Kirt Bjork

Last updated
Kirt Bjork
Born (1961-03-05) March 5, 1961 (age 60)
Trenton, Michigan, USA
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 173 lb (78 kg; 12 st 5 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Left
Played for Notre Dame
Alleghe
Adirondack Red Wings
Playing career 1979–1984

Kirt Bjork is an American retired ice hockey left wing who was an All-American for Notre Dame. [1]

Contents

Career

Bjork was recruited to Notre Dame straight out of high school, beginning his college career in the fall of 1979. He put up pedestrian numbers as a freshman but saw a vast improvement in his second season. Bjork more than tripled his goal production despite the Fighting Irish finishing near the bottom of the WCHA. [2] Bjork's continued improvement, as well as a move to the CCHA, helped ND produce one of its best seasons as they tied a program record for wins with 23. Notre Dame reached the first championship game in program history and were looking to become a major player in their new conference.

As a senior Bjork led the team in just about every offensive category. For the fourth consecutive year he increased his goals, assists and points but Notre Dame couldn't keep the puck out of the net. The team allowed 51 more goals than they scored in 36 games and dropped to 8th in the conference. Despite the team's decline, Bjork was named as an All-American and was the last bright spot for the program before a funding crisis caused a severe decline that lasted for over a decade. [3]

After graduating, Bjork played for Alleghe in the Italian Hockey League, averaging nearly 4 points a game. He finished out the year with a brief appearance for the Adirondack Red Wings and then retired as a player.

Personal life

Kirt's son Anders also played hockey at Notre Dame, spending three years with the program before embarking on an NHL career. A second son, Brady, began attending Notre Dame in 2020 but sat out the 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kirt also had a nephew, Erik Condra, play at Notre Dame before pursuing a professional career that included several years in the NHL.

Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular Season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1977–78 Paddock Pool Saints GLJHL ——————————
1979–80 Notre Dame WCHA 356131922—————
1980–81 Notre Dame WCHA 3619163538—————
1981–82 Notre Dame CCHA 3522224426—————
1982–83 Notre Dame CCHA 3529346326—————
1983–84 HC Alleghe Italy 2845529739—————
1983–84 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 7134472354
NCAA totals1417685161112—————

Awards and honors

AwardYear
All-CCHA Second Team 1982–83 [4]
AHCA West All-American 1982–83 [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Notre Dame Hockey" (PDF). Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Notre Dame Men's Hockey: Team History". US College Hockey Online. 1996–2010. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  4. ↑ "CCHA All-Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
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