Curtis Joseph started his career in the NHL in June of 1989. The year before he had had an excellent season for the University of Wisconsin in the Western Collegial League. That year his average was a pretty good 2.49 winning 21 out of 38 games. Afterwards, he was acquired by the St.Louis Blues, but he would not get a chance to play in the 1988-1989 NHL season.
In the 1989-1990 NHL season, Curtis' talent paid off when he first appeared in an NHL regular season game against his future team, the Oilers. The Blues failed to win, but it was the start of a succesful career for the young Joseph . Cujo then played 14 more games that season with the Blues and 23 with the affiliate team in the International League (the Peoria Rivermen). His first game win came on Jan. 30, 1989 against the New York Islanders.
Joseph went on to achieve such goals on the blues such as winning 100 times in 209 games. The least amount of games to achieve 100 wins then any other Blues goalie. He also came 3rd in Venzina votes behind Tom Barraso and Ed Belfor at the end of the 1992-1993 hockey season. While he also kept a pretty good average of 20-or-more games from the 1991-1992 hockey season through the 1994-1995 hockey season and, in the 1993-1994 hockey season won a career high 36 games.
But change struck in the 1995-1996 season when contract disputes and disputes between Mike Keenan (Coach) and Curtis Joseph arose. Soon afterward Cujo would find himself packing for Las Vegas. There were dark days spent in the IHL on the Las Vegas Thunder as Curtis Joseph longed for a return to the NHL. But soon it would pay off when in mid-season Curtis would be packing his bags again, only this time from the hot South to the cold North.
"Cujo" signed with the Oilers in mid-season of the 1995-1996 hockey season replacing superstar goaltender Bill Ranford. An interesting swap and many Edmontonians were unsure he could fill those large shoes. "Cujo" did not disappoint, though he could not bring them to the playoffs, he reassured the Oilers that they had great goaltending.
When the off season came that year, the hockey World Championships came with it, and Ron Low as the head coach, needed good goaltending.
He did not have to look far as he turned to Curtis Joseph yet again for the help he needed. Cujo again did not let him down and though Canada didn't win the gold, Curtis led them to a silver medal. He also played in the World Cup of hockey that year, and again they got silver.
In the next season (1996-1997) Curtis finally led the youthful Oilers to the playoffs. The first time the franchise had made it in a 4 year span. They won in a seven game series against the powerful Dallas stars in the first round. But they lost to the ex-Stanley Cup champs in the second round, the Colorado Avalanche. Still Cujo had proven his usefulness in the playoffs proving himself a "money goaltender" to the franchise.
Joseph is un-questionably a great part of the goaltender dynasty from Edmonton, including hall of famers Grant Fuhr, Andy Moog and other memorable goalies like Bill Ranford.
But unfortunately to all those dedicative Oiler fans, this past summer it was his time up in Edmonton.
The Oilers just could not afford him. So now he has joined another hockey dynasty, the Toronto Maple Leafs where he will most undoubtedly make an even bigger name for himself.
by Matthew C (please don't copy this without permission granted)
The 1991-1992 season became the best hockey year for Cujo since his appearance and because Vincent Riendeau (goalie for the Blues) was traded for defenceman Rick Zombo, Curtis Joseph was left to take the spotlight. That year, he achieved his first shutout on Dec. 19 against the San Jose Sharks and made a new record starting sixty games with 27 wins. An average of 3.01. That record would stand until the start of the 1994-1995 hockey season.
The 1997-1998 was a good year for Cujo and the Oilers as they made the playoffs for a second year in a row. In the first round the Oilers squeaked by their rivals from the year before, the Colorado Avalanche. But they could not squeak by another rival, the Dallas Stars, and so again the Oilers suffered defeat in the second round. But on a more positive note, the Oilers after a scare of the possibility of moving South, they got the income boost from the city of Edmonton and stayed. Also, Curtis Joseph again made the Canadian team, only this time for the Olympics in Nagano.
YEAR
TEAM
GAMES PLAYED
WINS
LOSES
TIES
SHUT OUTS
GAA
SAVE%
1988-89
UoW WHCA
38
21
11
5
1
2.49
NA
1989-90
PEOR IHL
23
10
8
2
0
3.87
NA
1989-90
BLUES
15
9
5
1
0
3.38
.890
1990-91
30
16
10
2
0
3.12
.898
1991-92
60
27
20
10
2
3.01
.910
1992-93
68
29
28
9
1
3.02
.911
1993-94
71
36
23
11
1
3.10
.911
1994-95
36
20
10
1
1
2.79
.902
1995-96
L.V.THUNDER
15
12
2
1
NA
1.99
NA
1995-96
OILERS
34
15
16
2
0
3.44
.886
1996-97
72
32
29
9
6
2.93
.911
1997-98
71
29
31
9
8
2.63
.905
1998-99
Toronto Leafs
10
6
4
0
1
1.77!!
.933
TOTAL
Every Team
457
221
164
52
13
3.12
.902
