Curtis Joseph (CUJO) was a brilliant goalie. I got to know his play when he was with the Edmonton Oilers; and, he was amazing in the net. He played lights out in his career, which included time with six teams – the St. Louis Blues, Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, and the Calgary Flames.
Surprisingly, Joseph’s not yet in the Hockey Hall of Fame and he likely won’t be named this season either. But he should be. He was that good, especially considering that he played with teams that needed him to be great just to be competitive. His teams often needed good goalie play to win games, and that is what he was – a really good goalie.
Of Joseph’s 18-season NHL career, he played for the Maple Leafs for four seasons – from 1998-2002. The team put up winning records all four of those seasons, due in part to Joseph’s play. In this post, I’ll share about Joseph’s time with the team and what made him such a good goalie.
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However, in doing my research, I came to learn so much more about Joseph. He’s such an interesting person and has had an interesting life, that I feel compelled to share some of it. He would have likely been a success regardless of his background; however, given his background, his story is even more remarkable.
Joseph’s Difficult Childhood
In his autobiography published in 2018 titled Cujo – The Untold Story Of My Life On And Off The Ice, Joseph revealed for the first time his challenging upbringing in a “rehabilitation” center. Growing up just north of Toronto, his birth parents were two unwed teenagers who abandoned him. His mother, who adopted him as a baby, ran the center. However, as an addict, she was unstable and left him to fend for himself.
As Joseph noted, “By the time I was 10 years old, I was living on a steady diet of stale cookies, processed cheese slice sandwiches and frozen institutional hamburgers — God knows what they were made of.”
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His bed was a mattress on the floor. He noted that finding a dry corner was tough because his mother’s cats used it as a litter box. He wrote that “Mom treated her animals better than she treated her kids.”
With Some Help, Joseph Found a Respite in Hockey
To make a long story short, and it is a longer story, with a lot of supportive individuals outside his home helping him pursue his dreams, Joseph overcame these odds and found a place in hockey. He moved from youth hockey to the Notre Dame Hounds in rural Saskatchewan and then to the University of Wisconsin.
At the NHL Entry Draft, he was passed over by every team in the NHL. However, despite not being drafted, his strong performance at the University of Wisconsin caught the attention of the St. Louis Blues. They signed him as a free agent after his first season at Wisconsin. He made his NHL debut with the Blues in 1990.
Joseph played five seasons with the Blues. Then, on Aug. 4, 1995, he was traded from the Blues to the Oilers with the rights to Mike Grier (now the general manager of the San Jose Sharks). In exchange, the Blues got a first-round pick in the 1996 NHL Draft and a first-round pick in the 1997 NHL Draft.
Joseph played three seasons in Edmonton and when his contract expired he signed with his hometown Maple Leafs.
Joseph’s Time with the Maple Leafs
In July 1998, Joseph signed with Toronto as a free agent. He quickly became a beloved figure with fans during his four-year tenure with the team. In his time with the Maple Leafs, he put up a 133-88-27 record and a .912 save percentage (SV%). It was his most successful stint with any team.
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Joseph played a crucial role in leading the Maple Leafs to deep playoff runs between 1998 and 2002. He was simply exceptional in goal. Over the course of four years, he played in 60 playoff games, accumulating a record of 32-28 and an impressive .919 SV%.
During those seasons, his Maple Leafs played in 10 playoff rounds. It’s the same number of playoff runs they’ve played in over 22 years since.
In Toronto, Joseph Was a Force
In his time with the Maple Leafs, Joseph established himself as a force in the net. His incredible saves and competitive spirit earned the admiration of Maple Leafs’ fans. His confidence inspired the team, and his play made him a fan favourite.
After his first stint with the team, he was traded to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a 2003 third-round pick and future considerations. However, he didn’t play with the Flames until five years later. In between, he played two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, two with the Phoenix Coyotes, and finally nine games with the Flames. He came home to the Maple Leafs in the 2008-09 season.
His final season with the team was challenging; and, although his record was a solid 11-5-9, he posted only a .869 SV%. Following that season, Joseph retired.
What Made Joseph Such a Great Goalie with the Maple Leafs?
Three things made Joseph a great goalie: his exceptional athleticism, his mental toughness, and his ability to make clutch saves.
First, Joseph was remarkably athletic. He made acrobatic saves and covered a huge portion of the net for someone only 5-foot-11. He had quick reflexes, agility, and great lateral movement. He was able to react quickly to shots from different angles. Over his time with the team, he made highlight-reel saves that frustrated opposing players who thought they should have scored a certain goal.
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Second, Joseph had a strong mental game. He always seemed composed and focused, even in high-pressure situations. That probably led to his solid postseason record. He was resilient and confident. He also had the ability to bounce back from goals against and maintain his performance at a high level. His mental toughness kept him calm under pressure so he could make critical saves when the game was on the line.
Third, Joseph was a clutch performer. The more crucial the moment, the better he seemed to play. In important playoff games, he had a knack for making the big save at the most critical time. His play often swung momentum over to his team. His saves instilled confidence in his teammates and often demoralized opponents. That he could rise to the occasion in crucial situations made him such a reliable and impactful goalie.
“Cujo” The Story
Joseph’s nickname, “Cujo,” came from the Stephen King horror film Cujo. It became a nickname that helped make him well-known throughout the NHL. Fans at Maple Leaf Gardens would chant “Cujo” when he made crucial saves, creating an electric atmosphere.
Cujo also was used as the title for his autobiography. The book is worth a read. Joseph’s story is more than interesting. There are many aspects of it that are worth sharing with readers. I’m sure I’m not done with it yet.
He’s now 56 years old. And the bottom line is that, while he made it as an NHL goalie, he didn’t do it without lots of help from warm-hearted adults — outside his home.
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In his 2018 book, I learned that he had not publicly shared the story of his childhood before. He noted that “It was not something that I was really proud of. I was embarrassed.”
Only Joseph’s wife Stephanie convinced him it was important to share that story. He noted that “She’d squeeze things out of me … I’d learned to embrace it and then I’d tell her more. And then I’d use it as a teaching tool to my kids.”
Joseph Is Still Around Toronto
The last time I saw Joseph’s name in an article was in April when the team gave Ilya Samsonov a night off and didn’t have a backup goalie. It was suggested that, because Joseph was already a member of the Maple Leafs’ community relations team, he could get his gear on quickly.
The rumours that he might suit up as an EBUG (emergency backup goalie) sent fans back in time. Wouldn’t that have been something?
