Sunday, 15 June 2014

BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRO-CANADIAN " GRANT SCOTT FUHR " IS A CANADIAN FORMER ICE HOCKEY GOAL TENDER IN THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE AND FORMER GOAL TENDING COACH FOR THE PHOENIX COYOTES : GOES INTO THE " HALL OF BLACK GENIUS "

                                BLACK                SOCIAL              HISTORY                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Grant Scott Fuhr (born September 28, 1962) is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and former goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is best remembered for a decade of stellar play for the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s. He backstopped the team to four Stanley Cups in five seasons and was a regular All-Star.
Fuhr was born to one black parent and one white parent but was adopted by parents Betty Wheeler and Robert Fuhr and raised inSpruce Grove, Alberta.[1][2] He set a number of firsts for black hockey players, including being the first to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.[3]

Edmonton Oilers (1981–1991)

In 1979, at the age of seventeen, Fuhr joined the Victoria Cougars of the WHL. After two stellar seasons in Victoria, which included the league championship and a trip to theMemorial Cup in 1981, Fuhr was drafted eighth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. He played ten seasons for the Oilers, where he teamed up first withAndy Moog, then Bill Ranford to form one of the most formidable goaltending tandems in history, winning the Stanley Cup four times in five seasons (1983-84 through '87-88). In addition to that he was involved with the infamous goal where Steve Smith scored on his own net to cost the Oilers the '86 playoffs against the Calgary Flames. He was the team's starting goaltender on the first four teams, but was injured and did not play in the 1990 playoffs, when the Oilers won for the fifth time. Fuhr played in the National Hockey League All-Star Game in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, and 1989. In 1987, he played in goal for the NHL All-Stars in both games of the Rendez-Vous '87 series against the Soviet National Team. In 1987-88, Fuhr backstopped Canada to a victory at the Canada Cup, playing in all nine games, then played in 75 regular season and 19 playoff games. He won his onlyVezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender that year and finished second in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP, behind Mario Lemieux and ahead of teammateWayne Gretzky. He battled shoulder injuries and substance abuse problems at the tail end of his career with Edmonton, and was suspended by the NHL for 59 games of the1990–91 season.[4][5]

Post-Oilers career (1991–2000)[edit]

In 1991, Fuhr was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a seven-player deal. After a season and a half in Toronto, he was again traded, this time to the Buffalo Sabres.
In Buffalo, he played a role in the Sabres' dramatic first-round playoff victory over the Boston Bruins, helped instill a winning attitude in the organization, and mentored the youngDominik Hasek. Fuhr then had a successful 1993–94 season with the Sabres, sharing time in goal with Hasek and winning the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals scored against in the league with him. However, when Fuhr went down with multiple injuries, Hasek stepped into the starting role, and played well enough to hold onto the job.
With Hasek now ensconced in the Sabres' net, Fuhr was dealt to the Los Angeles Kings, again playing with Gretzky. Out of shape and possibly past his prime, his career saw a resurgence when he signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues before the 1995–96 campaign. He played 79 games that season, 76 consecutively, both St. Louis franchise records. The 1996 playoff run for Fuhr ended prematurely as Maple Leafs forward Nick Kypreos ran into him in the crease in the first round, causing him to tear several knee ligaments. Jon Casey had to play the rest of the playoffs. They beat Toronto in the first round, but lost to Detroit in the next. Even though over the next three years he became one of the three winningest goaltenders in Blues history (along with Mike Liut and Curtis Joseph), he never fully recovered from injury. After the Blues signed Roman Turek as their new number one goaltender in 1999, Fuhr was traded to the Calgary Flames. He spent one season there being a mentor for Calgary's young goalies, including Fred Brathwaite, and on October 22, 1999, he earned his 400th career win versus the Florida Panthers. Before the 2000–01 season, he announced his retirement.[4][6]
In 1990, Fuhr came forward about his drug use after spending two weeks in a counseling center in Florida. He admitted that he used "a substance"—he did not say cocaine—for some seven years, or most of the period that the Oilers rested at the top of the NHL. Details of Fuhr's drug use were supplied by the player's ex-wife. The embarrassing details no doubt contributed to the one-year suspension handed down in September 1990 by NHL president John Ziegler, who called Fuhr's conduct "dishonorable and against the welfare of the league." Once Fuhr was re-instated, fans of opposing teams taunted him at games with bags of sugar.[7]
In May 1993, while still a member of the Buffalo Sabres, Fuhr was denied membership in the neighbouring Transit Valley Country Club. At the time, rumours floated that the denial was based on race, as several of Fuhr's white teammates had been granted membership.[8] Club officials denied they rejected Fuhr based on his race; rather, his application contained “incorrect and incomplete” information. Various acts of vandalism at the club occurred after news of Fuhr's rejection surfaced, including an incident where vandals burned a swastika onto one of the greens.[9] In light of the negative publicity, the club reversed its position and offered Fuhr not only a membership, but an apology as well. Fuhr rejected the membership and joined nearby Lancaster Country Club. The club also temporarily suspended its membership committee and had an anti-bias policy written into its by-laws.
Fuhr was hired to be the Phoenix Coyotes goaltending coach on July 22, 2004. Fuhr held the position until the end of the 2008-09 season, when he was replaced by Sean Burke. He held a similar post with the Calgary Flames in the 2000–2001 and 2001–2002 seasons.[10]

