Kurtis Foster

Team Number:	26
Birth Date:	11/24/1981
Height:	6'5"
Weight:	235lbs.
Position:	Defense

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SIGNED AS A FREE AGENT WITH THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING IN JULY 2009.

Kurtis Foster is a 27 year old defenseman whose right hand shooting led to 7 goals and 12 assists during his 2007-2008, second season with the Minnesota Wild. However, Foster’s season ended in a bone-crunching injury as his left femur snapped during a game against San Jose on March 20, 2008. The player responsible for Foster’s injury, Torrey Mitchell, only received a two minute minor penalty on the play and, much to the chagrin of Wild fans, the NHL ruled Michell’s actions were accidental.

Kurtis Foster committed to Minnesota for the 2008-2009 season, but his injury continued to keep him off the ice until October when he could bear to suit up. He didn’t play, though, until February and took it easy in the AHL.

Just talking about snapping femurs is enough to make me wish for brighter Kurtis Foster memories. And we can find those memories in his years of hockey play for a variety of teams around North America.

Kurtis Foster was born on November 24, 1981 in Ontario. He started on skates at the age of 4 and hasn’t looked back. After high school play and amateur leagues, Foster was Calgary’s 40th overall pick (2nd round) for the 2000 NHL Draft. After just a year, Foster was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers where he played for 2 seasons, though went without a single goal or assist. In 2004, Kurtis Foster was traded to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks but only played in the AHL ranks.

Shortly before the start of the 2005 season, Kurtis Foster signed with the Minnesota Wild as a free agent. The Wild started him in the AHL, but Foster started performing so well that he was soon called back to Minnesota and played his first Wild game in November 2005. Kurtis was waiting for a chance to impress, and he leapt at the opportunity: he scored his first 2 goals of his NHL career that same night.