Curtis Joseph facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Curtis Joseph |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joseph in 2013
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | April 29, 1967 Keswick, Ontario, Canada |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goaltender | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Caught | Left | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Played for | St. Louis Blues Edmonton Oilers Toronto Maple Leafs Detroit Red Wings Phoenix Coyotes Calgary Flames |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NHL Draft | Undrafted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1989–2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Curtis Shayne Joseph (born April 29, 1967) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional player. He was a talented goaltender in the NHL. His nickname was "Cujo".
Joseph was easy to spot on the ice because of his cool masks. These masks often showed a snarling dog. This design was inspired by the famous book Cujo by Stephen King.
During his long NHL career, Joseph played for several teams. He became very well-known during the playoffs. He played for the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He also played for the Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, and Calgary Flames. His last season was with the Maple Leafs in 2008–09.
Curtis Joseph was also part of Canada's team that won a gold medal. This happened at the 2002 Winter Olympics. He retired with 454 career wins. This was the most wins for any NHL goalie who never won the Stanley Cup. He was also the first goalie to get 30 or more wins in a season for five different teams.
Contents
Early Life and Hockey Start
Curtis Joseph was born on April 29, 1967. He was raised by Jeanne and Harold Joseph. He grew up in Sharon, East Gwillimbury, Ontario.
Curtis started playing hockey for local teams. He played for the East Gwillimbury Eagles. Later, he moved to Wilcox, Saskatchewan. There, he played for Notre Dame College. He helped the Notre Dame Hounds win the Centennial Cup in 1988.
After that, he played for the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Even though he was a good player, no NHL team drafted him. But the St. Louis Blues signed him as a free agent in 1989. Before joining the NHL, he played 23 games for the Peoria Rivermen in the IHL.
Playing Career Highlights
Curtis Joseph, known as "Cujo," always wore the number 31. He wore it for all the teams he played for. These teams included the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, and Calgary Flames.
He was chosen for the NHL All-Star Game three times. This happened in 1994, 1999, and 2000. In 2000, he won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. This award is for players who show great leadership and help their community. In 2002, he won an Olympic Gold Medal with Team Canada.
College Hockey at Wisconsin
Joseph started his college hockey career at the University of Wisconsin. He won 21 games for the Badgers. He was also named to the WCHA All-Conference Team. After his first year, the St. Louis Blues signed him. He joined them even though he was not drafted.
NHL Career Journey
St. Louis Blues
.jpg)
Curtis Joseph joined the NHL in 1990. He started his career with the St. Louis Blues. His best season with the Blues was 1992–93. He played a big part in their upset win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blues swept them in four games in the first round of the playoffs.
They then played the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs won, but the series went to seven games. Joseph's amazing play kept the Blues in the series. Because of his efforts, he was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. This award goes to the best goalie in the NHL. He finished third in the voting that year. After the 1995 playoffs, the Blues traded his rights to the Edmonton Oilers.
Edmonton Oilers
Joseph signed with the Las Vegas Thunder in the IHL for a short time. This showed the NHL that he was still a top goalie. The Edmonton Oilers then signed him. With the Oilers, Joseph won two team MVP awards. He also won the Most Popular Player award.
He led the Oilers to big playoff upsets. They beat the Dallas Stars in 1997. They also beat the Colorado Avalanche in 1998. These were the Oilers' first playoff series wins since 1992.
Toronto Maple Leafs
After the 1997–98 season, Joseph joined the Toronto Maple Leafs. He had three seasons in a row with 30 or more wins. He was a runner-up for the Vezina Trophy twice. He also won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2000.
Joseph was key to the Leafs reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. This happened in 1999 and 2002. In 2000, he was a major reason the Leafs won Game One against the New Jersey Devils. He stopped many shots in that game.
