Who was Jack McCartan? It turns out, Jack played just 12 games as a goaltender in the National Hockey League. Yet, he is a member of the IIHF Hall of Fame. You see, McCartan was the goaltender for the U.S.A. team that won Olympic gold at Squaw Valley in 1960. Like that rest of the 1960 team, which has been dubbed ‘The Forgotten Miracle’, McCartan is a mostly forgotten yet very important part of hockey history.
University and International Career
Jack McCartan – University and International Hockey
McCartan starred with the University of Minnesota for three years from 1955-56 to 1957-58. He was a First Team All-American goalie in his final two years and was even team captain in 1957-58. Jack was also an All-American third baseman for Minnesota’s baseball team. He is, of course, a member of the University of Minnesota’s Hall of Fame.
The 1960 Winter Olympic Games were held at Squaw Valley, California. The United States, with a cast of unrecognizable players, went undefeated in the tournament. Countries like Canada, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia were supposed to dominate while the U.S. was supposed to be among other competing countries like Australia and Japan.
McCartan was named the best goalkeeper in the tournament. With a gold medal around his neck, Jack’s pro hockey future seemed bright.
Jack McCartan – NHL/WHA
McCartan’s first National Hockey League action came with the New York Rangers during the 1959-60 season. He played four games and allowed just seven goals for a 1.75 goals against average while posting an amazing .945 save percentage. After his performance at the Olympics that year, the Rangers felt they had their man between the pipes.
However, in 1960-61 it all went wrong. McCartan played in eight games for the Rangers, allowing 35 goals for a 4.77 GAA. His .853 save percentage was less than spectacular. Gump Worsley, who had been sent down to the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League by the Rangers in 1959-60, found himself as the number one goalie in New York, once again. Jack ended up in the EPHL with the Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers and would never play another NHL game.
McCartan’s major league hockey career was revived with the inauguration of the World Hockey Association for the 1972-73 season. Between 1972-73 and 1974-75, Jack played 42 games for the Minnesota Fighting Saints. 38 of those 42 games were played in the first year. His career fizzled and came to a halt with Jack stepping behind the bench to become the team’s assistant coach until 1976-77.
Jack did find his way back to the NHL eventually. He served as a scout for the Vancouver Canucks from 2000-01 to 2005-06.
Jack McCartan – Minor Pro
From 1960-61 to 1973-74, McCartan played plenty of hockey in the EPHL, WHL, CPHL and SHL. In 1961-62, after being abandoned by the Rangers, Jack played all 70 regular season games for the Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers of the EPHL. The Beavers were stocked with future Rangers stars, including Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert and Jim Neilson. McCartan also played in all seven playoff games as the Beavers lost in the semi-finals to the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens, four games to three.
In 1963-64, he played 67 of 72 regular season games for the St. Louis Braves of the CPHL. The team has a place in hockey history with Phil Esposito playing two thirds of the season with the Braves before making his way up to the Chicago Blackhawks to finish the year. It was also the year that Alain Caron scored 77 goals in 71 games for St. Louis. Jack played in all six playoff games for the Blues, as well.
Not the nicest guy while on the ice, McCartan accumulated 127 minutes in penalties over his eight seasons as a goalie in the WHL. His 26 PIM over 53 games with the San Francisco Seals in 1965-66 trumped the 24 PIM over 32 games the year before with the Los Angeles Blades.
As mentioned, Jack McCartan is a member of the IIHF Hall of Fame, which is housed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. He was inducted in 1998.
Jack McCartan – Rookie Card
The Jack McCartan rookie card appears as number 39 in the 1960-61 Topps set. It is the only mainstream hockey card ever produced with McCartan on the front and he is, of course, shown as a member of the New York Rangers.
The card is valued at two time that of a common goalie card, roughly $30. The only other significant rookie card in the set belongs to Stan Mikita. The Stan Mikita rookie card is worth substantially more at $400 and is the most valuable of the 66 cards in the set.
Jack McCartan Career Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | A | PIM | SO | GAA |
| 1958-59 | U.S. National Team | Intl | 29 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3.65 |
| 1959-60 | New York Rangers | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.75 |
| 1959-60 | Minneapolis Millers | USCHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.40 |
| 1960-61 | Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers | EPHL | 52 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.79 |
| 1960-61 | New York Rangers | NHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.77 |
| 1961-62 | Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers | EPHL | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.10 |
| 1962-63 | Los Angeles Blades | WHL | 60 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 3.12 |
| 1963-64 | St. Louis Braves | CPHL | 67 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3.91 |
| 1964-65 | St. Louis Braves | CPHL | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5.40 |
| 1964-65 | Los Angeles Blades | WHL | 32 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 3.76 |
| 1965-66 | San Francisco Seals | WHL | 53 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 3.40 |
| 1966-67 | California Seals | WHL | 61 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 3.30 |
| 1967-68 | Omaha Knights | CPHL | 43 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 3.77 |
| 1968-69 | San Diego Gulls | WHL | 43 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 3.38 |
| 1969-70 | San Diego Gulls | WHL | 51 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3.21 |
| 1970-71 | San Diego Gulls | WHL | 55 | 1 | 19 | 3 | 2.98 |
| 1971-72 | San Diego Gulls | WHL | 36 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3.44 |
| 1972-73 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 38 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 3.58 |
| 1973-74 | Suncoast Suns | SHL | 6 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 4.83 |
| 1973-74 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.14 |
| 1974-75 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.92 |