John Nicolas Kordic (March 22, 1965 – August 8, 1992) was a Canadian ice hockey player in the National Hockey League.

John Nicolas Kordic
Born (1965-03-22)March 22, 1965
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Died August 8, 1992(1992-08-08) (aged 27)
L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Right
Played for Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
Washington Capitals
Quebec Nordiques
NHL draft 78th overall, 1983
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 1985–1992

Hockey career

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Kordic played for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals and Quebec Nordiques, for a total of seven seasons in the NHL. He won the Memorial Cup with the Portland Winter Hawks in 1983, the Calder Cup with the Sherbrooke Canadiens in 1985, and a Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in 1986.[1] While playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he wore No. 27, formerly worn by Leaf players Darryl Sittler and Frank Mahovlich.[2] Kordic was known as an enforcer on the ice.[1]

In 1992, he moved back to Quebec after finishing the season with the Cape Breton Oilers, and had expressed hope that he could turn his life around if he could catch on with the Oilers and play in his hometown.[3]

Death

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On August 8, 1992, after overdosing on drugs and being involved in a struggle with police at Motel Maxim in L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, Kordic died of lung failure due to heart malfunction.[1][3][4]

Personal life

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At the time of Kordic's death he was engaged to marry a former exotic dancer named Nancy Masse, who used to work at a Quebec club called Le Folichon, less than a kilometre from where he died.[3] Kordic's brother, Dan, played for the Philadelphia Flyers organization in the 1990s.[1]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1982–83 Portland Winter Hawks WHL 72 3 22 25 235 14 1 6 7 30
1983–84 Portland Winter Hawks WHL 67 9 50 59 232 14 0 3 3 56
1984–85 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 4 0 0 0 4 4 0 0 0 11
1984–85 Portland Winter Hawks WHL 25 6 22 28 73
1984–85 Seattle Breakers WHL 46 17 36 53 154
1985–86 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 68 3 14 17 238
1985–86 Montreal Canadiens NHL 5 0 1 1 12 18 0 0 0 53
1986–87 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 10 4 4 8 49
1986–87 Montreal Canadiens NHL 44 5 3 8 151 11 2 0 2 19
1987–88 Montreal Canadiens NHL 60 2 6 8 159 7 2 2 4 26
1988–89 Montreal Canadiens NHL 6 0 0 0 13
1988–89 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 46 1 2 3 185
1989–90 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 55 9 4 13 252 5 0 1 1 33
1990–91 Newmarket Saints AHL 8 1 1 2 79
1990–91 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 3 0 0 0 9
1990–91 Washington Capitals NHL 7 0 0 0 101
1991–92 Cape Breton Oilers AHL 12 2 1 3 141 5 0 1 1 53
1991–92 Quebec Nordiques NHL 18 0 2 2 115
NHL totals 244 17 18 35 997 41 4 3 7 131

Awards

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  • WHL West Second All-Star Team – 1985

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Jon Scher (August 24, 1992). "Death Of A Goon". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  2. ^ "HISTORY, CUPS, AWARDS, NEWS, STATS, HHOF". TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS. StatsHockey.net. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  3. ^ a b c HOCKEY; He Skated on the Ice, Then Fell Through It New York Times
  4. ^ All roads lead to hockey: reports from northern Canada to the Mexican border William T. Boyd University of Nebraska Press


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