Tony Currie (ice hockey)

Anthony Currie (born November 12, 1957) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward who spent 8 seasons in the National Hockey League between 1977 and 1985 with the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Hartford Whalers. Currie also spent several years in the minor leagues, and the last several years of his career were spent in Europe, where he played in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, retiring in 1990.

Tony Currie
Born (1957-11-12) November 12, 1957
Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for St. Louis Blues
Vancouver Canucks
Hartford Whalers
NHL Draft 63rd overall, 1977
St. Louis Blues
Playing career 19771990

Playing career

As a youth, Currie played in the 1970 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Oromocto.[1]

Currie was a selected 63rd overall in the 1977 NHL amateur draft by the St. Louis Blues following a 73-goal season for the Portland Winter Hawks of the WHL. He would play 22 games for the Blues in 1977–78, and spend most of his first three professional seasons alternately dominating minor-pro and struggling to make an impact on the Blues. He would finally stake his claim to a roster spot in 1979–80, posting 19 goals in 40 games once called up to St. Louis. In 1980–81, he would have his finest NHL season recording 55 points in 61 games, helping the Blues to a 2nd place overall finish in the regular season. In the playoffs, he played the best hockey of his career, recording 16 points and a then franchise record 12 assists in 11 games. He has two sons, the eldest Tyler and the youngest name Kyle.

However, Currie struggled throughout his career to maintain a consistent roster spot as coaches felt his poor defensive game and lack of size and physical play overshadowed his ability to create offense . He continued to produce well in 1981–82, notching 40 points in 48 games, before being dealt to the Vancouver Canucks at the trade deadline. He added 5 more goals for Vancouver to finish with 23 in just 60 games to match his career high from the previous season, but appeared in only 3 games in the playoffs as Vancouver went on a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Not a favourite of defensive-minded Canuck coach Roger Neilson, and despite his high level of production to that point of his career, Currie found himself back in the minors for most of the next two seasons, appearing in only 26 more games for the team . Released by Vancouver mid-way through the 1983–84 season, Currie would get another chance to prove himself as he signed for the Hartford Whalers. He would again provide instant offense, posting 14 goals and 28 points in just 32 games for the Whalers. Despite posting 11 points in 13 games to start the 1984–85 campaign, he was waived by the Whalers. He would toil for two more seasons in the minors before moving to Europe, where he would finally retire in 1990.

Currie finished his NHL career with totals of 92 goals and 119 assists for 211 points in 290 NHL games, along with 73 penalty minutes.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1972–73 Penticton Broncos BCJHL
1973–74 Edmonton Oil Kings WCHL 220112
1973–74 Spruce Grove Mets AJHL 2920163635
1974–75 Edmonton Oil Kings WCHL 3928174512
1974–75 Spruce Grove Mets AJHL 3936448073
1975–76 Edmonton Oil Kings WCHL 7141408156
1976–77 Portland Winter Hawks WCHL 72735212550 10471114
1977–78 St. Louis Blues NHL 224594
1977–78 Salt Lake Golden Eagles CHL 5333175017
1978–79 St. Louis Blues NHL 36415190
1978–79 Salt Lake Golden Eagles CHL 282212346
1979–80 St. Louis Blues NHL 401914334 20000
1979–80 Salt Lake Golden Eagles CHL 3324234717
1980–81 St. Louis Blues NHL 6123325538 11412164
1981–82 St. Louis Blues NHL 4818224017
1981–82 Vancouver Canucks NHL 125382 300010
1982–83 Vancouver Canucks NHL 81120
1982–83 Fredericton Express AHL 6847489516 1257126
1983–84 Vancouver Canucks NHL 183362
1983–84 Fredericton Express AHL 126111716
1983–84 Hartford Whalers NHL 321216284
1984–85 Hartford Whalers NHL 1338112
1984–85 Nova Scotia Oilers AHL 531631478 61340
1985–86 Fredericton Express AHL 7535407523 65274
1986–87 Schwenninger ERC GER 3728326086
1986–87 EHC Kloten NLA 34372 86284
1987–88 Schwenninger ERC GER 4019446365
1988–89 AS Varese ITA 4939448336
1989–90 AS Varese ITA 3324315517 61674
NHL totals 2909211921173 164121614

References

  1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
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