Gary Kurt
Encyclopedia
Gary David Kurt is a retired professional ice hockey
goaltender
.
's Kitchener Rangers
, at the time owned by the New York Rangers
. Later he played two seasons for the Rangers' affiliate in the Central Hockey League
, the Omaha Knights
. After the 1968–69 season he was acquired by the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League
.
After another two seasons in the AHL he broke into the NHL
with the California Golden Seals
, who acquired his rights from the Barons prior to the 1971–72 NHL season. He spent the first half of the season playing for the Golden Seals' affiliate Baltimore Clippers
, but was called up to the Seals in January 1972 to replace Lyle Carter
as Gilles Meloche
's back-up. In February he was chosen by the new World Hockey Association
's New York Raiders in their player draft. After completing his season with California he defected to the new league.
Kurt spent the following two seasons with the Raiders franchise, backing-up Pete Donnelly and Joe Junkin, playing alongside former Seals Brian Perry
, Bobby Sheehan
, Kent Douglas
, Mike Laughton
and Norm Ferguson
. He was chosen by the Phoenix Roadrunners
in the 1974 WHA Expansion Draft, and finally given the chance to be starting goaltender for a major professional team.
His first season with the Roadrunners was his most successful professional one, winning 25 games and leading the Roadrunners to a playoff berth, but they were quickly dismissed by the Quebec Nordiques
. The following season he shared goaltending duties with Jack Norris
, and by 1976 he was once again relegated to being a back-up. At the end of the season he retired.
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...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
.
Playing career
Kurt played Junior hockey for the Ontario Hockey AssociationOntario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
's Kitchener Rangers
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
, at the time owned by the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. Later he played two seasons for the Rangers' affiliate in the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
, the Omaha Knights
Omaha Knights
The Omaha Knights were a minor league professional ice hockey team from 1959 to 1975, based in Omaha, Nebraska at the Ak-Sar-Ben arena. The Knights were founded in 1959 as members of the International Hockey League...
. After the 1968–69 season he was acquired by the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League
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...
.
After another two seasons in the AHL he broke into 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...
with the California Golden Seals
California Golden Seals
The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of...
, who acquired his rights from the Barons prior to the 1971–72 NHL season. He spent the first half of the season playing for the Golden Seals' affiliate Baltimore Clippers
Baltimore Clippers
The Baltimore Clippers were an American ice hockey team. They were the first of three Baltimore entries into the American Hockey League, who played from 1962–76...
, but was called up to the Seals in January 1972 to replace Lyle Carter
Lyle Carter
Lyle Dwight Carter is a former professional hockey goalie, who played briely in the NHL. He was also an all-Canadian softball player....
as Gilles Meloche
Gilles Meloche
Gilles Meloche is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, Minnesota North Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins...
's back-up. In February he was chosen by the new World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
's New York Raiders in their player draft. After completing his season with California he defected to the new league.
Kurt spent the following two seasons with the Raiders franchise, backing-up Pete Donnelly and Joe Junkin, playing alongside former Seals Brian Perry
Brian Perry
Brian Thomas Perry is a former professional ice hockey left wing. He played in the National Hockey League with the Oakland Seals and Buffalo Sabres, as well as in the World Hockey Association with the New York Raiders, New York Golden Blades, New Jersey Knights, and San Diego Mariners.In his NHL...
, Bobby Sheehan
Bobby Sheehan (ice hockey)
Robert Richard Sheehan is a retired National Hockey League center.-Career:A small player by hockey standards, Sheehan made up for his physical deficits by leading the NSJHL minor league with 64 goals his rookie year...
, Kent Douglas
Kent Douglas
Kent Gemmell Douglas was a professional ice hockey defenceman and coach.-Early career:Douglas started his career with the Kitchener Canucks in the Ontario Hockey Association...
, Mike Laughton
Mike Laughton
Michael Frederick Laughton is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 189 games in the National Hockey League and 203 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the California Golden Seals, New York Raiders, New York Golden Blades, New Jersey Knights, and San Diego...
and Norm Ferguson
Norm Ferguson
Norman Gerard Ferguson is a Canadian former ice hockey player.Ferguson was a forward who played in either centre or right wing and played in the National Hockey League with the Oakland / California Seals. Ferguson holds the Seals single-season record for goals; he scored 34 during the 1968-1969...
