BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Every town has a mayor and in Condorstown it's Josh Currie. The veteran of six seasons has amassed a fan-following with his game-winning goals and clutch playoff moments. For the 27-year-old, it's a job that doesn't get old.
“I don’t get tired, this is something I love to do," Currie said. "Its my dream job since I was a kid, I'm gonna play until they tell me I cant play anymore physically."
His teammates see the hard work and dedication that go into making Currie a standout.
“He shows up at the rink everyday and does all the little things right," Joe Gambardella, Condors left winger, said. "No matter what path you choose, everyone has a different path and Currie started out on the East Coast and worked his way to the AHL and got his first call up to the NHL."
If he's not playing hockey in Bakersfield, he's playing in Edmonton with Oilers, an NHL franchise. His experience in the league makes him a clear-cut AHL leader.
“There is nobody to look to better than Josh Currie," Gambardella said. "He's been here for six seasons , you always see guys asking him questions and things like that.”
Currie enjoys the role he has in Condorstown and hopes another can open up at the next level.
"The motto is “you’re one step away from the NHL,'" Currie said. "It's great to play here and it's awesome but at the end of the day everyone wants to get up to the NHL."
Currie almost missed out on making the Condors according to assistant coach J.F. Houle.
“He was just a player that we weren’t even sure if he was going to make the team," Houle said. "So he really persevered and played really well in the ECHL and to move up to the AHL and sign a contract."
He took his oppurtinity and cemented himself in the Condors record books. He owns the AHL-era record for goals, assists, points, power-play goals and game-winning goals. Soon enough, his jersey may be hanging from the rafters.
