Kurtis Mucha

1 NHL Game

March 4, 2014 Edmonton Oilers vs Ottawa Senators. 3-2 win.

   From 2005 to 2010 Kurtis Mucha played in the WHL. While with the Portland Winter Hawks he attended the 2008 Phoenix Coyotes training camp and later the 2009 Edmonton Oilers training camp, going as an unsigned free agent but unable to earn a pro contract. In a 2010 interview he talked a little about his time with the Oilers, "I went there as a walk on, basically a nobody, and lasted there for three weeks. I made it all the way down to the last four goalies. I had the time of my life in those three weeks practicing with the NHL players and getting to watch them in practice and attend a few preseason games in the press box."(1) He played a handful of ECHL games on a tryout deal following the 2009 and 2010 WHL seasons but never signed a real professional hockey contract. After his WHL career had come to an end he elected to attend the University of Alberta. Mucha left the WHL having set a record for most career games played by a goaltender with 245, a record that still stands. With the University of Alberta Golden Bears Mucha was named the 2012/2013 CIS goaltender of the year and December, 2013 he got another brief taste of the NHL. When the Boston Bruins were in town to play the Edmonton Oilers he filled in for Tuukka Rask as the team's practice goalie. Mucha was still on the Oiler's radar and in March, 2014 he got the ultimate reward.

   Just before the 2014 NHL trade deadline the Edmonton Oilers dealt Ilya Bryzgalov to the Minnesota Wild. In a separate negotiation they acquired Viktor Fasth from the Anaheim Ducks. Switching netminders on trade deadline day came at a cost, the Oilers were left without a backup for Ben Scrivens in the team's game that night against the Ottawa Senators. Enter resident goalie Kurtis Mucha, who happily signed an emergency contract with the Oilers. "It just kind of happened randomly," said Mucha in a game day interview. "I got out of class in the morning and got a call from our coach. He told me what was going on and to just kinda prepare for this to happen. I'm just trying to soak it all in. It's a once in a lifetime type experience."(2) Mucha returned to the University of Alberta the next day having a pretty good excuse as to why he missed his psychology class the night before.

• Wore #29 with Edmonton Oilers

Career stats from hockeydb.com

Born Jun 3 1989 -- Sherwood Park, ALTA 

Height 6.02 -- Weight 184 

			RS Scoring			RS Goalie Stats										PO Scoring
Season	Team	Lge	GP	A	PIM	Min	GA	EN	SO	GAA	W	L	T	Svs	Pct	GP	A	PIM
2004-05	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL	2	0	0	125	8	0	0	3.84	0	1	1	66	0.892	-	-	-
2004-05	Fort McMurray Oil Barons	AJHL	2	0	0
2005-06	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL	32	0	0	1676	80	4	3	2.86	14	10	4	618	0.885	12	1	0
2006-07	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL	62	0	4	3613	230	7	1	3.82	17	41	2	1766	0.885	-	-	-
2007-08	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL	49	1	9	2825	193	6	1	4.10	9	36	2	1704	0.898	-	-	-
2008-09	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL	52	4	4	2825	176	9	2	3.74	13	29	4	1444	0.891	-	-	-
2008-09	Idaho Steelheads	ECHL	1	0	0	58	3	0	0	3.12	0	1	0	25	0.893	-	-	-
2009-10	Portland Winterhawks	WHL	16	1	0	900	47	0	1	3.13	9	6	0	447	0.905	-	-	-
2009-10	Kamloops Blazers	WHL	32	3	0	1744	98	1	1	3.37	14	11	4	863	0.898	3	0	0
2009-10	Stockton Thunder	ECHL	3	0	0	165	11	0	0	4.00	1	2	0	73	0.869	-	-	-
2010-11	U. of Alberta	CWUAA	18	0	0	1055	43	1	3	2.45	13	4	0	438	0.911
2011-12	U. of Alberta	CWUAA	11	0	0	667	32	0	0	2.88	7	4	0	246	0.885
2012-13	U. of Alberta	CWUAA	17	0	2	1012	22	0	3	1.30	14	2	0	324	0.936
2013-14	Edmonton Oilers	NHL
2013-14	U. of Alberta	CWUAA	16	1	0	964	30	0	3	1.87	14	1	1	301	0.909

(1) http://thehockeyguys.net/youngbloods-kurtis-mucha/

(2) http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhl-trades/mucha-soaking-in-nhl-experience/