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Wild Acting General Manager Tom Kurvers opens up about lung cancer battle
From the outside, it seems like life couldn’t be any better for Bloomington, Minnesota native Tom Kurvers as he spends a glorious, summer day up north, teeing it up with his two boys.
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Wild announced Monday that assistant general manager Tom Kurvers, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019, has died at 58 years old.
The Bloomington native won the Hobey Baker Award with Minnesota-Duluth in 1984, and was a defenseman for 11 seasons in the NHL with Montreal, Buffalo, New Jersey, Toronto, Vancouver, Anaheim and the New York Islanders. He won a Stanley Cup in 1986, and took on a front office role with the Arizona Coyotes after finishing his playing career.
Kurvers was the interim general manager for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2010 and became a senior advisor until 2018. That’s when then Wild GM Paul Fenton hired him as an assistant general manager. Kurvers became the interim GM when Fenton was dismissed in 2019, until Bill Guerin took over.
The Wild released a statement Monday morning on Kurvers.
"The Minnesota Wild organization is heartbroken to announce that Tom Kurvers passed away this morning after a courageous battle with lung cancer. We extend our deepest sympathies and prayers to Tom’s family and loved ones, including his wife, Heather, daughters, Madison and Rose, and sons, Weston and Roman. From Minnesota high school standout, to Hobey Baker Award winner and Stanley Cup champion, Tom’s passion for and success in hockey could only be surpassed by the love and optimism he shared with his family and friends each and every day. Tom’s kindness and enthusiasm will be greatly missed by the countless number of people on whom he had a positive influence throughout his life. We join the State of Hockey in mourning the loss of a great hockey player and an even better person," team officials said.
Kurvers scored 93 goals and had 328 assists in 659 career NHL games. He also had 192 points in 124 career games at UMD.
Kurvers was diagnosed in January of 2019 with adenocarcinoma. Heis survived by his wife, and four kids.