Grant Fuhr

Last updated

BIOGRAPHY

BORN: Spruce Grove, Alberta, September 28, 1962
HOME:
HEIGHT: 5'9"-5'10"
WEIGHT: 190 lbs.
UNIFORM #: 1 (Edmonton 1981-83), 31 (Edmonton 1983-91, Buffalo). Fuhr's "31" was retired by the Oilers on October 9, 2003.
CATCHES: Right
JUNIOR TEAM: Victoria WHL
SALARY (1997-98): $2,000,000 ($1,025,000 1996-97)

STYLE: Angles.
STRENGTHS: Very calm and collected; perhaps the best goaltender, mentally, in the league.
WEAKNESSES: Vulnerable to shots at the five-hole. Stays rather deep in the net, begging the shooters to look for the corners. Constantly battling conditioning problems and nagging injuries.
Name pronounced FYOOR.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

"The Sabres have a political problem here as well. They gave up Dave Andreychuk, Daren Puppa and a No. 1 draft pick to get Fuhr from Toronto in February 1993 and they need to get something in return for him. The scuttlebutt at the draft in June was that other teams were offering nothing more than draft picks - and not first-rounders - for Fuhr." (The Sporting News 1994-95 Hockey Yearbook, p. 47)

"Fuhr was flying high until Toronto's Nick Kypreos flattened him in the second game of the playoffs and blew out Fuhr's right knee. Extensive reconstructive surgery followed, putting Fuhr's career, not to mention this season, at risk. But after his remarkable resurgence last season, no one is counting out another Fuhr comeback. In midsummer, he was making remarkable progress in his rehab and keeping his weight down." (The Sporting News Hockey Yearbook 1996-97, p. 94)

"Back from the dead once, but serious knee injury puts him on the critical list again." (ESPN Hockey 96, p. 105)

"Fuhr has been a workhorse the past two seasons, but at 34, with several surgeries behind him, he can't be expected to carry the same load." (The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, p. 159)

"The Blues made the playoffs thanks to that Energizer bunny of a goalie, Grant Fuhr..." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 176)

"Fuhr continues to shine despite his heavy workload. He has played more games than any goalie over the past two seasons. The reflexes are still there but, at 35, for how long? This area [goaltending] is a strength for the time being. The minute Fuhr loses it, the Blues are in deep trouble." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 177)

"Shooters spend their whole life shooting against goalies, and 99 percent of them catch lefthanded. A lot of our favourite shots or go-to moves are not there with a goalie that catches the other way. It's like if 99 percent of the pitchers in the majors were righties and maybe five teams had lefties. It's a big difference. It can throw a whole team out of whack." (Brendan Shanahan, The Sporting News, May 18, 1998)

"The classic stand-up goalie. Plays his angles well, challenges and he has that unbelievable athleticism. Just look at his record. He's made more big saves than any goalie over the last 15 years. He really has no weakness." (Mark Messier, ESPN Sportszone, April 1998)

"The future Hall-of-Famer is entering his 19th, and possibly his final, season in the NHL. After a series of injuries and setbacks, Fuhr rebounded for yet another superb playoff performance last season. He's perhaps the greatest reflex goaltender ever. His agility and glove hand are legendary, but it's his ability to bear down when his team needs him most that sets him apart. Fuhr will ride off into the sunset following one more season of highs and lows. He's still capable of stealing a game, if not an entire playoff series, by himself." (The Sports Forecaster 1999-2000, p. 169)

"I can't remember the year, or maybe it's just that I don't want to remember the year. But, anyway, it was a playoff loss in Edmonton. Tie Game. Al MacInnis, with one of the hardest shots in history, twenty feel directly in front of the Oiler net. And I mean he leans into this. Perfect shot. A rocket. Just under the bar. Our entire bench was up, the guys on the ice had their arms in the air in celebration. Only problem was, the puck was in [Fuhr's] glove." (Calgary General Manager Al Coates, Calgary Sun, September 5, 1999)

TRANSACTIONS:

ACCOLADES:

VEZINA TROPHY BALLOTING (1983-84 to PRESENT):

PTS1st2nd3rdRANKSHARE
1983-84610160.06
1984-85501260.05
1985-863243330.30
1986-871913530.18
1987-8878142210.74
1988-89501250.05
1995-962123260.16

ALL-STAR TEAM BALLOTING (1983-84 to PRESENT):

PTS1st2nd3rdRANKSHARE
1984-85601390.02
1985-86129199730.43
1986-8742431330.16
1987-88297582110.93
1988-89501280.02
1991-92100190.00
1992-93100180.00
1995-962222660.08

MILESTONES:

INJURIES:

RECORDS:

PENALTY SHOTS:

ARTICLES:

DID YOU KNOW?

