Kurtis Foster

Kurtis Foster	Kurtis Foster
 	
Born 	November 24, 1981 (age 28),
Carp, ON, CAN
Height
Weight	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
230 lb (104 kg; 16 st 6 lb)
Position 	Defence
Shoots 	Right
Kurtis Foster (born November 24, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League.
== Playing career==
Kurtis Foster was selected in the second round, 40th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames from the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. On December 18, 2001, Foster was traded by Calgary with Jeff Cowan to the Atlanta Thrashers for Petr Buzek.
On June 26, 2004, Foster was traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Niclas Havelid. After one season with the Ducks, Foster signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild. He started the season in Houston of the AHL, but after a hot start, got called up and played his first NHL game of the year on November 19, 2005. He scored his first two goals of his young career that game against Tomas Vokoun.
On March 20, 2008, Foster suffered a broken left femur in a game against the San Jose Sharks. Foster suffered the injury when Sharks centre, Torrey Mitchell, checked Foster into the bottom of the boards whilst attempting to prevent an icing call. The hit which resulted in a penalty was later ruled, by the NHL, accidental. Foster had season-ending surgery to repair his broken left femur and missed the remainder of the season and postseason.
In light of Foster's injury, following the 2007–08 NHL season, the NHL added the following to the rule regarding icing to protect both competitors as they raced for the puck:[1]
“	Any contact between opposing players while pursuing the puck on an icing must be for the sole purpose of playing the puck and not for eliminating the opponent from playing the puck. Unnecessary or dangerous contact could result in penalties being assessed to the offending player.	”
Foster was not ready for the beginning of the 2008–09 season, but on October 11, 2008, announced he was skating with full gear and feels no pain when skating. On February 9, 2009, Kurtis returned to play for the Houston Aeros of the AHL on a conditioning stint from the Wild. He played in a 6-3 win over the Chicago Wolves and registered 2 PIM.[2]
On July 8, 2009, Foster was signed as a free agent to a one-year contract by the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he posted a career high 42 points.[3] On July 1, 2010, he signed a two-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers.[4]
Foster has a brother, Craig, who was drafted 5th overall in the 2000 OHL Draft. He spent 5 years playing in the OHL, before playing 4 more in the CIS league with the UPEI Panthers. Craig resides in Charlottetown, and coaches a Midget AA hockey team.
== Awards==
*2003–04 AHL - Yanick Dupre Memorial Award (AHL Man of the Year)
== 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
1997–98 	Peterborough Petes 	OHL 		39 	1 	1 	2 	45 		4 	0 	0 	0 	2
1998–99 	Peterborough Petes 	OHL 		54 	2 	13 	15 	59 		5 	0 	0 	0 	6
1999–00 	Peterborough Petes 	OHL 		68 	6 	18 	24 	116 		5 	1 	2 	3 	4
2000–01 	Peterborough Petes 	OHL 		62 	17 	24 	41 	78 		7 	1 	1 	2 	10
2001–02 	Chicago Wolves 	AHL 		39 	6 	9 	15 	59 		14 	1 	1 	2 	21
2001–02 	Peterborough Petes 	OHL 		33 	10 	4 	14 	58 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Chicago Wolves 	AHL 		75 	15 	27 	42 	159 		9 	1 	3 	4 	14
2002–03 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 		2 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Chicago Wolves 	AHL 		67 	11 	19 	30 	95 		10 	0 	3 	3 	12
2003–04 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 		3 	0 	1 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	Cincinnati Mighty Ducks	AHL 		78 	17 	25 	42 	71 		9 	2 	3 	5 	28
2005–06 	Houston Aeros 	AHL 		19 	4 	11 	15 	32 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		58 	10 	18 	28 	60 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		57 	3 	20 	23 	52 		3 	0 	2 	2 	0
2007–08 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		56 	7 	12 	19 	37 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Houston Aeros 	AHL 		6 	1 	5 	6 	6 		3 	0 	2 	2 	0
2008–09 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		10 	1 	5 	6 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	NHL 		71 	8 	34 	42 	48 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		257 	29 	90 	119 	203 		3 	0 	2 	2 	0
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players