Tom Fergus
Encyclopedia
Thomas Joseph Fergus is a retired professional ice hockey
center who played 726 regular season games in the NHL
for 12 seasons between 1981 and 1993.
where he played his junior hockey for the Peterborough Petes
, and was selected 60th overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft
. He only scored 14 points in his draft year, but found his stride the year following, improving to 43 goals and 88 points.
In 1981–82, Fergus surprisingly made a strong Boston team at the age of just 19, and turned in a fine rookie season with 15 goals and 39 points in 61 games. He quickly evolved into a solid, productive second-line center behind top-line pivot Barry Pederson
, and his production jumped to 28 goals and 63 points in 1982–83.
With Pederson injured for much of the 1984–85 campaign, Fergus spent most of the season on Boston's top line, and set career highs with 30 goals and 73 points. He also made his international debut with the United States national team in the 1985 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Prague
after the Bruins were knocked out in the first round of the Stanley Cup
playoffs. However, with Pederson's return the following year along with Ken Linseman
Boston was left with three scoring-line centers, and Fergus was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs
for Bill Derlago
.
Fergus immediately became Toronto's top center and set a new career high with 31 goals in 1985–86, as well as matching his career high of 73 points. However, his 1986–87 season was ruined by a viral infection which caused him to miss significant action, although he still produced well when healthy with 49 points in 57 games. He returned to form in 1988–89, registering a career high 45 assists and 67 points, although he drew criticism for his defensive play and his league-worst -38 rating.
Midway through the 1989–90 season, Fergus suffered a serious groin injury which caused him to miss two months of action. Although he returned for the playoffs, the injury lingered and forced him to have surgery early in the 1990–91 campaign. He missed almost the entire season, recording 9 points in just 14 games.
After a poor start to the 1991–92 season, Fergus was placed on waivers and claimed by the Vancouver Canucks
. His scoring touch returned with Vancouver, as he scored 14 goals and 34 points in just 44 games, including a number of clutch goals down the stretch. He added 5 goals and 8 points in 13 playoff games. However, he was used as a utility player in a more limited role the following year, and registered 14 points in 36 games.
After being released by Vancouver, Fergus signed in Switzerland
with EV Zug
and spent two seasons there before retiring in 1995. He finished his career with 235 goals and 346 assists for 581 points in 726 NHL games, along with 499 penalty minutes.
where he is active in the Toronto Maple Leaf
alumni association and owns a promotional clothing company, Blue Leaf Limited.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
center who played 726 regular season games in the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
for 12 seasons between 1981 and 1993.
Playing career
Tom Fergus grew up in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where he played his junior hockey for the Peterborough Petes
Peterborough Petes
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...
, and was selected 60th overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft
1980 NHL Entry Draft
The 1980 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum. This was the first time that an NHL arena hosted the draft. The National Hockey League teams selected 210 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1979–80 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the...
. He only scored 14 points in his draft year, but found his stride the year following, improving to 43 goals and 88 points.
In 1981–82, Fergus surprisingly made a strong Boston team at the age of just 19, and turned in a fine rookie season with 15 goals and 39 points in 61 games. He quickly evolved into a solid, productive second-line center behind top-line pivot Barry Pederson
Barry Pederson
Barry Alan Pederson is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League between 1980 and 1992...
, and his production jumped to 28 goals and 63 points in 1982–83.
With Pederson injured for much of the 1984–85 campaign, Fergus spent most of the season on Boston's top line, and set career highs with 30 goals and 73 points. He also made his international debut with the United States national team in the 1985 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
after the Bruins were knocked out in the first round of the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
playoffs. However, with Pederson's return the following year along with Ken Linseman
Ken Linseman
Kenneth "The Rat" Linseman is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs...
Boston was left with three scoring-line centers, and Fergus was dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for Bill Derlago
Bill Derlago
William Anthony Derlago, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1978 to 1987 with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets and Quebec Nordiques....
.
Fergus immediately became Toronto's top center and set a new career high with 31 goals in 1985–86, as well as matching his career high of 73 points. However, his 1986–87 season was ruined by a viral infection which caused him to miss significant action, although he still produced well when healthy with 49 points in 57 games. He returned to form in 1988–89, registering a career high 45 assists and 67 points, although he drew criticism for his defensive play and his league-worst -38 rating.
Midway through the 1989–90 season, Fergus suffered a serious groin injury which caused him to miss two months of action. Although he returned for the playoffs, the injury lingered and forced him to have surgery early in the 1990–91 campaign. He missed almost the entire season, recording 9 points in just 14 games.
After a poor start to the 1991–92 season, Fergus was placed on waivers and claimed by the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. His scoring touch returned with Vancouver, as he scored 14 goals and 34 points in just 44 games, including a number of clutch goals down the stretch. He added 5 goals and 8 points in 13 playoff games. However, he was used as a utility player in a more limited role the following year, and registered 14 points in 36 games.
After being released by Vancouver, Fergus signed in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
with EV Zug
EV Zug
EV Zug is a professional men's ice hockey team from Zug, Switzerland. They are a current member of National League A and play their home games at Bossard Arena.-History:EV Zug won its lone championship in the 1997–98 season....
and spent two seasons there before retiring in 1995. He finished his career with 235 goals and 346 assists for 581 points in 726 NHL games, along with 499 penalty minutes.
Post career
Fergus now resides in Oakville, OntarioOakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
where he is active in the Toronto Maple Leaf
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
alumni association and owns a promotional clothing company, Blue Leaf Limited.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1979–80 | Peterborough Petes Peterborough Petes The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:... |
OMJHL | 63 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Peterborough Petes | OHL | 63 | 43 | 45 | 88 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
61 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1982–83 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 80 | 28 | 35 | 63 | 39 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 15 | ||
| 1983–84 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 69 | 25 | 36 | 61 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | ||
| 1984–85 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 79 | 30 | 43 | 73 | 75 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1985–86 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 78 | 31 | 42 | 73 | 64 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 1986–87 1986–87 AHL season The 1986–87 AHL season was the 51st season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league institutes awarding one point in the standings, for an overtime loss... |
Newmarket Saints Newmarket Saints The Newmarket Saints were a minor league hockey team in Newmarket, Ontario. It played in the American Hockey League from 1986–91 as the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Ray Twinney Complex.... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 57 | 21 | 28 | 49 | 57 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1987–88 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 63 | 19 | 31 | 50 | 81 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1988–89 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 80 | 22 | 45 | 67 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 54 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 62 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1990–91 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
NHL | 44 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 17 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 1992–93 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 36 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | EV Zug EV Zug EV Zug is a professional men's ice hockey team from Zug, Switzerland. They are a current member of National League A and play their home games at Bossard Arena.-History:EV Zug won its lone championship in the 1997–98 season.... |
NLA | 32 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 104 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 24 | ||
| 1994–95 | EV Zug | NLA | 22 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 56 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 16 | ||
| NHL totals | 726 | 235 | 346 | 581 | 499 | 65 | 21 | 17 | 38 | 48 | ||||