Tim Kerr

Last updated
Tim Kerr
Born (1960-01-05) January 5, 1960 (age 64)
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
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 Canadian former 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. Known for his goal-scoring offense, Kerr reached the NHL's prestigious 50-goal plateau on four occasions during his career, and he ranks 10th all time (minimum 200 goals) in goals per game with 0.565. He was inducted to the Flyers Hall of Fame in 1994.

Contents

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 the 1983-84 season. 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.

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)

Personal life

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.

He met his current wife, Midge, at the Tim Kerr Run in Avalon, New Jersey in 1991. Kerr has two daughters, Kimberly and Kayleigh, and three sons named Garrett, Wesley, and Tanner. Kerr currently resides in Moorestown Township, New Jersey and Avalon, New Jersey. [1] Wesley and Tanner both graduated from University of Sciences Philadelphia and Wesley currently works for his father as a sales associate for Tim Kerr's Sotheby's International Realty. Kimberly graduated from West Virginia University. [2] [3]

Kerr is the owner of Tim Kerr's Sotheby's International Realty in Avalon, New Jersey, which sells and rents homes in both Avalon and Stone Harbor, New Jersey. In addition, Kerr previously owned the Pensacola Ice Flyers and part-owner of the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, [4] teams of the Southern Professional Hockey League.

Awards and honours

NHL records

Philadelphia Flyers franchise records

NHL achievements

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1976–77Windsor Royals WOHL 3834286285—————
1976–77 Windsor Spitfires OMJHL 9246730000
1977–78 Kingston Canadians OMJHL671425393350000
1978–79 Kingston CanadiansOMJHL571725422761122
1979–80 Kingston CanadiansOMJHL6340337339301116
1979–80 Maine Mariners AHL 72462—————
1980–81 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 6822234584101342
1981–82 Philadelphia FlyersNHL6121305113840222
1982–83 Philadelphia FlyersNHL2411819622020
1983–84 Philadelphia FlyersNHL795439932930000
1984–85 Philadelphia FlyersNHL7454449857121041413
1985–86 Philadelphia FlyersNHL765826847953368
1986–87 Philadelphia FlyersNHL75583795571285132
1987–88 Philadelphia FlyersNHL83251261344
1988–89 Philadelphia FlyersNHL69484088731914112527
1989–90 Philadelphia FlyersNHL4024244834—————
1990–91 Philadelphia FlyersNHL271014248—————
1991–92 New York Rangers NHL32711181281010
1992–93 Hartford Whalers NHL220667—————
NHL totals6553703046745968140317158

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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.
  2. ↑ "TimKerrSir.Com: Wesley Kerr bio". TimKerrSir.com. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Flyers Where are They Now?: Tim Kerr". nbcsports.com. 2 December 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  4. ↑ Berman, Mark (October 20, 2015). "Roanoke, hockey are 'a good match,' mayor says". Roanoke.com. The Roanoke Times . Retrieved November 19, 2015.
Preceded by Bill Masterton Trophy winner
1989 		Succeeded by
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