Jari Kurri becomes second recipient of Borje Salming Courage Award

One of the greatest players has been honored with an award paying homage to another legend.

On Saturday, during the NHL Global Series festivities in Tampere, Finland, The NHL Alumni Association announced that Hockey Hall of Famer Jari Kurri is the second-ever recipient of the Börje Salming Courage Award.

The award, which was introduced last year at the Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden, is “presented to a European NHL Alumni member who has been a positive influence in their community and best embodies Börje’s lasting legacy of bravery, courage, and dedication both on and off the ice.”

Kurri was one of the best players to ever play the game. The Helsinki native was a huge part of the Edmonton Oilers’ success in the 1980s and early ’90s, helping the franchise win five Stanley Cups in seven seasons. He was reunited with his former captain, Wayne Gretzky, with the Los Angeles Kings in 1991. After almost five years in Hollywood, Kurri finished his career with the New York Rangers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Colorado Avalanche.

Along with the team success he achieved, Kurri also won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1984-85. Representing his country, he played for Suomi at the IIHF Men’s World Championship four times, three Canada Cup appearances and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. Kurri was also an essential player in helping Finland win bronze at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

Kurri and Gretzky were inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000, becoming the first Finnish-born player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame the following year. When the NHL released its ‘100 Greatest Players’ in 2017, Kurri’s name was on the list alongside many of the greatest players in league history.

Kurri’s No. 17 was retired in Edmonton in 2001. He is still the third all-time leading playoff scorer in league history, only trailing former teammates Mark Messier and Gretzky.

Detroit Red Wings legend and fellow Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom was given the first award honoring Salming last November.