University of Minnesota Athletics
Jack McCartan - M Club Hall of Fame
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Jack McCartan
Men’s Hockey, 1956-58
Baseball, 1956-58
HOF Class of 1992
St. Paul native Jack McCartan was a two-sport Golden Gopher star. On the ice, McCartan was a two-time, tough-as-nails All-American goaltender. On the diamond, he was a three-time All-Big Ten third baseman who earned All-America honors in 1958.
McCartan batted .436 in the Big Ten and hit eight home runs to lead Minnesota to conference and NCAA titles in 1956, the program's first-ever national championship.
As a senior, McCartan received the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor for his athletic and academic achievements.
After graduating, McCartan played goalie for the U.S. National Hockey Team in 1959. After Army service, he led the Americans past Canada, the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia to win the 1960 gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games in Squaw Valley, CA. He was named the "All-World" goaltender of the Winter Games.
McCartan next embarked on a 15-year career in professional hockey. In 1969, he was second-team Western League goaltender while in both 1970 and 1971 he captured first-team honors, playing with San Diego. He concluded his professional career in 1974 with the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints.
McCartan became an NHL scout with the Vancouver Canucks, and was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.