He just felt like Kappenen to me. All the talent in the world but always felt like he couldn't put it all together to reach his potential. On the upside, my Leafs got John Kordic for him so there's that.
Obviously, player for player, it was an atrocious deal, but what made it worse was how Courtnall got better and Kordic got worse.
Under Pat Burns, Russ Courtnall rounded out his game a little more. Though still nowhere near being a "defensively sound player" Burns did find ways to use Courtnall's speed to make a more effective player even when he didn't have the puck. Russ eventually went on to lead the 1990-91 Habs in scoring and then was traded for Brian Bellows, who scored 40-goals for the Canadiens in their Cup winning season then added 15 more points in 18 playoff games en route to winning a Cup. So, incredibly, the Canadiens managed to trade John Kordic for a 40-goal scorer on a Cup champion team.
Kordic arrived in Toronto and immediately ruffled feathers by wearing #27 which was the number worn by Frank Mahovolich and Darryl Sittler.
Kordic's "best" season in blue was 13-points and 252 PIM's in 55 games. General Manager Gord Stellick would be tipped off by the Toronto police about the circles Kordic was moving in and that he needs to be careful. Kordic denied this when confronted about it. 16-months after the Maple Leafs had acquired him, General Manager Floyd Smith (who replaced Stellick) suspended him without pay saying, publicly, that he was a distraction on and off the ice for the Maple Leafs. Privately, he said Kordic was done with the team after a one-on-one meeting.
The straw that had broken the camel's back and required this meeting was Kordic straight up missing a game, just not showing up. Shortly before that, Kordic had got into a physical altercation with diminutive goaltender Allen Bester in a restaurant. Not on the ice in th heat of a battle, this happened in a social setting.
The Leafs then packaged him up with Paul Fenton and traded them both for a 5th round pick just to be done with him.
Kordic managed no points - and a 101 penalty minutes - during his seven game Washington Capitals career. His next - and last - NHL stop came only after he begged for an opportunity and under the condition he would be released should he drink alcohol or use drugs.
The trade was terrible no matter what, but Kordic's rapid decline didn't just mean he was no longer a useful NHL player, but that he was literally no longer alive. Russ Courtnall played seven more seasons after Kordic died.