. He was chosen by the Phoenix Roadrunners
Phoenix Roadrunners (WHA)
The Phoenix Roadrunners were a team in the now defunct World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1977. They played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona...
in the 1974 WHA Expansion Draft, and finally given the chance to be starting goaltender for a major professional team.
His first season with the Roadrunners was his most successful professional one, winning 25 games and leading the Roadrunners to a playoff berth, but they were quickly dismissed by the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
. The following season he shared goaltending duties with Jack Norris
Jack Norris
John Wayne "Jack" Norris is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. Although never drafted, Norris went on to play parts of four seasons in the NHL, along with another four seasons in the WHA. He broke into the NHL in the 1964–65 season, playing 23 games as the backup to Eddie Johnston, but...
, and by 1976 he was once again relegated to being a back-up. At the end of the season he retired.
Awards
- 1971 AHL First All-Star Team
- 1971 Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award
- 1974 NAHL First All-Star Team
Regular season
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–64 | Kitchener Rangers Kitchener Rangers The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted... |
OHA Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
11 | 620 | 49 | 0 | 4.74 | |||
| 1964–65 | Kitchener Rangers | OHA | 21 | 1240 | 103 | 0 | 4.96 | |||
| 1965–66 | Kitchener Rangers | OHA | 9 | 540 | 33 | 1 | 3.67 | |||
| 1966–67 | Kitchener Rangers | OHA | 16 | 940 | 69 | 0 | 4.40 | |||
| 1967–68 | Omaha Knights Omaha Knights The Omaha Knights were a minor league professional ice hockey team from 1959 to 1975, based in Omaha, Nebraska at the Ak-Sar-Ben arena. The Knights were founded in 1959 as members of the International Hockey League... |
CHL Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs.... |
34 | 5 | 21 | 3 | 1842 | 124 | 0 | 4.04 |
| 1968–69 | Omaha Knights | CHL | 35 | 1940 | 108 | 1 | 3.34 | |||
| 1969–70 | Cleveland Barons | 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... |
40 | 2320 | 121 | 2 | 3.13 | |||
| 1970–71 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 42 | 24 | 12 | 3 | 2263 | 101 | 3 | 2.67 |
| 1971–72 | Baltimore Clippers Baltimore Clippers The Baltimore Clippers were an American ice hockey team. They were the first of three Baltimore entries into the American Hockey League, who played from 1962–76... |
AHL | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1020 | 47 | 1 | 2.76 |
| 1971–72 | California Golden Seals California Golden Seals The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of... |
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... |
16 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 838 | 60 | 0 | 4.30 |
| 1972–73 | New York Raiders | WHA World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926... |
38 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 1881 | 150 | 0 | 4.78 |
| 1973–74 | New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights | WHA | 20 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 1089 | 75 | 0 | 4.13 |
| 1973–74 | Syracuse Blazers Syracuse Blazers The Syracuse Blazers were a minor league hockey team that played in the Onondaga County War Memorial and New York State Fair Coliseum in Syracuse, New York.... |
NAHL | 24 | 1357 | 66 | 0 | 2.92 | |||
| 1974–75 | Phoenix Roadrunners Phoenix Roadrunners (WHA) The Phoenix Roadrunners were a team in the now defunct World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1977. They played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona... |
WHA | 47 | 25 | 16 | 4 | 2841 | 156 | 2 | 3.29 |
| 1975–76 | Phoenix Roadrunners | WHA | 40 | 18 | 20 | 2 | 2369 | 147 | 1 | 3.72 |
| 1976–77 | Phoenix Roadrunners | WHA | 33 | 11 | 19 | 1 | 1752 | 162 | 0 | 5.55 |
| 1976–77 | Oklahoma City Blazers Oklahoma City Blazers The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white... |
CHL | 3 | 180 | 15 | 0 | 5.00 | |||
| NHL Totals | 16 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 838 | 60 | 0 | 4.30 | ||
| WHA Totals | 176 | 72 | 86 | 7 | 9932 | 690 | 3 | 4.17 | ||
Playoffs
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965–66 | Kitchener Rangers | OHA | 17 | 1020 | 67 | 1 | 3.94 | ||
| 1968–69 | Omaha Knights | CHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 104 | 5 | 0 | 2.88 |
| 1970–71 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 7 | 4 | 3 | 420 | 20 | 0 | 2.85 |
| 1974–75 | Phoenix Roadrunners | WHA | 4 | 1 | 2 | 207 | 12 | 0 | 3.48 |
| WHA Totals | 4 | 1 | 2 | 207 | 12 | 0 | 3.48 | ||