In 1957, after Prince Albert was eliminated from the SJHL playoffs, Kurtenbach finished the season with the Flin Flon Bombers, where he helped the team win a Memorial Cup.

The majority of Kurtenbach's early professional career was spent in the minors, splitting time between the AHL with the Buffalo Bisons, Springfield Indians and Providence Reds, and the WHL with the San Francisco Seals and the Canucks.

His best season in this stretch was 1962–63 when he notched 87 points for the Seals in 70 games and led the team in scoring in the playoffs en route to winning the league championship.

[1] Toronto coach Punch Imlach designated Kurtenbach to the bottom two offensive lines while earning mostly penalty killing time.

Many of Vancouver's players left the club that season, defecting to the nascent World Hockey Association (WHA) for larger salaries.

[1] The season after his NHL retirement, Kurtenbach joined the Seattle Totems of the Central Hockey League, moving behind the bench as head coach.

Upon his replacement, Kurtenbach only returned to coaching to represent the Springfield Indians of the AHL in 1982 and the Richmond Sockeyes of the BCHL in 1986 (whom he guided to the 1987 Centennial Cup) before retiring.