PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Curt Lundmark, 79, won several major titles and is an iconic hockey coach.
But he himself does not only remember his successes.
– That evening I was damn disappointed in the association, says Lundmark to SVT.
Former national team captain for Tre Kronor, Curt Lundmark, was born in 1944 in Skellefteå. “Guld-Curre” played ice hockey himself for 14 years, between 1961-1975. As a player, Curre represented the clubs Skellefteå AIK, IFK Kiruna and Västerås.
The Lundmark icon
Despite a lower-level playing career, Curre then went on to become a top-level coach. The coaching tour began in HV71, before Lundmark moved on and became assistant national team captain in Tre Kronor between 1990-1992, and was then given sole responsibility for the national team until 1995.
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After the years as national team captain, Curre went back to coaching club teams, and had time with, among others, Leksands IF and Finnish Jokerit. His time as assistant and national team captain was a successful one.
• WC gold in 1991
• Olympic fifth in 1992
• WC gold in 1992
• WC silver in 1993
• Olympic gold in 1994
• WC bronze in 1994
• WC silver in 1995
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The question of Foppa
Lillehammer 1994 was Curre’s first gold as head coach for Tre Kronor. The final was won by Sweden against Canada, on penalties. Lundmark remembers that Peter “Foppa” Forsberg did not want to take a penalty, but the player had no choice when Curre had to decide.
And the punishment then went down in history.
– Of course you wonder how such a guy is smart. “How can you do this?”, I asked Peter, but I got the answer “what would I do? The puck started to jump”, it was that simple.
– But many forget Tommy Salo’s fantastic save. Had he not done it, Foppa’s punishment would have been meaningless, Curre Lundmark later told SVT.
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The anger after the loss
Lundmark doesn’t just remember the good. In 1995, his Sweden lost the WC final and it was “only” silver.
– We lost to Finland in the Globe and that evening I was damn disappointed with the association when they let Finland celebrate their gold in Sergels torg. They don’t let the enemy in there, as the confederation did. We won the WC gold in Turku, no hell we celebrated the gold in a square there. That Finland got to celebrate gold on Sergel’s square made me green with anger, Curre is said to have said afterwards.
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Before retirement, “Guld-Curre” also managed to become Finnish champion with Jokerit. Today, Curre Lindmark lives in Bergsslagen with his wife Gunilla, whom he met when he played for IFK Luleå.
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