The Hockey Legacy of Jari Kurri
Born under the pale Helsinki skies in 1960, Jari Kurri first laced up his skates on the frozen ponds of Finland, where his quiet determination and razor-sharp instincts began to take shape. By 18, he was dominating the Finnish league, his effortless stride and uncanny ability to find open ice catching the eye of NHL scouts. When he arrived in Edmonton in 1980, few could have predicted how this reserved Finn would become the perfect foil to Wayne Gretzky’s brilliance, turning the Oilers into an unstoppable force.
Kurri’s peak years were a masterclass in hockey artistry. In the 1985 playoffs, he unleashed a record 19 goals in 18 games, including a hat trick in the Cup-clinching Game 5 against Philadelphia—a performance so clinical it left Flyers’ goalie Pelle Lindbergh shaking his head. His backhand saucer passes and one-timers from Gretzky became the stuff of legend, but it was his defensive grit that set him apart. Opponents dreaded facing Kurri on the penalty kill, where he’d strip pucks and turn them into breakaways with terrifying efficiency.
After the Oilers’ dynasty era, Kurri’s journey took him to Los Angeles, New York, and Anaheim, where he mentored a young Teemu Selanne, bridging hockey’s generations. Post-retirement, he became a revered ambassador for Finnish hockey, his No. 17 retired by both the Oilers and Finland’s national team. Today, his influence echoes in every European sniper who dares to dream of NHL stardom.
- The 1987 Canada Cup: Kurri’s overtime winner against the Soviets, a laser beam over Sergei Mylnikov’s shoulder, cemented Finland’s rise as a hockey power.
- 71 Goals in 1984-85: Not just a career high—it was the most ever by a right winger, a record that stood for decades.
- The “Euro-Twins” Era: His late-career chemistry with Selanne in Anaheim, where they dazzled with tic-tac-toe plays straight from Helsinki’s playgrounds.
- 1996 World Cup: At 36, Kurri captained Finland to silver, outskating players a decade younger.
- HHOF Induction (2001): The usually stoic Kurri choked up thanking Gretzky, calling him 'the reason I loved coming to the rink.'
- The Secret Stick: Kurri used a whippy, custom Sherwood with a banana curve—banned today—that made his snapshot unstoppable.