Defenceman Rumun Ndur provided solid defensive play in his own zone as a part-time player with the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers in the late 90s. He had the size and mobility to play the body effectively and was capable of moving the puck up ice to help his team's transition game.
The first NHL player born in Nigeria, Ndur grew up in Sarnia, three hours west of Toronto. He was a solid performer for the Clearwater junior C and the Sarnia and Guelph junior B teams before heading to the OHL. He played over two years with the Guelph Storm as it developed into one of the top clubs in the league. The rugged blueliner was chosen 69th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1994 Entry Draft. Following his junior career he was assigned to the AHL's Rochester Americans where he was an intimidating force for two years.
The Sabres had too many qualified defenders so Ndur was put on waivers and claimed by the New York Rangers. He played the last 39 games of the 1998-99 season then joined the Atlanta Thrashers as a role player the next year.