Hall of Fame induction

Fuhr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 2, 2003.[4]
Wayne Gretzky has said on many occasions that he believes Fuhr is the greatest goaltender in NHL history. This is mentioned in an interview with Wayne Gretzky conducted by John Davidson as part of the 2003 DVD "Ultimate Gretzky".[11]
Fuhr was also inducted in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

International play

Grant Fuhr
Medal record
Competitor for  Canada
Men's ice hockey
Canada Cup
Gold1984 Canada
Gold1987 Canada
World Championships
Silver1989 Sweden
Fuhr was named to the 1984 Canada Cup team but saw limited action during the tournament. Fuhr was again selected to represent Canada for the 1987 Canada Cup. It was here that he cemented his reputation as one of the best goaltenders in the game. Playing against a tough Soviet Union squad, Fuhr turned away shot after shot during the three-game final.[12] He also played for Canada at the1989 World Championships where he won a silver medal.

Awards and honors










































































Records

  • Holds NHL record for longest undefeated streak by a goaltender in his first NHL season - 23 in 1981–82.
  • Holds NHL record for most assists in a single season by a goaltender - 14 in 1983–84.
  • Shares NHL record for most wins in a single season postseason - 16 in 1988.
  • Holds NHL record for most games played by a goaltender in a single season - 79 in 1995–96.
  • Holds NHL record for most consecutive appearances in a single season by a goaltender - 76 in 1996.

Transactions

Career statistics

Regular season

SeasonTeamLeagueGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%
1979–80Victoria CougarsWHL4330120248813033.14.911
1980–81Victoria CougarsWHL594891344816042.78.908
1981–82Edmonton OilersNHL4828514284715703.31.899
1982–83Edmonton OilersNHL3213125180312904.29.868
1982–83Moncton AlpinesAHL104516044003.97—
1983–84Edmonton OilersNHL4530104262517113.91.883
1984–85Edmonton OilersNHL462687255916513.87.884
1985–86Edmonton OilersNHL402980218414303.93.890
1986–87Edmonton OilersNHL4422133238813703.44.881
1987–88Edmonton OilersNHL7540249430424643.43.881
1988–89Edmonton OilersNHL5923266334121313.83.875
1989–90Cape Breton OilersAHL2200120603.00.919
1989–90Edmonton OilersNHL2197310817013.89.868
1990–91Cape Breton OilersAHL42202401704.25.870
1990–91Edmonton OilersNHL136437783913.01.897
1991–92Toronto Maple LeafsNHL6525335377423023.66.881
1992–93Toronto Maple LeafsNHL29139416658713.14.895
1992–93Buffalo SabresNHL291115216949803.47.891
1993–94Rochester AmericansAHL53023101001.94.935
1993–94Buffalo SabresNHL3213123172610623.68.883
1994–95Buffalo SabresNHL31201801204.00.859
1994–95Los Angeles KingsNHL141736984704.04.876
1995–96St. Louis BluesNHL79302816436520932.87.903
1996–97St. Louis BluesNHL73332711426119332.72.901
1997–98St. Louis BluesNHL5829216327413832.53.883
1998–99St. Louis BluesNHL391611821938922.44.892
1999–00Saint John FlamesAHL2020991006.05.839
1999–00Calgary FlamesNHL23513212057703.83.856
NHL totals86840329511448,9452,756253.38.887

Playoffs

SeasonTeamLeagueGPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1979–80Victoria CougarsWHL8534652202.84—
1980–81Victoria CougarsWHL151238994513.00—
1980–81Victoria CougarsM-Cup4132391804.52—
1981–82Edmonton OilersNHL5233092605.05—
1982–83Edmonton OilersNHL10011000.001.000
1983–84Edmonton OilersNHL161148824413.00.910
1984–85Edmonton OilersNHL1815310575503.12.895
1985–86Edmonton OilersNHL9545402803.12.897
1986–87Edmonton OilersNHL1914511434702.47.908
1987–88Edmonton OilersNHL1916211365502.91.883
1988–89Edmonton OilersNHL7344172413.45.894
1990–91Edmonton OilersNHL188710195103.00.895
1992–93Buffalo SabresNHL8344742713.42.875
1995–96St. Louis BluesNHL21069100.87.978
1996–97St. Louis BluesNHL6243571322.18.929
1998–99St. Louis BluesNHL13667803112.35.898
NHL totals1509250880843062.93.899*
*79-82 SV% data unavailable, based only on 83-99 totals

International[edit]

YearTeamEventGPWLTMINGASOGAA
1984CanadaCC2101120603.00
1987CanadaCC96125753203.34
1989CanadaWC51312981813.62
Senior int'l totals168449935613.38

Also

Fuhr is a regular competitor at the American Century Championship, the annual competition to determine the best golfers among American sports and entertainment celebrities.[13] The tournament, televised by NBC in July, is played at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe, NV.[14]
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