Tim Kerr

Not to be confused with Tim Kerr (musician).
Tim Kerr
Born (1960-01-05) January 5, 1960
Windsor, ON, CAN
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Philadelphia Flyers
New York Rangers
Hartford Whalers
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 1980–1993

Timothy E. Kerr (born January 5, 1960) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Hartford Whalers. He reached the NHL's prestigious 50 goal plateau on four occasions during his career.

Playing career

Kerr was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1980. Though initially a winger with hands that could bruise an opponent's face as well as beat an opposing goaltender, it took three seasons before he staked his reputation as a lethal sniper. Kerr missed the majority of the 1982-83 season with knee issues and a broken leg, but turned things around starting in 1983-84. That's when he began his team-record run of four consecutive 50-goal campaigns, in the process setting the NHL single-season record for power-play goals with 34 in the 1985–86 season.

During the first round of the '85 playoffs, against the New York Rangers, Kerr set a still-standing NHL single-game record by scoring four goals in a span of 8:16 in the second period of an eventual 6-5 victory at Madison Square Garden which enabled Philadelphia to sweep the best-of-five series. The next season was particularly interesting, in that in September 1985 he was hospitalized with aseptic meningitis at the outset, but recovered sufficiently to set a career best of 58 goals. The following year, Kerr again victimized NHL goaltenders for 58 goals, finishing second in the NHL to Wayne Gretzky.

Kerr was an almost unmovable presence in the slot during his prime. Hockey Hall of Fame center and New York Islanders star Bryan Trottier once joked that the only way to stop Kerr was to wrap chains around his arms and legs. But Trottier retracted that statement almost immediately by saying that that still probably would not stop him.

However, Kerr's ascension into the ranks of NHL superstars was hindered by injuries and bad luck. In the 1985 playoffs, a knee injury hampered his ability to play in the final two rounds of the postseason. In 1987, a shoulder injury suffered in the second round cost him the entire final two series against the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers. As a result of the setback, Kerr endured five shoulder operations in a 14-month period and missed all but a handful of the 1987-88 regular season, while being largely ineffective in Philly's seven-game loss to the Washington Capitals in the Patrick Division Semifinals. While Kerr would rebound and play 69 games and score 48 goals in 1988-89—a feat which earned him the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication to the sport—he never again played more than half the schedule the rest of his career.

He was left exposed in the 1991 expansion draft, and after being claimed by the San Jose Sharks, was quickly dealt to the New York Rangers. One more season with the Hartford Whalers ensued, before his retirement at age 33. Additional personal tragedy struck and provided a somber end to his Flyers tenure. On October 16, 1990, his wife, Kathy, died at the age of 30 due to a fast-spreading infection, ten days after the birth of their first child, a daughter named Kimberly.

Kerr finished his playing career 10th all-time in goals per game (minimum 500 games played) with 370 goals in 655 NHL regular season games.

Kerr is 2nd all time in career shooting percentage (20.3) in NHL playoff history (among players with 40+ career goals)

Post-playing career

Kerr is the owner of Tim Kerr's Powerplay Realty in Avalon, New Jersey, which sells and rents homes in both Avalon and Stone Harbor, New Jersey. In addition, Kerr owns the Pensacola Ice Flyers and part-owner of the Mississippi Surge, teams of the Southern Professional Hockey League. He maintains homes in Avalon, near his business, and Moorestown Township, New Jersey with his wife, two daughters and three sons.[1]

Awards and honours

NHL Records

Team Records

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1976–77 Windsor Spitfires OMJHL 9 2 4 6 7 3 0 0 0 0
1977–78 Kingston Canadians OMJHL 67 14 25 39 33 5 0 0 0 0
1978–79 Kingston Canadians OMJHL 57 17 25 42 27 6 1 1 2 2
1979–80 Kingston Canadians OMJHL 63 40 33 73 39 3 0 1 1 16
1979–80 Maine Mariners AHL 7 2 4 6 2 — — — — —
1980–81 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 68 22 23 45 84 10 1 3 4 2
1981–82 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 61 21 30 51 138 4 0 2 2 2
1982–83 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 24 11 8 19 6 2 2 0 2 0
1983–84 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 79 54 39 93 29 3 0 0 0 0
1984–85 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 74 54 44 98 57 12 10 4 14 13
1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 76 58 26 84 79 5 3 3 6 8
1986–87 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 75 58 37 95 57 12 8 5 13 2
1987–88 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 8 3 2 5 12 6 1 3 4 4
1988–89 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 69 48 40 88 73 19 14 11 25 27
1989–90 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 40 24 24 48 34 — — — — —
1990–91 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 27 10 14 24 8 — — — — —
1991–92 New York Rangers NHL 32 7 11 18 12 8 1 0 1 0
1992–93 Hartford Whalers NHL 22 0 6 6 7 — — — — —
NHL totals 655 370 304 674 596 81 40 31 71 58

References

  1. ↑ Lulgjuraj, Susan. "Many Philadelphia Flyers past and present call Cape May County home", The Press of Atlantic City, May 24, 2010. Accessed March 1, 2011. "Tim Kerr has a huge presence in the Avalon and Stone Harbor area. The three-time All-Star played in Philadelphia for 11 seasons from 1980 to 1991 and holds Philadelphia's team record for the most 50-goal seasons with four. He owns Tim Kerr's Powerplay Realty on Dune Drive, which sells and rents homes in the Avalon and Stone Harbor area. For several years, Kerr also has run a charity run that bears his name. Kerr splits time between his homes in Avalon and Moorestown, Burlington County, said Tim Kerr Realty sales associate Ann Delaney."
Preceded by
Bob Bourne		 Bill Masterton Trophy winner
1989 		Succeeded by
Gord Kluzak
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