After the 2001–02 season, Joseph left the Leafs. He signed with the Detroit Red Wings.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings had just won the Stanley Cup in 2002. They signed Curtis Joseph for the 2002–03 season. Joseph had a strong second half of the season. He helped his team win their division title. However, the Red Wings lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2003. They were swept by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
In 2003, Dominik Hašek decided to return from retirement. This meant the Red Wings had two top goalies. Joseph played well when Hašek was injured. The Red Wings finished first in the league in 2004. Joseph helped them win their first-round playoff series. They beat the Nashville Predators in six games. The Red Wings then lost to the Calgary Flames in the second round. Joseph was one of the best goalies in the 2004 playoffs.
Phoenix Coyotes
In 2005, Curtis Joseph signed with the Phoenix Coyotes. The team's new coach, Wayne Gretzky, called him personally. On October 28, 2005, he won his 400th NHL game. This was a big milestone.
On March 28, 2006, he got his 424th career win. This moved him into sixth place on the NHL's all-time list. He became the first goalie to have 30 or more wins for five different teams. These teams were St. Louis, Edmonton, Toronto, Detroit, and Phoenix.
Calgary Flames
On January 14, 2008, Joseph signed with the Calgary Flames. On March 1, 2008, he passed Terry Sawchuk for fourth place in all-time NHL wins. He got his 448th win against his old team, the Phoenix Coyotes.
On April 13, 2008, Joseph played in a playoff game. He replaced the starting goalie and helped the Flames win. This made him the first goalie to win a playoff game for five different teams. These teams were St. Louis, Edmonton, Toronto, Detroit, and Calgary.
Return to Toronto
On July 1, 2008, Joseph returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He signed a one-year contract. He mostly played as a backup goalie that season. On December 30, 2008, he got his 450th career win. This was a 4–3 overtime victory.
Joseph announced his retirement on January 12, 2010. He ended his career with 454 regular season wins. This is the fifth most all-time for a goalie. He also had 63 playoff wins. This is the most by a goalie who never won the Stanley Cup.
.jpg)
After retiring, Joseph worked as a goaltending consultant. He worked for the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2016–17 season.
International Play
Curtis Joseph played for the Canada men's national ice hockey team. He played in several big international tournaments. These included the 1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.
He also played in the 2002 Winter Olympics. He helped Team Canada win the gold medal there. In 2007, he helped lead the team to win the 2007 Spengler Cup.
Personal Life
Curtis Joseph is married and has a family with seven children. His autobiography, Cujo: The Untold Story of My Life On and Off the Ice, was released in 2018.
Joseph will be inducted into the St. Louis Blues Hall of Fame in January 2025.
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1984–85 | King City Dukes | MetJHL | 18 | — | — | — | — | 947 | 76 | — | 4.82 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Newmarket Flyers | OJHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 120 | 16 | — | 8.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Richmond Hill Dynes | OJHL | 33 | 12 | 18 | 0 | — | 1716 | 156 | 1 | 5.45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Richmond Hill Dynes | OJHL | 30 | 14 | 7 | 6 | — | 1764 | 128 | 1 | 4.35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Notre Dame Hounds | SJHL | 36 | 25 | 4 | 7 | — | 2174 | 94 | 1 | 2.59 | .916 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Notre Dame Hounds | CC | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 1 | 321 | 17 | — | 3.17 | — | ||
| 1988–89 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 38 | 21 | 11 | 5 | — | 2267 | 94 | 1 | 2.49 | .919 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Peoria Rivermen | IHL | 23 | 10 | 8 | 2 | — | 1241 | 80 | 0 | 3.87 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | — | 852 | 48 | 0 | 3.38 | .890 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 327 | 18 | 0 | 3.30 | .892 | ||
