Curtis Joseph has the most career wins (454) of any goaltender in NHL history who has never played on a Stanley Cup finals team. But, damn, he came close.
The 44-year-old Ontario native played in no less than 14 post-seasons, racking up 63 playoff victories (16 of them shutouts) with five different clubs, his most memorable run occurring exactly one decade ago, with the 2002 Toronto Maple Leafs.
We caught up with the man better known as CuJo this week to talk about his former team’s netminding troubles, why he would make a great NHL goaltending coach, and the mindset of a post-season goalie.
SPORTSNET.ca: Five of the seven Canadian teams failed to make the playoffs this season. How did you deal with that disappointment as a kid watching the game?
Curtis Joseph: Growing up in Toronto, the Leafs are your team, and we had some lean years there for a while. They’ve missed the playoffs for seven years now, so it’s tough. There’s a whole generation of kids who need to see the Leafs in the playoffs right now. They’re going to get there. The sweet is never so sweet without the sour. We’re at the sour right now.
What’s the biggest problem with the Leafs?
Talent. You look at these teams, and once you get talent. … Look at Pittsburgh. They got (Evgeni) Malkin and (Sidney) Crosby almost in the same year and turned that franchise around. Talent and drive. You got to get that talent first, and then the chemistry and everything comes with it.
What’s your take on James Reimer?
I don’t think he fully recovered from his concussion. [Editor’s note: The latest report suggests it was a neck injury.] I never had a concussion, so I don’t know what it’s like. But he was so good at the end of the year last year; he was ahead of the play. So that’s good news. I think a whole summer (off), start fresh again with a clear head. And that’s what you need is great goaltending.
Which goaltenders do you like in the league right now?
I like (Marc-Andre) Fleury in Pittsburgh. I like Tim Thomas. Because they’re very athletic, and they think the game. I like watching them play.
Thomas’s personality came under scrutiny this year. What’s your take on goaltenders being a bit odd compared to other players? Is that theory overstated?
No, I think you have to be a bit different. It’s a team sport, but it’s an individual position within a team sport. So you have to have the utmost confidence, unwavering confidence. You got to be the guy. Your team’s got to look at you, especially in the playoffs, and you have to show them that you’re there and you’re going to play well. There’s a lot of pressure. Whatever it takes to win. If you got to be an odd duck, you do whatever it takes.
Do you get a kick out of Ilya Bryzgalov’s comments?
He’s out there. He’s definitely talented, but he’s out there. Even the guys who play with him will tell you that he’s a bit different. But he’s a great goalie. Philly could very easily win the Stanley Cup on his goaltending. He’s big, he moves well. If he gets that confidence, he’s unbeatable. We saw it in Phoenix. He could take them all the way; he’s got that much talent.
What’s the biggest change a goaltender must make come playoff time?
I used to love playoffs because you never practised. You just played every other day, so maintaining your focus was the big thing. Just tunnel vision. Nothing bothers you. You go to the rink, you play the game, you come home. The next day is a recovery day. You do whatever, but you’re kind of in a zone for two months straight. And that’s what you need to do.
How much rougher is it in front of the net?
It’s rougher everywhere. Guys aren’t afraid to do whatever it takes to win. Like, punch you in your face, whatever they can get away with. Crowd you, throw you off your game, talk to you, call you names, talk about your mother — they’ll do whatever. But when you’re confident and happy and in the right place, it doesn’t even bother you.
How closely do you follow the Blues?
St. Louis, I was actually there for a ceremony for Brett Hull. It was great to be back. I know lots of people there. I talked to both goalies, and they were struggling, the whole team. This was just when Hitchcock was coming in. I talked to the goalies, and I said, “Guys, you are going to benefit the most from Hitchcock. He has a system; everybody’s accountable.” Not that I’m Nostradamus or anything, but sure enough, he’s a great coach. He gets everybody in line. He’s got them going.
What’s the best system you played under?
The early years in St. Louis, I got lots of shots, but I had Garth Butcher in his prime and guys who would not let (opposing players) get close. They made me look good. I got lots of shots, but there was never empty-netters. So I got my guy, I’ll save the shot, and if anybody’s around the crease, they get knocked down. Made me look good.
The Blues’ Brian Elliott is now day-to-day. How does a goalie decide when an injury is bad enough to not play during the playoffs?
