Orland Kurtenbach

Last updated
Orland Kurtenbach
1963 Topps O Kurtenbach.png
Kurtenbach during his time with the Boston Bruins
Born (1936-09-07) September 7, 1936 (age 87)
Cudworth, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for New York Rangers
Boston Bruins
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Playing career 1954–1974

Orland John Kurtenbach (born September 7, 1936) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. A centre notable for his defensive skill and as one of the toughest fighters in the game, he played for several National Hockey League (NHL) teams during his twenty professional seasons, principally the Vancouver Canucks, with whom he became the NHL franchise's inaugural captain.

Contents

Early life

Kurtenbach was born in Cudworth, Saskatchewan. He grew up on a farm until his family moved to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, at age 10. [1] It was at this time that Kurtenbach began playing organized hockey. [1] Beginning as a defenceman, he moved to the centre position later in his career. [1]

Playing career

Kurtenbach played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) with the Prince Albert Mintos for two seasons, also making brief appearances with the Saskatoon Quakers of the minor professional Western Hockey League (WHL) during that time. In 1957, after Prince Albert was eliminated from the SJHL playoffs, Kurtenbach finished the season with the Flin Flon Bombers, where he helped the team win a Memorial Cup.

Kurtenbach turned professional in 1957–58, signing a C-form with the Vancouver Canucks of the WHL. [1] He scored 54 points in 52 games en route to earning Rookie of the Year honours. In the playoffs, he helped the Canucks to a President's Cup championship.

The majority of Kurtenbach's early professional career was spent in the minors, splitting time between the AHL with the Buffalo Bisons, Springfield Indians and Providence Reds, and the WHL with the San Francisco Seals and the Canucks. His best season in this stretch was 1962–63, when he notched 87 points for the Seals in 70 games and led the team in scoring in the playoffs en route to winning the league championship.

During his time in the minors, Kurtenbach made two brief appearances in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins, totaling eighteen games, but he did not play his first full NHL season until 1963–64 with the Bruins. In 1965–66, he became a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he played a primarily defensive role. [1] Toronto coach Punch Imlach designated Kurtenbach to the bottom two offensive lines, while earning mostly penalty killing time. [1] The following season, he joined the New York Rangers, where he spent four seasons. In the 1970 off-season, he was told by Rangers management he would be unprotected for the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft to be picked up by either the Buffalo Sabres or the Vancouver Canucks (the franchise left the WHL to join the NHL). [1]

Kurtenbach's plaque on the Canucks' Ring of Honour in Rogers Arena. Orland Kurtenbach ring of honour.jpg
Kurtenbach's plaque on the Canucks' Ring of Honour in Rogers Arena.

Kurtenbach was obtained by the Canucks and was named the franchise's first NHL captain. [1] On December 12, 1970, he recorded the first hat trick in Canucks history in a 5-2 victory over the California Golden Seals, it was also the only hat trick he ever recorded in his career. He recorded at an NHL career high point-per-game pace with 53 points in 52 games, despite suffering a serious injury on December 23 that sidelined him until March 3. [2] The following season, he registered a career-high 61 points in 78 games. Many of Vancouver's players left the club that season, defecting to the nascent World Hockey Association (WHA) for larger salaries. [3] Kurtenbach himself was offered a $150,000 contract with the Los Angeles Sharks, but he declined. [3] He often played on a line with Wayne Maki and Murray Hall. [1] Kurtenbach retired from the NHL after his fourth season with Vancouver.

Kurtenbach finished his NHL career with 119 goals and 213 assists for 332 points in 639 games, adding 628 penalty minutes. On October 26, 2010, Kurtenbach was the first Canucks player inducted into the team's Ring of Honour. [1] A ceremony was held prior to a Canucks' game against the Colorado Avalanche. [1]

Coaching career

The season after his NHL retirement, Kurtenbach joined the Seattle Totems of the Central Hockey League, moving behind the bench as head coach. After a losing season with Seattle, he coached two seasons with the Tulsa Oilers of the same league and won a championship in his first season with them, 1975–76, being awarded the Jake Milford Trophy as CHL coach of the year.

In 1976–77, Kurtenbach returned to the NHL to replace Phil Maloney midway through the season as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks. This marked the third time in his playing and coaching career that he would represent Vancouver. However, after one and a half seasons and a 36–62–27 record, Kurtenbach was replaced by Harry Neale at the end of the 1977–78 season. Upon his replacement, Kurtenbach only returned to coaching to represent the Springfield Indians of the AHL in 1982 and the Richmond Sockeyes of the BCHL in 1986 (whom he guided to the 1987 Centennial Cup) before retiring.

Personal life

During his time with the Vancouver Canucks of the WHL, he met his wife. [1] In the 1970s he lived in north Burnaby with his wife Laurel and kids. In 1980s and 1990s he lived in White Rock, BC and operated a south Surrey, BC golf driving range.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1953–54 Prince Albert Mintos SJHL47294069481511102114
1954–55Prince Albert MintosSJHL48304171571087150
1954–55 Saskatoon Quakers WHL 10000—————
1955–56Prince Albert MintosSJHL4341387966125121713
1955–56 Saskatoon QuakersWHL3000420000
1955–56 Flin Flon Bombers M-Cup —————51342
1956–57Prince Albert MintosSJHL504854102115135111613
1956–57 Prince Albert MintosM-Cup—————51342
1957–58 Vancouver Canucks WHL521539545883368
1958–59 Buffalo Bisons AHL 70914237370000
1959–60 Vancouver CanucksWHL42112738511115611
1959–60 Springfield Indians AHL1406617—————
1960–61 Vancouver CanucksWHL5520274731—————
1960–61 New York Rangers NHL 100662—————
1961–62 Boston Bruins NHL80006—————
1961–62 Providence Reds AHL643133645131125
1962–63 San Francisco Seals WHL7030578794174131751
1963–64 Boston BruinsNHL7012253791—————
1964–65 Boston BruinsNHL646202686—————
1965–66 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL70961554400020
1966–67 New York RangersNHL601125365830220
1967–68 New York RangersNHL7315203582610126
1968–69 Omaha Knights CHL 10000—————
1968–69 New York RangersNHL20002—————
1969–70 New York RangersNHL534101447612324
1969–70 Buffalo BisonsAHL61562—————
1970–71 Vancouver Canucks NHL5221325384—————
1971–72 Vancouver CanucksNHL7824376148—————
1972–73 Vancouver CanucksNHL479192838—————
1973–74 Vancouver CanucksNHL528132130—————
WHL totals22376150226238388212970
NHL totals6391192133326281924670

Awards and achievements

Player

Coach

Coaching record

TeamYear Regular season Post season
GWLTPtsDivision rankResult
Vancouver Canucks 1976-77 45161910(42)4th in SmytheMissed playoffs
Vancouver Canucks 1977-78 80204317573rd in SmytheMissed playoffs
Total125366227

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Derek Jory (2010-10-25). "The first". Vancouver Canucks. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
  2. ↑ "1970-71 Canuck Results". The Canuck Library. 2010-08-29. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. 1 2 "Ring of Hnour for Kurtenbach". Montreal Gazette . 2010-10-25. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
Preceded by
Position created
 NHL Vancouver Canucks captain
1971–74 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Head coach of the Vancouver Canucks
1977–78 		Succeeded by
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