Orland Kurtenbach

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.

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. It was at this time that Kurtenbach began playing organized hockey. 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. He often played on a line with Wayne Maki and Murray Hall. 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. A ceremony was held before a Canucks' game against the Colorado Avalanche.

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. 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 seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1953–54 Prince Albert Mintos SJHL 47 29 40 69 48 15 11 10 21 14 1954–55 Prince Albert Mintos SJHL 48 30 41 71 57 10 8 7 15 0 1954–55 Saskatoon Quakers WHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1955–56 Prince Albert Mintos SJHL43 41 38 79 66 12 5 12 17 13 1955–56 Saskatoon Quakers WHL 3 0 0 0 4 2 0 0 0 0 1955–56 Flin Flon Bombers M-Cup — — — — — 5 1 3 4 2 1956–57 Prince Albert MintosSJHL 50 48 54 102 115 13 5 11 16 13 1956–57 Prince Albert Mintos M-Cup — — — — — 5 1 3 4 2 1957–58 Vancouver Canucks WHL 52 15 39 54 58 8 3 3 6 8 1958–59 Buffalo Bisons AHL 70 9 14 23 73 7 0 0 0 0 1959–60 Vancouver Canucks WHL 42 11 27 38 51 11 1 5 6 11 1959–60 Springfield Indians AHL 14 0 6 6 17 — — — — — 1960–61 Vancouver Canucks WHL 55 20 27 47 31 — — — — — 1960–61 New York Rangers NHL 10 0 6 6 2 — — — — — 1961–62 Boston Bruins NHL 8 0 0 0 6 — — — — — 1961–62 Providence Reds AHL 64 31 33 64 51 3 1 1 2 5 1962–63 San Francisco Seals WHL 70 30 57 87 94 17 4 13 17 51 1963–64 Boston Bruins NHL 70 12 25 37 91 — — — — — 1964–65 Boston Bruins NHL 64 6 20 26 86 — — — — — 1965–66 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 70 9 6 15 54 4 0 0 0 20 1966–67 New York Rangers NHL 60 11 25 36 58 3 0 2 2 0 1967–68 New York Rangers NHL 73 15 20 35 82 6 1 0 1 26 1968–69 Omaha Knights CHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1968–69 New York Rangers NHL 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1969–70 New York Rangers NHL 53 4 10 14 47 6 1 2 3 24 1969–70 Buffalo Bisons AHL 6 1 5 6 2 — — — — — 1970–71 Vancouver Canucks NHL 52 21 32 53 84 — — — — — 1971–72 Vancouver Canucks NHL 78 24 37 61 48 — — — — — 1972–73 Vancouver Canucks NHL 47 9 19 28 38 — — — — — 1973–74 Vancouver Canucks NHL 52 8 13 21 30 — — — — — WHL totals 223 76 150 226 238 38 8 21 29 70 NHL totals 639 119 213 332 628 19 2 4 6 70

Awards and achievements Player WHL Rookie of the Year - 1958 Cyclone Taylor Trophy (Vancouver Canucks' MVP) - 1971, 1972, 1973 Cyrus H. McLean Trophy (Vancouver Canucks' leading scorer) - 1972 (tied with André Boudrias)

Coach Jake Milford Trophy (CHL coach of the year) - 1976

Coaching record Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Division rank ResultVAN1976-7745161910(42)4th in SmytheMissed playoffsVAN1977-7880204317573rd in SmytheMissed playoffsTotal 125366227