Curtis Sanford

Playing career

Curtis Sanford’s path to the NHL started in junior hockey with the Wiarton Wolves, Collingwood Blues, Owen Sound Greys, and Owen Sound Platers. He went undrafted and signed with the St. Louis Blues as a free agent in 2000, then spent five seasons in their system with the ECHL’s Peoria Rivermen and the AHL’s Worcester IceCats. In 2002–03, injuries to Fred Brathwaite and Brent Johnson brought Sanford up to the Blues. He made his NHL debut on October 17, 2002, against the Columbus Blue Jackets after fellow rookie Reinhard Divis got hurt in the first period; Sanford stopped 12 shots in relief during a 7-1 win. He briefly took over as starter but suffered a high-ankle sprain on October 24 against the Edmonton Oilers. After returning, he started several more games, finishing his first Blues stint with a 5-1 record and a 1.96 goals-against average before being sent back to Worcester.

In 2005–06, Sanford was expected to back up Patrick Lalime, but when Lalime struggled, Sanford took over as the starter and was having a career year until a sprained ACL in his left knee in March ended his season. Before the injury, he had a 13-13-5 record, a 2.66 GAA, and a .908 save percentage. The Blues finished last that season. After recovering, Sanford returned in 2006–07 and competed with Manny Legace for the starting job. A groin strain sidelined him in November, and he re-injured it in December, missing a long stretch. He came back to finish the season but his numbers dropped to an 8-12-5 record, a 3.18 GAA, and an .888 save percentage.

Becoming an unrestricted free agent, Sanford signed a one-year, $600,000 contract with the Vancouver Canucks on July 3, 2007, to back up Roberto Luongo. He played 16 games in 2007–08, mostly filling in when Luongo had a rib injury in December, and posted a 2.83 GAA. The Canucks re-signed him to another one-year deal worth $650,000 on July 3, 2008.