Kirt Bjork Explained

Kirt Bjork
Birth Date:5 March 1961
Birth Place:Trenton, Michigan, USA
Height Ft:5
Height In:8
Weight Lb:173
Position:Left wing
Shoots:Left
Played For:Notre Dame
Alleghe
Adirondack Red Wings
Career Start:1979
Career End:1984

Kirt Bjork is an American retired ice hockey left wing who was an All-American for Notre Dame.

Career

Bjork was recruited to Notre Dame straight out of high school, beginning his college career in the fall of 1979. He put up pedestrian numbers as a freshman but saw a vast improvement in his second season. Bjork more than tripled his goal production despite the Fighting Irish finishing near the bottom of the WCHA.[1] Bjork's continued improvement, as well as a move to the CCHA, helped ND produce one of its best seasons as they tied a program record for wins with 23. Notre Dame reached the first championship game in program history and were looking to become a major player in their new conference.

As a senior Bjork led the team in just about every offensive category. For the fourth consecutive year he increased his goals, assists and points but Notre Dame couldn't keep the puck out of the net. The team allowed 51 more goals than they scored in 36 games and dropped to 8th in the conference. Despite the team's decline, Bjork was named as an All-American and was the last bright spot for the program before a funding crisis caused a severe decline that lasted for over a decade.[2]

After graduating, Bjork played for Alleghe in the Italian Hockey League, averaging nearly 4 points a game. He finished out the year with a brief appearance for the Adirondack Red Wings and then retired as a player.

Personal life

Kirt's son Anders also played hockey at Notre Dame, spending three years with the program before embarking on an NHL career. A second son, Brady, began attending Notre Dame in 2020 but sat out the 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kirt also had a nephew, Erik Condra, play at Notre Dame before pursuing a professional career that included several years in the NHL.

Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular Season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1977–78Paddock Pool SaintsGLJHL
1979–80Notre DameWCHA356131922
1980–81Notre DameWCHA3619163538
1981–82Notre DameCCHA3522224426
1982–83Notre DameCCHA3529346326
1983–84HC AllegheItaly2845529739
1983–84Adirondack Red WingsAHL7134472354
NCAA totals141 76 85 161 112

Awards and honors

AwardYear
All-CCHA Second team1982–83[3]
AHCA West All-American1982–83[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Notre Dame Fighting Irish . Notre Dame Hockey . July 2, 2019.
  2. Web site: US College Hockey Online. Notre Dame Men's Hockey: Team History. 1996–2010. December 12, 2010.
  3. News: CCHA All-Teams. College Hockey Historical Archives. May 19, 2013.
  4. News: Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners. NCAA.org. June 11, 2013.