Tony Curtale Explained

Position:Defense
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lb:195
Played For:Calgary Flames
Birth Date:January 29, 1962
Birth Place:Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Draft:31st overall
Draft Year:1980
Draft Team:Calgary Flames
Career Start:1980
Career End:1987

Anthony Glenn Curtale (born January 29, 1962) is an American former professional ice hockey player and was most recently the head coach of the Wichita Falls Wildcats in the North American Hockey League. He was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the second round, 31st overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.

Curtale played only two games in his National Hockey League career, for the Flames in 1980–81 as a late-season call-up from his junior hockey club, the Brantford Alexanders. He would spend the rest of his playing career in the minors, playing for the Colorado Flames for two seasons, before joining the Peoria Rivermen until his retirement in 1987.

After his playing career, Curtale later served as the head coach of the Springfield Jr. Blues in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) from 1995 to 1997 and then the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 1997 to 1999. He returned to the NAHL with the Texas Tornado from 1999 until 2007 and led the team to a long string of success with four Robertson Cup Championships. He returned to the Tornado after coaching in the youth leagues in 2011 and led the team to a fifth league championship. When he left again in 2013, he was the winningest head coach in NAHL history. In 2016, he was hired by the NAHL's Wichita Falls Wildcats as head coach,[1] however, he was indefinitely suspended by the team that November.[2] The Wildcats released him on December 1.[3]

Career statistics

Team League GP GPG A Pts PIM
1978–79St. Clair FalconsMNHL63 42 63 105 150
1979–80Brantford AlexandersOMJHL59 10 35 45 2275 0 4 4 4
1980–81Brantford AlexandersOHL59 14 71 85 1416 1 4 5 26
1980–81Calgary FlamesNHL2 0 0 0 0
1981–82Brantford AlexandersOHL36 17 32 49 1188 1 2 3 35
1981–82Oklahoma City StarsCHL4 0 2 2 8
1982–83Colorado FlamesCHL74 7 22 29 615 1 0 1 6
1983–84Peoria PrancersIHL2 0 0 0 2
1983–84Colorado FlamesCHL54 3 20 23 806 0 4 4 2
1984–85Peoria RivermenIHL50 5 31 36 8117 1 7 8 43
1985–86Peoria RivermenIHL70 7 51 58 11611 1 3 4 57
1986–87Peoria RivermenIHL72 8 21 29 126
NHL totals20000
CHL totals1281042521411516716
IHL totals194201031233252821012100

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tony Curtale Signs as Wildcats Head Coach . OurSports Central . July 20, 2016.
  2. Web site: TONY CURTALE SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY . Wichita Falls Wildcats . November 15, 2016.
  3. Web site: Wichita Falls parts ways with head coach Tony Curtale . NAHL . December 2, 2016.