Jari Kurri

Lore & Background

Kurri began his professional career with Jokerit in the Finnish SM-liiga, scoring 11 points in his rookie season and improving to 30 and 39 points over the next two years. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 1980 NHL draft by the Edmonton Oilers, with many teams believing he still had to fulfill mandatory military service; he remains regarded as one of the greatest steals in draft history. Upon joining the Oilers, he was accompanied by fellow Finns Risto Siltanen and Matti Hagman, which made him more comfortable. Coach Glen Sather initially paired Kurri with Hagman before eventually placing him on a line with Wayne Gretzky. Kurri and Gretzky became one of the most prolific scoring duos ever, with Gretzky assisting on 364 of Kurri's 601 career goals and Kurri assisting on 196 Gretzky goals.

Kurri recorded a 30-goal season in each of his first ten NHL seasons, including leading the league in goals in 1985–86. He led all skaters in playoff goals on four occasions, tying the all-time postseason record with 19 in 1985. He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship in 1985 but never won the Frank J. Selke Trophy. He was the 18th player in NHL history and first Finnish player to score 500 goals, doing so in 1992, and became the eighth player to score 600 goals in his final season in 1997. His No. 17 jersey was retired by both the Edmonton Oilers and Jokerit.

Reader's Guide

Kurri's significance lies in his role as a key member of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty, winning five Stanley Cups with the team. He was one of only seven players to be part of all five Cup-winning Oilers teams. His scoring consistency is highlighted by 30-goal seasons in each of his first ten NHL years, and his playoff performance was exceptional, leading all skaters in postseason goals four times and tying the all-time record of 19 goals in 1985. He set multiple playoff records that year, including most hat tricks in a single postseason (4), most goals in a single postseason series (12), and most hat tricks in a single postseason series (3). Kurri was the first Finnish player to reach 500 NHL goals and later became the eighth player to reach 600. After his playing career, he served as general manager of the Finnish national team from 2003 to 2014 and of Jokerit from 2013, later becoming owner of Jokerit in 2019 before selling the team in 2022. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001, and was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017.

Did You Know?

• Kurri was drafted 69th overall in the 1980 NHL draft and is regarded as one of the greatest steals in draft history.
• He tied the all-time postseason record with 19 goals in the 1985 Stanley Cup playoffs.