Tom Edur

[Caroline Says ll]

Recently I stumbled upon the story of Tom Edur. He played defense for the Penguins and the Rockies, but he retired from hockey after only three seasons to devote his life to God as a Jehovah Witness. The Penguins tried to resign him, with the addition he didn't have to play on Sundays, but he declined believing God was more then a one week obligation.

As I looked at his statistics, in his third and final year, he put up 43 points in 58 games, which impressed me.

But I just wanted to know if anyone here saw him play, how dominant he was, and what his potential could of been?

Click to read more...

 

[Lowetide]

Edur was a good hockey player who was a good puck mover. More finesse than muscle.

 

[Know Your Enemy]

As I looked at his statistics, in his third and final year, he put up 43 points in 58 games, which impressed me.

For accuracy..He actually played two years, in his second year he played on two different teams. In total he scored 55 points in 78 games which was good for 11th in the league amoung defensemen.

 

[MS]

It really is one of the more notable 'what might have been' cases in the last few decades. One of the better young offensive defenders in the game, seems on target for an All-Star level career, quits the sport age age 23 coming off a 55-point season.

Young players walking away from NHL careers seems so strange now, but wasn't really that uncommon 20-30 years ago. Todd Bergen, Fred Arthur, and Robin Sadler are other examples who quit in their early 20s when they had sure-fire long NHL careers ahead of them. Sadler seems like maybe the biggest waste of all given the descriptions I've heard of his ability.

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

Oh good grief Ogopogo. Edur was a good hockey player who was a good puck mover. More finesse than muscle.

Was he someone the Oilers tried to pry back into hockey circa expansion time, Lowetide? I seem to remember reading that somewhere....

 

[reckoning]

If anyone's interested, here's a link to a story about Edur's career and what prompted him to quit hockey to devote his life to his religion. One of the more interesting hockey stories I've come across:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/hockhist/message/47554

Edur was indeed drafted by the Oilers in the `79 Expansion Draft. That should give you an idea of how highly regarded he was as a defenceman that Sather was willing to use a draft pick on him even though he'd retired a year earlier and stated he had no interest in returning to hockey. Edur's style of play would've fit in well with the Edmonton teams of the 80s.

There was an earlier reference to his point totals, but his +/- numbers were even more impressive:

1976-77 Colorado Rockies:

Tom Edur +14
Denis Dupere +3
Simon Nolet 0
Mike Kitchen -2
Dave Hudson -3
Danny Gruen -6
Guy Delparte -10
Ron Delorme -11
Sean Shanahan -11
Wilf Paiement -13
Jim McElmury -15
Bryan Lefley -15
Nelson Pyatt -17
Gary Croteau -18
Ron Andruff -18
John Van Boxmeer -20
Colin Campbell -22
Chuck Arnason -23
Larry Johnston -25
Barry Dean -26
Tracy Pratt -27
Paul Gardner -28

Pulling off a +14 playing a full 80 game schedule with a team that bad is remarkable.

All in all, he was likely a top 20 defencemen during his NHL stint. Considering that he retired at age 23, it's not unreasonable to suggest that he would've progressed into a top 10 defenceman or possibly even a Norris/All-Star candidate had he stayed with hockey.

 

[BNHL]

If anyone's interested, here's a link to a story about Edur's career and what prompted him to quit hockey to devote his life to his religion. One of the more interesting hockey stories I've come across:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/hockhist/message/47554

Edur was indeed drafted by the Oilers in the `79 Expansion Draft. That should give you an idea of how highly regarded he was as a defenceman that Sather was willing to use a draft pick on him even though he'd retired a year earlier and stated he had no interest in returning to hockey. Edur's style of play would've fit in well with the Edmonton teams of the 80s.

There was an earlier reference to his point totals, but his +/- numbers were even more impressive:

1976-77 Colorado Rockies:

Tom Edur +14
Denis Dupere +3
Simon Nolet 0
Mike Kitchen -2
Dave Hudson -3
Danny Gruen -6
Guy Delparte -10
Ron Delorme -11
Sean Shanahan -11
Wilf Paiement -13
Jim McElmury -15
Bryan Lefley -15
Nelson Pyatt -17
Gary Croteau -18
Ron Andruff -18
John Van Boxmeer -20
Colin Campbell -22
Chuck Arnason -23
Larry Johnston -25
Barry Dean -26
Tracy Pratt -27
Paul Gardner -28

Pulling off a +14 playing a full 80 game schedule with a team that bad is remarkable.

All in all, he was likely a top 20 defencemen during his NHL stint. Considering that he retired at age 23, it's not unreasonable to suggest that he would've progressed into a top 10 defenceman or possibly even a Norris/All-Star candidate had he stayed with hockey.

Your post reminded me of a Bruin trivia question. Who wore #7 after Phil Esposito and before Ray Bourque? He's on your list.

 

[FiveThreeEmptyNet]

great read

Reckoning, thanks for sharing. Hey, whatever makes you happy. Not a choice for me, but he sounds very content with it.

 

[Form and Substance]

I like this guy, even though I am a staunch atheist.

 

[Mike Jones]

Young players walking away from NHL careers seems so strange now, but wasn't really that uncommon 20-30 years ago. Todd Bergen, Fred Arthur, and Robin Sadler are other examples who quit in their early 20s when they had sure-fire long NHL careers ahead of them. Sadler seems like maybe the biggest waste of all given the descriptions I've heard of his ability.

This has happened all the time before the big money contracts came in.

I had a conversation with a guy who played one year with the Canadians back in the 40's. He talked about the guys who came in from the mill at Trail. These guys would spend a year living their dream in the NHL and then go back to the day job at the mill. If you stayed in the NHL more than a year you lost your job at the mill. Players would come into the locker room and see an empty stall. When they asked where a player went they were told he could make more money doing XY or Z.

Really sets things in context.

 

[BNHL]

Just noticed the Bruins drafted Edur and Mark Howe in the same draft.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

This has happened all the time before the big money contracts came in.

I had a conversation with a guy who played one year with the Canadians back in the 40's. He talked about the guys who came in from the mill at Trail. These guys would spend a year living their dream in the NHL and then go back to the day job at the mill. If you stayed in the NHL more than a year you lost your job at the mill. Players would come into the locker room and see an empty stall. When they asked where a player went they were told he could make more money doing XY or Z.

Really sets things in context.

It was like that untill the mid 80's and even now non-star players who played/retired pre 90 work 9 to 5's. In the 80's even star players only made 350,00 a year and in the 70's star players were making 100,000 a year and thats players like bobby hull. You figure in the 70's your average 2nd and 3rd line players were making 40,000 a season, In the 80's it was 60-70 k a season. Now anyone that laces up the skates is making a minimum of 250-300 k a season.

I have a Hawks/Oilers game on tape from the 84-85 playoffs and in that game one of the Oilers broke their leg and i believe it was Dave Lumley who came over and did and assesed his injury on the ice because he was a medical doctor.

Its interesting to see what players from the 60's,70's and 80's are doing now. I know Al Secord flies for American Airlines as a pilot.

Its safe to say no player today who has played a few seasons as a pro will ever have to work a 9-5 job.

 

[BNHL]

I think Secord flew for Northwest Airlines.

 

[Mike Jones]

I have a Hawks/Oilers game on tape from the 84-85 playoffs and in that game one of the Oilers broke their leg and i believe it was Dave Lumley who came over and did and assesed his injury on the ice because he was a medical doctor.

I agree with what you say but you had better check the tape again. I think the only MD the Oilers ever had playing for them was Dr. Randy Gregg.

 

[nORRis8*]

Heres some video of Tom Edur.