| 1990–91 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 30 | 16 | 10 | 2 | — | 1710 | 89 | 0 | 3.12 | .898 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 60 | 27 | 20 | 10 | — | 3494 | 175 | 2 | 3.01 | .910 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 379 | 23 | 0 | 3.64 | .894 | ||
| 1992–93 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 68 | 29 | 28 | 9 | — | 3890 | 196 | 1 | 3.02 | .911 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 715 | 27 | 2 | 2.27 | .938 | ||
| 1993–94 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 71 | 36 | 23 | 11 | — | 4127 | 213 | 1 | 3.10 | .911 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 246 | 15 | 0 | 3.66 | .905 | ||
| 1994–95 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 36 | 20 | 10 | 1 | — | 1914 | 89 | 1 | 2.79 | .902 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 392 | 24 | 0 | 3.67 | .865 | ||
| 1995–96 | Las Vegas Thunder | IHL | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | — | 873 | 29 | 1 | 1.99 | .929 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 34 | 15 | 16 | 2 | — | 1935 | 111 | 0 | 3.44 | .886 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 72 | 32 | 29 | 9 | — | 4089 | 200 | 6 | 2.93 | .907 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 767 | 36 | 2 | 2.82 | .911 | ||
| 1997–98 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 71 | 29 | 31 | 9 | — | 4132 | 181 | 8 | 2.63 | .905 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 715 | 23 | 3 | 1.93 | .928 | ||
| 1998–99 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 67 | 35 | 24 | 7 | — | 4001 | 171 | 3 | 2.56 | .910 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 1011 | 41 | 1 | 2.43 | .907 | ||
| 1999–00 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 63 | 36 | 20 | 7 | — | 3801 | 158 | 4 | 2.49 | .915 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 729 | 25 | 1 | 2.06 | .932 | ||
| 2000–01 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 68 | 33 | 27 | 8 | — | 4100 | 163 | 6 | 2.39 | .915 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 685 | 24 | 3 | 2.10 | .927 | ||
| 2001–02 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 51 | 29 | 17 | 5 | — | 3065 | 114 | 4 | 2.23 | .906 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 1253 | 48 | 3 | 2.30 | .934 | ||
| 2002–03 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 61 | 34 | 19 | 6 | — | 3566 | 148 | 5 | 2.49 | .912 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 289 | 10 | 0 | 2.08 | .917 | ||
| 2003–04 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 60 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 | .952 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 31 | 16 | 10 | 3 | — | 1708 | 68 | 2 | 2.39 | .909 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 518 | 12 | 1 | 1.39 | .939 | ||
| 2005–06 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 60 | 32 | 21 | — | 3 | 3424 | 166 | 4 | 2.91 | .902 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 55 | 18 | 31 | — | 2 | 2993 | 159 | 4 | 3.19 | .893 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 9 | 3 | 2 | — | 0 | 399 | 17 | 0 | 2.55 | .906 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 79 | 1 | 0 | 0.76 | .970 | ||
| 2008–09 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 21 | 5 | 9 | — | 1 | 383 | 50 | 0 | 3.57 | .869 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 943 | 454 | 352 | 90 | 6 | 54,055 | 2,516 | 51 | 2.79 | .906 | 132 | 63 | 66 | 8,106 | 327 | 16 | 2.45 | .917 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Canada | WC | 8 | — | — | — | 409 | 12 | 2 | 1.94 | .916 | |
| 1996 | Canada | WCH | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 468 | 18 | 1 | 2.31 | .908 | |
| 2002 | Canada | OLY | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 5 | 0 | 5.00 | .800 | |
| Senior totals | 16 | — | — | — | 937 | 35 | 3 | 2.24 | — | |||
Awards and Honours
.jpg)
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-WCHA First Team | 1988–89 | |
| AHCA West Second-Team All-American | 1988–89 | |
| NHL | ||
| NHL All-Star Game | 1994, 1999, 2000 | |
| King Clancy Memorial Trophy | 2000 | |
- Inducted into St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame, 2015
- Inducted into St. Louis Blues Hall of Fame, 2025
See also
- List of NHL goaltenders with 300 wins
- List of National Hockey League statistical leaders
