Michael Vincent Curran (born April 14, 1944) is a retired American ice hockey goaltender. He led the United States to a surprising silver medal at the 1972 Winter Olympics after representing the USA at the 1970 and 1971 Ice Hockey World Championship. He turned professional with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the upstart World Hockey Association in 1972–73 and quickly became one of the early star goaltenders of the new league, playing in the 1973 WHA All-Star Game. Curran lost his job in 1976 when the Fighting Saints folded, but he returned to international hockey with Team USA at the 1976 and 1977 Ice Hockey World Championship as well as the 1976 Canada Cup. He retired following the 1977 season after a second stint with the revived Fighting Saints WHA franchise. Currently, Curran works as the headmaster at a prestigious private school. He was inducted into the North Dakota Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988.https://fightinghawks.com/honors/hall-of-fame/mike-lefty-curran/213
Curran was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1999, and into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998. He was born in International Falls, Minnesota.
Awards and honors Award Year All-WCHA First Team 1967–68
Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV%1962–63 Green Bay Bobcats USHL 3 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --– – – – – – – – – 1965–66 University of North DakotaWCHA Statistics Unavailable 1967–68 University of North Dakota WCHA Statistics Unavailable 1968–69 Green Bay Bobcats USHLStatistics Unavailable 1969–70 Green Bay Bobcats USHL Statistics Unavailable 1970–71 U.S. National Team Intl 29 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1971–72 U.S. Olympic Team Intl 11 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1971–72 Green Bay Bobcats USHL Statistics Unavailable 1972–73Minnesota Fighting SaintsWHA43 23 17 2 2540 131 4 3.09 .9092 -- -- -- --90 --.8521973–74Minnesota Fighting SaintsWHA40 23 14 2 2382 130 2 3.27 .9105 --------140 --.9131974–75Minnesota Fighting SaintsWHA26 11 10 1 1367 90 0 3.95 .893 — — — — — — — — — 1975–76 Minnesota Fighting SaintsWHA5 2 2 0 240 22 1 5.50 .856 — — — — — — — — — 1975–76Johnstown Jets 97205473303.62-- — — — — — — — — — 1976–77Rochester AmericansAHL 914139123 1 3.54.892 — — — — — — — — — 1976–77Minnesota Fighting SaintsWHA16 4 7 3 848 50 0 3.54 .895 — — — — — — — — — WHA totals114 59 43 5 6529 373 7 3.43 .903 7 -- -- -- -- 23 0 -- .896
International Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA 1972 United States OLY6 4 2 0 -- 18 0 --
References
External links
Hockeygoalies.org bio
Curran photograph