Orland Kurtenbach

Orland John Kurtenbach (born September 7, 1936, in Cudworth, Saskatchewan) is a retired Canadian professional 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 teams during his twenty professional seasons, principally the Vancouver Canucks, with whom he became the NHL franchise's inaugural captain. 
==Playing Career==
Growing up in Saskatchewan, Kurtenbach played junior hockey in the SJHL with the Prince Albert Mintos for two seasons, also making two brief professional appearances with the Saskatoon Quakers of the Western Hockey League during that time. In 1957, after Prince Albert was eliminated from the play-offs, Kurtenbach was picked up by the Flin Flon Bombers, where he helped the team win the Memorial Cup in 1956-57. 
In 1957–58, Kurtenbach turned pro, completing his first season with the minor league Vancouver Canucks of the WHL, scoring 54 points in 52 games en route to earning Rookie of the Year honours. 
The majority of the Kurtenbach's early professional career would be 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 would not play his first full NHL season until 1960–61 with the Bruins. He would stay in the NHL for the remainder of his playing career, and after two full seasons with the Bruins, one season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and four seasons with the New York Rangers, Kurtenbach's career would come full circle as he would play for the Vancouver Canucks once more.
The Canucks, who joined the NHL from the WHL in 1970–71, obtained Kurtenbach in the expansion draft and named him the franchise's first team captain. With Vancouver, Kurtenbach found his niche and tallied career highs in 1971–72 with 61 points in 78 games while showing notable defensive skill. In comparison, his previous best was just 37 points in 70 games during his rookie season. However, plagued by a bad back and other injuries which eroded his playing time and his newly-found scoring skills, after four seasons with the Canucks, Kurtenbach retired.
Kurtenbach finished his NHL career with 119 goals and 213 assists for 332 points in 639 games, adding 628 penalty minutes.
===Awards and achievements===
* 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)
* Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame - Class of 2016
==Career Statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1954–55 	Saskatoon Quakers 	WHL 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1955–56 	Saskatoon Quakers 	WHL 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	4 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0
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 	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 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	639 	119 	213 	332 	628 	 	19 	2 	4 	6 	70
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==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. 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 would only return to coaching with the Springfield Indians of the AHL in 1982 and the Richmond Sockeyes of the BCHL in 1986 before retiring. 
===Awards and Achievements===
*Jake Milford Trophy (CHL coach of the year) - 1976
==Gallery==
1964-Orland_Kurtenbach.jpg|Orland Kurtenbach became an NHL regular in the 1963-64 season.
10Nov1964-Boivin_Howe_Lindsay_Kurtenbach.jpg|Ted Lindsay, Orland Kurtenbach, Leo Boivin, Gordie Howe, Eddie Johnston, November 10, 1964.
==External Links==
* 
Category:Born in 1936
Category:Buffalo Bisons players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Omaha Knights (CHL) players
Category:Providence Reds players
Category:San Francisco Seals players
Category:Saskatoon Quakers (WHL) players
Category:Springfield Indians players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:Vancouver Canucks (WHL) players
Category:Vancouver Canucks coaches
Category:Vancouver Canucks players
Category:Retired in 1974