Kurt Sauer
Kurt Sauer was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche, 88th overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Following the draft, Sauer remained unsigned and continued to play for his junior team, the Spokane Chiefs. In June 2002, Sauer was signed by the Anaheim Ducks. During Sauer's debut NHL year in 2003 with Anaheim, he made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The following year on February 21, 2004, Sauer was traded to the team that drafted him, the Colorado Avalanche, for Martin Skoula.
Sauer spent the next 4 1/2 years with the Avalanche before leaving as a free agent. This brings us to the Coyotes era; on July 1, 2008, Sauer signed a four-year deal with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Kurt comes from a very athletic family. Kurt's younger brother, Michael Sauer is also a defenseman and New York Rangers prospect. His older brother, Kent Sauer, was a draftee of the Nashville Predators. Kent was forced to retire due to knee problems. His oldest brother Craig Sauer played college football at the University of Minnesota and played in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and the Minnesota Vikings until a foot injury forced him into retirement. Craig was on the Atlanta Falcons team that played in the Super Bowl. His father Curt played for the Minnesota Twins.
Little Known Kurt Sauer Facts:
Pets: Dog named Boone
Favorite Food: Crappie Filets
Favorite TV Show: Whitetail Revolution
Favorite Movie: Dumb and Dumber
Favorite Athlete: Michael Jordan
Superstitions: Put left skate on before right skate
Most Memorable Hockey Moment: Run to the Stanley Cup Finals with Anaheim in 2003
Hobbies: Spending time with family and fishing
Favorite Road City in the NHL: Minneapolis, MN because its close to home
Reason Behind Jersey Number: My number was 34 for so long but it was taken on the Coyotes so I picked 44 which was similar.
Nicknames: Sweets, Tom
Favorite Tech Gadget: Laptop
*from the 2008-2009 Official Team Yearbook of the Phoenix Coyotes
What the Coyotes fans have to say about Kurt:
"In the year of the defenseman, Kurt Sauer was not just a pleasant surprise, he was a life saver. With Ballard and Boynton sacrificed to bring in that coveted and much needed #1 centerman (Olli Jokinen), our Kurt Alert has become that quiet,calming presence at the blue line, eating up the gut churning minutes against the opponent's top players. Under rated and viciously under appreciated around the league, Sweets was a bargain. GMDM pulled off the defensive steal of the season by grabbing this diamond-in-the-rough. While you won't often find his name on any scoring sheet, you will find him shutting down top lines w/ Z, layin out big hits like Doan, gettin the puck out of zone on the PK, blocking shots and even fighting if he has to. Leading by example, playing through the pain, the name Sauer conjures up thoughts of the pistols that bear his name, their motto is "Reliability. First time. Everytime." apparently thats Kurt's mottotoo. We only won 4 of the 10 games while he was out. Sounds like a tremendous part of the heart n soul of the Coyotes to me. Oh yeah... that big blonde is a fan charmer and is sure easy on the eyes too. What more could a gal wish for?"
-Z4Dfence at Coyotes Hip Check Blog
"Kurt Sauer...What can I say that I have not said all along...he rocks! The Avalanche is my 1B team so I already knew what he was all about...a workhorse of a shutdown D man who does his job so well it's hard to even notice what he really does...until he got injured. The Coyotes and the fans surely missed his presence on the ice but I am VERY glad he is back. Even though he's not quite 100% he's still better than a lot of other healthy D men in the league. Just ask the Maple Leafs...as it was rumored they confused Jeff Finger with Sauer and got the short end of the deal...LOL!http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=16043 As the numbers clearly show, Sauer is the "real" D man."
-Q
"Here's my take on Kurt: Here's a guy that goes out on to the ice, knows his job, and gets it done. He and Z are one, if not the, better d-lines on the Phoenix Coyotes."
-Dawn
"I was a little leary about our blue line once Ballard and Boynton were traded, but getting Sauer turned out to be a good thing for the Coyotes. He is physical and mans that blue line like no other. He can't shoot on net, but we love him for trying. Although we (ok, I) still miss Ballard, Kurt has done a great job of
winning my (our) heart(s)."
-hipchecks
"Kurt Sauer is one of the most genuine good souls. He was very accommodating after training camp, in that he stopped and signed what memorabilia we had for him to sign and even asked if we had anything else for him to sign. Then he sauntered away. Let me tell you, that man can saunter away from me any day and anytime he wants. Next to DMo, Kurt Sauer has the most bodacious badunkadunk!"
-MissConduct
REFERENCES:
Wikipedia
Getty Images
Team Photo from phoenixcoyotes.com
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