It’s a tough call. I played through so many groin injuries, and when you have a (hurt) groin, you have to pull your whole body weight up and go side to side. I was all about percentages. If you feel at 80 per cent that you’re the best option to help your team, then you make that call. If you’re at 50 per cent and you’re going to hurt the team, you don’t do it. It’s better to let the healthy guy get in there and get well. If you’re going to hurt your groin, you’ll be worse off. So you just take the one game off. You got to make these decisions.
Are there times in your career where you made the wrong decision?
When I played in Detroit I had a broken jaw. I didn’t know I had a broken jaw, which was probably a good thing, and I played a seven-game series in Calgary, and I played really well. So that was a good decision, but we lost. Mostly the soft-tissue groin injuries are tough call.
The stat tied to your name is most wins without a Cup. Do you view that stat differently now as opposed to when you were playing?
When I first came into the league, I thought I was going to win three or four Cups. We had some good teams, but everything has to line up. We had some injuries in Detroit: (Chris) Chelios was out, (Brett) Hull was out. It just hurt. You got to have a healthy team, you got to have some luck. When I played in Toronto and Mats (Sundin) was out, we had a lot of luck. We had guys scoring timely goals. Alyn McCauley was playing out of his mind, we almost got to the finals. So you need everything to work for you.
At what point did you realize that you wanted to play goal as opposed to out?
It chose me. I started at age 11, and I couldn’t skate, so I had to go back in the net. It took me years to learn how to skate.
But isn’t the idea that goalies are the best skaters on the team?
Eventually, if you want to be good at it. So I learned how to skate and became a very good goalie skater. I wish that fastest skater (competition) was around in the all-star game for goalies when I was playing. I became a great skater but was terrible to start with.
You’re a goaltending coach on a part-time basis. Do you entertain the idea of being a goalie coach at the NHL level?
I have a lot to give. I could always think the game. I saw every situation. I saw good defencemen, poor defencemen, good forwards, bad forwards, mistakes, good goalies, bad goalies. And my job as the No. 1 goalie is to evaluate the guy with me too. We are in competition, but it’s a friendly competition. So you have to find weaknesses and what their strengths are and focus on being the best.
What’s the best bit of advice a goaltending coach ever gave you?
Probably the best advice I could give somebody is, “Don’t lose your confidence. You have the talent, don’t lose your confidence or let fear decide your fate. Like, pressure. Just play. Let your talent shine through. Practise hard all week, and whatever happens in the game, happens. If you work hard and you’re talented enough and confident enough, you’ll be successful.”
Did you endure stretches of lost confidence?
Yeah, and you learn from those experiences. When you doubt yourself, you open yourself up for playing bad. So don’t ever doubt yourself. I went through stretches where I was like, “Ah, I got to get it together. Just keep it going. Get that swagger.” That’s the word I use. Keep that “swagger.”
You weren’t saying “swagger” back in the ’90s, were you?
I don’t know if it was that word, but “swagger” is a good word, and I use it with the young guys. When you’re playing well, you kind of have a jump in your step and you have a swagger. Don’t lose it. And guys on your team will feed off of that.
You’re promoting Visa’s Hockey Love Hurts contest. Why did you get involved?
Visa does so much for the NHL and NHLPA, and it’s great for me to be involved. They’re sending you and 10 friends to the Stanley Cup final. I’d like to win that; I’ve never been to the final. The Leafs didn’t make it, but what a great consolation if you’re a Leaf fan — you get to take 10 of your buddies to the final. It’s a great way for me to the give back to the loyal fans who were so good to me through thick and thin with the Leafs and Edmonton and so on.
What’s the biggest disappointment you ever felt as a fan?
When your favourite team’s not in the playoffs, because playoffs is everything. You build up the whole season until you get to the playoffs and you have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. So when your team’s out, it hurts.
Who’s your Cup pick?
Pittsburgh’s got lots of talent. Like I said, I like Fleury, and he’s been there, and Malkin and Crosby are the best one-two punch in the game. Vancouver might do well going in as a little bit of a question mark this year instead of being the favourite. Maybe that’s what they need. Also, Philly and Bryzgalov. They have enough talent and Bryzgalov can be the guy. He’s big and he can be great. So there’s some good picks for you.