Gary Kurt

Gary David Kurt (born March 9, 1947, in Kitchener, Ontario) is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender.

Playing career Kurt played Junior hockey for the Ontario Hockey Association'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/Golden Blades/Jersey Knights 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. He was named by the team as their most valuable player. 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.

Awards 1971 AHL First All-Star Team 1971 Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award 1974 NAHL First All-Star Team

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV% 1963–64 Kitchener Rangers OHA 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 — 17 — — 1020 67 1 3.94 — 1966–67 Kitchener Rangers OHA 16 — — — 940 69 0 4.40 — — — — — — — — — 1967–68 Omaha Knights CHL 34 5 21 3 1842 124 0 4.04 — — — — — — — — — 1968–69 Omaha Knights CHL 35 — — — 1940 108 1 3.34 — 3 1 0 104 5 0 2.88 — 1969–70 Cleveland Barons AHL 40 — — — 2320 121 2 3.13 — — — — — — — — — 1970–71 Cleveland Barons AHL 42 24 12 3 2263 101 3 2.67 — 7 4 3 420 20 0 2.85 — 1971–72 Baltimore Clippers AHL 17 12 4 1 1020 47 1 2.76 — — — — — — — — — 1971–72 California Golden Seals NHL 16 1 7 5 838 60 0 4.30 .856 — — — — — — — — 1972–73 New York Raiders WHA 38 10 21 0 1881 150 0 4.78 .855 — — — — — — — — 1973–74 New York Golden Blades/Jersey Knights WHA 20 8 10 0 1089 75 0 4.13 .867 — — — — — — — — 1973–74 Syracuse Blazers NAHL 24 — — — 1357 66 0 2.92 — — — — — — — — — 1974–75 Phoenix Roadrunners WHA 47 25 16 4 2841 156 2 3.29 .885 4 1 2 207 12 0 3.48 — 1975–76 Phoenix Roadrunners WHA 40 18 20 2 2369 147 1 3.72 .873 — — — — — — — — 1976–77 Phoenix Roadrunners WHA 33 11 19 1 1752 162 0 5.55 .838 — — — — — — — — 1976–77 Oklahoma City Blazers CHL 3 — — — 180 15 0 5.00 — — — — — — — — — 1978–79 Cambridge Hornets OHA Sr 19 — — — 1140 86 0 4,53 — — — — — — — — — WHA totals 176 72 86 7 9932 690 3 4.17 .865 4 1 2 207 12 0 3.48 — NHL totals 16 1 7 5 838 60 0 4.30 .856 — — — — — — — —