Orland Kurtenbach played 639 regular season games in the National Hockey League, spread out over a 14 year period. That equates to just a 45 games per year average. Time spent in the minors and a serious back injury reduced what could have been a much lengthier NHL career.
Over that 14 year span, Kurtenbach played just 19 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs. A championship was never within his grasp in the NHL. However, he was a member of three championship teams in the WHL as a player and a CHL title with the Tulsa Oilers as a head coach.
Junior and Minor Pro
NHL Career
Hockey Card Collection
Coaching Career
Rookie Card
Career Stats
Orland Kurtenbach – Junior and Minor Pro
Kurtenbach played four years with the Prince Albert Mintos of the SJHL from 1953-54 to 1956-57. In both 1956 and 1957, he joined the Flin Flon Bombers for the Memorial Cup playoffs after the Bombers eliminated the Mintos. Over his four years, Orland scored 148 and assisted on 173 for 321 points over 188 regular season games.
In his rookie season with Prince Albert, Orland led the SJHL in assists and the Mintos lost in the finals to Flin Flon. The series went ten games with the Bombers winning five and tying one. The following year, Prince Albert again reached the finals but fell to the Humboldt Indians in five games.
In both 1955-56 and 1956-57, Prince Albert again fell to the Flin Flon Bombers. In both years, Kurtenbach was picked up by the Bombers for their attempt at reaching the Memorial Cup. In 1955-56, Flin Flon lost to the Regina Pats in the Abbott Cup semi-final. The following year, they were swept by the Fort William Canadiens in the Abbott Cup final. In 1955-56, Kurtenbach was named a SJHL First Team All-Star Centre.
Orland’s first pro action came with the Saskatoon Quakers of the WHL while still a junior in 1954-55 and 1955-56. In his first full season of pro, 1957-58, Kurtenbach scored 12 and assisted on 39 for 54 points over 52 regular season games with the Vancouver Canucks. He was named the WHL Rookie of the Year. That year, he appeared in eight playoff games as the Canucks won the championship, beating the Calgary Stampeders in the finals.
In 1959-60, he would win another WHL championship with Vancouver, beating out the Hal Laycoe coached Victoria Cougars in the finals. Two years later, his individual numbers took the spotlight, finishing tied for tenth in the American Hockey League with 31 goals. At the time, he was playing for the Fern Flaman coached Providence Reds.
Kurtenbach’s 1962-63 WHL season was the key to getting him a full-time job in the National Hockey League. Playing all 70 regular season games for the San Francisco Seals, he scored 30 and assisted on 57 for 87 points. He was second on the team in scoring, behind Nick Mickoski. His 57 assists were good for third in the league and he finished fifth in overall scoring.
In the 1962-63 WHL playoffs, Orland added 17 points over 17 games. The Seals won the championship, beating out the Seattle Totems in the finals.
Orland Kurtenbach – NHL
Between 1960-61 and 1973-74, Kurtenbach played 639 regular season games in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks. Over that time, he scored 119 and assisted on 213 for 332 points. In just 19 Stanley Cup playoff games, he added six assists.
Orland Kurtenbach Collection
His first go-around with the Rangers consisted on just ten games during the 1960-61 season. After being picked up by the Bruins, Orland was traded on June 8, 1965 to the Toronto Maple Leafs with Andy Hebenton and Pat Stapleton for Ron Stewart. Kurtenbach played just one season with the Maple Leafs while Stapleton and Hebenton never played a game with the club.
In 1968-69, now property of the New York Rangers again, Orland fell to a serious back injury that required spinal surgery. He appeared in just two games with the Rangers and a single game in the Central Hockey League with the Omaha Knights.
At the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft, Kurtenbach was taken fourth overall by the Canucks. He was Vancouver’s second pick behind defenseman Gary Doak. Orland became the first ever team captain in Canucks history. He won the Cyclone Taylor Trophy as the team’s MVP in his first three years.
His best offensive season came with Vancouver in 1971-72 when he totaled 61 points on 24 goals and 37 assists over 78 games. 1970-71 was destined to be his best if he’d completed the full season. In an injury reduced 52 games, he scored 21 and totaled 53 points. Projected over a full 78 game schedule, it could have been 32 goals and 48 assists for 80 points.
Kurtenbach could have made the jump to the World Hockey Association for the rebel league’s inaugural 1972-73 season. He was offered a lucrative contract with the Los Angeles Sharks but declined and stayed in Vancouver.
Orland Kurtenbach – Coaching
Orland jumped right into a head coaching position for the 1974-75 season. He coached the Seattle Totems of the Central Hockey League. The following year, he switched to the Tulsa Oilers and great success with the Canucks CHL affiliate. The team finished first overall in 1975-76 and won the playoff championship with a win over the Dallas Black Hawks in the finals. Kurtenbach was named the recipient of the Jake Milford Trophy as CHL coach of the year.
In 1976-77, Kurtenbach took over as head coach of the Canucks midseason, replacing Phil Maloney. He spent the full 1977-78 NHL season as head coach in Vancouver. The team did not qualify for the post season and was replaced by Harry Neale for the following season.
His last year of coaching at the pro level was 1982-83 with the Springfield Indians in the American Hockey League. The Indians finished last in the seven team Southern Division and eleventh overall in the 13 team AHL. Springfield did not qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs.
Orland Kurtenbach – Rookie Card
The Orland Kurtenbach rookie card appears as number 15 in the 1961-62 Topps set. He is shown as a member of the Boston Bruins. At the time, he’d played just ten games in the NHL, all with the New York Rangers in 1960-61.
He would play just eight games with the Bruins in the 1961-62 NHL season before spending the full 1962-63 season in the WHL with the San Francisco Seals. The backs of his cards more than once mention that he was highly recommended by Hockey Hall of Fame great Maurice Richard.
Orland Kurtenbach Career Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1953-54 | Prince Albert Mintos | SJHL | 47 | 29 | 40 | 69 | 48 |
| 1954-55 | Saskatoon Quakers | WHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1954-55 | Prince Albert Mintos | SJHL | 48 | 30 | 41 | 71 | 57 |
| 1955-56 | Saskatoon Quakers | WHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1955-56 | Prince Albert Mintos | SJHL | 43 | 41 | 38 | 79 | 66 |
| 1956-57 | Prince Albert Mintos | SJHL | 50 | 48 | 54 | 102 | 115 |
| 1957-58 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 52 | 15 | 39 | 54 | 58 |
| 1958-59 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 70 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 73 |
| 1959-60 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 42 | 11 | 27 | 38 | 51 |
| 1959-60 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 14 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 17 |
| 1960-61 | New York Rangers | NHL | 10 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| 1960-61 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 55 | 20 | 27 | 47 | 31 |
| 1961-62 | Providence Reds | AHL | 64 | 31 | 33 | 64 | 51 |
| 1961-62 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1962-63 | San Francisco Seals | WHL | 70 | 30 | 57 | 87 | 94 |
| 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 |
| 1966-67 | New York Rangers | NHL | 60 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 58 |
| 1967-68 | New York Rangers | NHL | 73 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 82 |
| 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 |
| 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 | 639 | 119 | 213 | 332 | 628 |
Below is video of a tilt between Orland Kurtenbach and Wayne Cashman in a game between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins during the 1969-70 NHL season. Kurtenbach is wearing number 25 for the Rangers.