SEASON RECORDS:

REGULAR SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   T    GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
79-80 Victoria Cougars WHL        43   2488  30  12   0   130   3.14    1455   .911     2   0   1     2
80-81 Victoria Cougars WHL        59   3488  48   9   1   160   2.78    1734   .908     4   0   2     6
      Victoria Cougars MEM CUP     4    239   1   3   0    18   4.52                    0
81-82 Edmonton Oilers NHL         48   2847  28   5  14   157   3.31    1551   .899     0   0   6     6    32.69  953.25
82-83 Moncton Alpines AHL         10    604   4   5   1    40   3.97                    0   0   0     0
      Edmonton Oilers NHL         32   1803  13  12   5   129   4.29     974   .868     0   0   0     6    32.41  921.58
83-84 Edmonton Oilers NHL         45   2625  30  10   4   171   3.91    1463   .883     1   0  14     6    33.44  938.85
84-85 Canada CANADA CUP            2    120   1   0   1     6   3.00                    0
      Edmonton Oilers NHL         46   2559  26   8   7   165   3.87    1426   .884     1   0   3     6    33.43  940.02
85-86 Edmonton Oilers NHL         40   2184  29   8   0   143   3.93    1296   .890     0   0   2     0    35.60  949.00
86-87 Edmonton Oilers NHL         44   2388  22  13   3   137   3.44    1149   .881     0   0   2     6    28.87  928.88
      NHL All-Stars RENDEZVOUS     2    120   1   1   0     8   4.00                    0
87-88 Canada CANADA CUP            9    575   6   1   2    32   3.00                    0
      Edmonton Oilers NHL         75   4304  40  24   9   246   3.43    2066   .881     4   0   8    16    28.80  928.93
88-89 Edmonton Oilers NHL         59   3341  23  26   6   213   3.83    1714   .876     1   0   1     6    30.78  927.03
      Canada WORLD                 5    298   1   3   1    18   3.62                    1
89-90 Cape Breton Oilers AHL       2    120   2   0   0     6   3.00      74   .919     0   0   0     0
      Edmonton Oilers NHL         21   1081   9   7   3    70   3.89     532   .868     1   0   0     2    29.53  917.63
90-91 Cape Breton Oilers AHL       4    240   2   2   0    17   4.25     131   .870     0   0   0     0
      Edmonton Oilers NHL         13    778   6   4   3    39   3.01     380   .897     1   0   0     0    29.31  946.21
91-92 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL     66   3774  25  33   5   230   3.66    1933   .881     2   0   1     4    30.73  932.23
92-93 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL     29   1665  13   9   4    87   3.14     826   .895     1   0   0     0    29.77  944.28
      Buffalo Sabres NHL          29   1694  11  15   2    98   3.47     903   .891     0   0   0    10    31.98  944.78
93-94 Buffalo Sabres NHL          32   1726  13  12   3   106   3.68     907   .883     2   0   4    16    31.53  935.68
      Rochester Americans AHL      5    310   3   0   2    10   1.94     155   .935     0   0   0     0
94-95 Buffalo Sabres NHL           3    180   1   2   0    12   4.00      85   .859     0   0   0     0    28.33  906.05
      Los Angeles Kings NHL       14    698   1   7   3    47   4.04     379   .876     0   0   0     2    32.58  930.29
95-96 St. Louis Blues NHL         79   4365  30  28  16   209   2.87    2157   .903     3   0   1     8    29.65  952.52
96-97 St. Louis Blues NHL         73   4260  33  27  11   193   2.72    1940   .901     3   0   2     6    27.32  946.04
97-98 St. Louis Blues NHL         58   3272  29  21   6   138   2.53    1354   .898     3   0   2     6    24.83  939.46
98-99 St. Louis Blues NHL         39   2193  16  11   8    89   2.44     827   .892     2   0   0    12    22.63  930.09
99-00 Calgary Flames NHL          23   1205   5  13   2    77   3.83     536   .856     0   0   0     2    26.69  900.82
      Saint John Flames AHL        2     99   0   2   0    10   6.06      62   .839     0   0   0     0    37.58  901.34
NINETEEN (19) NHL SEASONS        868  48945 403 295 114  2756   3.38   24379  0.887    25   0  46   120    29.89  936.76

POST-SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
79-80 Victoria Cougars WHL         8    465   5   3   22   2.84                    0
80-81 Victoria Cougars WHL        15    899  12   3   45   3.00                    1
81-82 Edmonton Oilers NHL          5    309   2   3   26   5.05                    0   0   1     0
82-83 Edmonton Oilers NHL          1     11   0   0    0   0.00                    0   0   0     0
83-84 Edmonton Oilers NHL         16    883  11   4   44   2.99     491   .910     1   0   3     4    33.36  965.99
84-85 Edmonton Oilers NHL         18   1064  15   3   55   3.10     522   .895     0   0   3     2    29.44  943.70
85-86 Edmonton Oilers NHL          9    541   5   4   28   3.11     273   .897     0   0   1     0    30.28  947.90
86-87 Edmonton Oilers NHL         19   1148  14   5   47   2.46     511   .908     0   0   1     0    26.71  952.54
87-88 Edmonton Oilers NHL         19   1136  16   2   55   2.90     471   .883     0   0   1     6    24.88  924.69
88-89 Edmonton Oilers NHL          7    417   3   4   24   3.45     227   .894     1   0   0     0    32.66  948.71
90-91 Edmonton Oilers NHL         17   1019   8   7   51   3.00     488   .895     0   0   2     2    28.73  943.38
92-93 Buffalo Sabres NHL           8    474   3   4   27   3.42     216   .875     1   0   0     2    27.34  920.57
95-96 St. Louis Blues NHL          2     69   1   0    1   0.87      45   .978     0   0   0     0    39.13 1043.00
96-97 St. Louis Blues NHL          6    357   2   4   13   2.18     183   .929     2   0   0     4    30.76  980.22
97-98 St. Louis Blues NHL         10    615   6   4   28   2.73     297   .906     0   0   1     2    28.98  954.02
98-99 St. Louis Blues NHL         13    790   6   6   31   2.35     305   .898     1   0   1     2    23.16  936.97
FOURTEEN (14) NHL POSTSEASONS    150   8833  92  50  430   2.92                    6   0  14    24

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