Russ Courtnall

Russ Courtnall (born January 2, 1965) is a former National Hockey League player. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings
Courtnall was born in Duncan, British Columbia. Coming out of junior hockey, he was considered one of the top prospects in 1983 and the Toronto Maple Leafs selected him seventh overall in the Entry Draft
In 1982–83, Courtnall scored 36 goals and 61 assists for 97 points in 60 games. After being drafted by the Leafs, Courtnall appeared in just 32 games with the Cougars, scoring 29 goals and 66 points before being called up to the Maple Leafs, who were in dire need of scoring help at the time. As a rookie with Toronto, he scored 12 goals and 22 points in 69 games. Although his goal production was not as high as the Leafs had hoped for, his speed opened up opportunities, especially for his linemates.
In 1984, Courtnall also suited up for the Canadian Olympic team, which finished out of the medals at the Sarajevo Games. Upon returning, he rejoined the Maple Leafs. In 1985–86,(playing alongside fellow Notre Dame Hounds alumni Gary Leeman and rookie Wendel Clark on what was dubbed The Hound Line) Courtnall broke the 20-goal barrier, notching 22 to go along with 38 assists for 60 points. His offensive numbers improved the following year with 29 goals and 73 points.
In trying to force Courtnall to play a tougher brand of hockey, the club saw his offensive production decrease in 1987–88. After just nine games in 1989–89, the Maple Leafs dealt Courtnall to the Montreal Canadiens for John Kordic. Although Courtnall's stock had clearly gone down tremendously, most observers felt Montreal got a steal in that trade.
In 64 games, Courtnall put up 39 points with the Habs, but his fast skating and stickhandling abilities made him a fan favourite. Courtnall saved his best performance for the playoffs, where the Canadiens advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup finals before losing to the Calgary Flames. In 21 post-season games, Courtnall contributed eight goals and 13 points.
Courtnall enjoyed another two-and-a-half years in Montreal before joining the Minnesota North Stars for the 1992–93 season. In 84 games, he managed a career-high 36 goals and 43 assists for 79 points. He followed that up with an 80-point season in the team's first year of play in Dallas. Late in the 1994–95 season, Courtnall was traded to the Vancouver Canucks where he teamed with his brother, Geoff Courtnall, for 13 games that year.
In 1997–98, Courtnall signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings, where he played until his retirement following the 1998–99 season. He finished with 297 goals, 447 assists and 744 points in a 15-year NHL career.
==Transactions==
* November 7, 1989- Traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for John Kordic and Montreal's 1989 6th round draft choice (Mike Doers).
* August 31, 1992- Traded by the Montreal Canadiens to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for Brian Bellows.
* June 9, 1993- Rights transferred to the Dallas Stars after the Minnesota North Stars relocated.
* April 7, 1995- Traded by the Dallas Stars to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Greg Adams, Dan Kesa and Vancouver's 1995 5th round draft choice.
* March 8, 1997- Traded by the Vancouver Canucks, along with Esa Tikkanen, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Sergei Nemchinov and Brian Noonan.
* November 7, 1997- Signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings.
== Career statistics ==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1982–83 	Victoria Cougars 	WHL 	 	60 	36 	61 	97 	33 	 	12 	11 	7 	18 	6
1983–84 	Victoria Cougars 	WHL 	 	32 	29 	27 	66 	63 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1983–84 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	14 	3 	9 	12 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1984–85 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	69 	12 	10 	22 	44 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1985–86 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	73 	22 	38 	60 	52 	 	10 	3 	6 	9 	8
1986–87 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	79 	29 	44 	73 	90 	 	13 	3 	4 	7 	11
1987–88 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	65 	23 	26 	49 	47 	 	6 	2 	1 	3 	0
1988–89 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	9 	1 	1 	2 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1988–89 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	64 	22 	17 	39 	15 	 	21 	8 	5 	13 	18
1989–90 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	80 	27 	32 	59 	27 	 	11 	5 	1 	6 	10
1990–91 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	79 	26 	50 	76 	29 	 	13 	8 	3 	11 	7
1991–92 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	27 	7 	14 	21 	6 	 	10 	1 	1 	2 	4
1992–93 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 	 	84 	36 	43 	79 	49 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	Dallas Stars 	NHL 	 	84 	23 	57 	80 	59 	 	9 	1 	8 	9 	0
1994–95 	Dallas Stars 	NHL 	 	32 	7 	10 	17 	13 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	13 	4 	14 	18 	4 	 	11 	4 	8 	21 	21
1995–96 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	81 	26 	39 	65 	40 	 	6 	1 	3 	4 	2
1996–97 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	47 	9 	19 	28 	24 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	14 	2 	5 	7 	2 	 	15 	3 	4 	7 	0
1997–98 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	58 	12 	6 	18 	27 	 	4 	— 	— 	— 	2
1998–99 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	57 	6 	13 	19 	19 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	1029 	297 	447 	744 	557 	 	129 	39 	44 	83 	83
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
* 
Category:Born in 1965
Category:Vancouver Canucks players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:Dallas Stars players
Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Los Angeles Kings players
Category:Victoria Cougars alumni
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:Canadian ice hockey players