and finished second in NHL behind Wayne
Gretzky. ... Missed parts of 1987-88 season with bruised knee, an injury
suffered in November 1987, and with virus, an illness contracted in late
February 1988. ... Missed remainder of 1987-88 regular season with back
spasms, an injury suffered during Toronto's March 22, 1988, game at
Vancouver. He did not return to action until Game 1 of Toronto's first-round
playoff series at Detroit on April 6, 1988. ... Began playing right wing, in
addition to his natural position of center, after joining Montreal during
1988-89 season. ... Gave up his natural position of center to play
exclusively as a right wing for Montreal during the 1990-91 season. ... Was
represented by player agent Mike Gillis when he re-signed with Montreal,
getting a four-year, $3.3 million contract on Oct. 11, 1991. Prior to the
signing, Courtnall and the Canadiens had been scheduled to enter salary
arbitration. ...
Missed half of 1991-92 season with torn rotator cuff in right shoulder, an
injury he initially suffered at Montreal's 1991 training camp and which he
severely re-aggravated in Montreal's Oct. 8, 1991, game at Hartford. He did not
return to action until Montreal's Jan. 11, 1992, game vs. Hartford. He had
two assists in that game. ... Played on line with Mike McPhee and Guy
Carbonneau for Montreal in 1991-92. ... Missed part of 1991-92
season with bruised right hand, an injury suffered when he was slashed by
Jim Johnson during Montreal's Jan. 15, 1992, game at Minnesota.
He did not return to action until Montreal's Feb. 15, 1992, game vs. Quebec.
During the time he was out, Montreal broadcaster Mario Tremblay and coach
Jean Perron both questioned Courtnall's willingness to play in pain. This
enraged Courtnall, who particularly resented Perron's suggestion that
Courtnall was more interested in scuffling in bars than on the ice. ... Was on Minnesota team that relocated to Dallas on June 9,
1993. Missed parts of 1996-97 season with groin injury, suffered during
Vancouver's Nov. 23, 1996, game vs. N.Y. Rangers and re-aggravated during
Vancouver's
Dec. 3, 1996, game at Detroit. He did not return to action until Vancouver's
Jan. 12, 1997, game vs. Anaheim. ... Signed one-year, $850,000
contract with Los Angeles as Group III unrestricted free agent on
Nov. 7, 1997. ... Missed part of 1997-98 season with hip-flexor injury,
suffered during Los Angeles' Feb. 26, 1998, game at Chicago. ... Led Los
Angeles with four short-handed goals in 1997-98. ... Missed part of 1998-99
season with broken right ankle, an injury suffered during Los Angeles' Nov.
18, 1998, game at San Jose. He did not return until Los Angeles' Jan. 19,
1999, game vs. Colorado. ... Played his 1,000th career NHL game for Los
Angeles on Feb. 10, 1999, at Phoenix, becoming part of first brother
combination, along with his older brother Geoff, to both play in 1,000 career
NHL games. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams:
Victoria (WHL); Team Canada
Olympics: 1984 (fourth place)
Canada Cup: 1991
(first place)
World Championships: 1991
(silver medal)
World Junior Championships: 1984 (fourth place)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Miscellaneous: Never played in
minor leagues. ... Scored back-to-back hat tricks at 1984 World Junior
Championships in Sweden. He was named Team Canada's MVP for the tournament. ...
Left Victoria (WHL) to join Canada's 1984 Olympic team following the 1984
World Junior Championships. Courtnall, Kirk Muller, Dave Gagner and J.J.
Daigneault became first Canadian players to compete in the World Junior
Championships and Olympics in the same year. ... Worked at hockey school in his hometown of Victoria, British Columbia,
during off-seasons of his early NHL playing days. ... Was on Montreal team
that joined Minnesota to compete in 1990 NHL Friendship Tour in Soviet
Union. ... Was active in charitable causes during playing days in Vancouver,
including work with Crimestoppers and his role in founding the Courtnall
Classic Fishing Derby, which raised money for Canuck Place, a hospice for
children with cancer. ... Received David Foster Foundation's Vancouver
Island Award of Excellence for 1999. ... Became active in Oldtimers' charity
hockey after his retirement.
Personal: Younger brother of former NHL player Geoff
Courtnall. ... Husband of actress Paris Vaughan. ... Son-in-law of legendary
jazz singer Sarah Vaughan. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE:
Toronto traded Courtnall to Montreal for John Kordic and 1989 sixth-round
pick (Michael Doers) on November 7, 1988. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '83 | | Total Selected: |
242 | | Forwards: |
134 | | Defense: |
86 | | Goaltenders: |
22 | | Major Junior: |
122 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
19/5 | | College Players: |
15 | | High School: |
47 |
| Canadian: |
148 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
0 | | USA Citizens: |
60 | | U.S.-Born: |
60 |
| European: |
34 |
| Reached NHL: |
113 |
| Stanley Cup: |
21 | | Hall of Fame: |
4 |
| All-Star Game: |
20 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
34 |
| Picks Traded: |
41 |
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