Playing Career
After being discovered by Scotty Bowman, coach and general manager for the Buffalo Sabres while playing for the German national team and as one of the only Cologne-born players to play for Kölner Haie in the Deutsche Eishockey League, Krupp was chosen by the Sabres as the 214th pick in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Krupp was released at age 19 from his German team to attempt to earn a spot on the Bowman helmed Sabres. Debuting against the Montreal Canadiens he spent the later part of his first season with the Rochester Americans winning a Calder Cup in the American Hockey League. In the 1989–90 season as a member of the Sabres, Krupp scored an overtime goal in the last game of the regular season against the Pittsburgh Penguins that eliminated the Penguins from playoff contention.
Developing as an imposing puck moving and mobile defenseman, Krupp steadily improved his point totals each year with the Sabres and in the 1990–91 season was selected to the participate in the NHL All-Star game, becoming just the second German named behind Walt Tkaczuk. At the beginning of the 1991–92 season, Krupp was included by the Sabres in the Blockbuster trade that sent Pierre Turgeon to the New York Islanders for Pat LaFontaine on October 25, 1991. Krupp quickly settled with the Islanders, finishing second behind Tom Kurvers in defenseman scoring with 35 points in 59 games.
Krupp spent the next couple of seasons entrenched as one of the Islanders top defenders before he was traded at the 1994 NHL Entry Draft along with a first round selection (Wade Belak) to the Quebec Nordiques for Ron Sutter and first selection (Brett Lindros) on June 28, 1994. Recording 6 goals and 23 points in the Lockout shortened 1994–95 season, Krupp's rights were then transferred as the Nordiques relocated to become the Colorado Avalanche.
Krupp is famous for scoring the memorable Stanley Cup-clinching goal for the Colorado Avalanche in the third overtime period of the fourth game of the 1996 Stanley Cup finals against the Florida Panthers. He later won another Stanley Cup in 2002 reuniting with Bowman as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. However, playing in just 8 regular season and 2 playoff games due to missing over 60 games to a back injury, he failed to qualify to engrave his name on the cup.
In his NHL career, Krupp played 729 games for the Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, New York Islanders, Quebec Nordiques, Detroit Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers before injuries forced him to retire.
On Monday, Nov. 23, 2009 before the Colorado Avalanche game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Krupp was named a member of the Avalanche Alumni Association.
Read more about this topic: Uwe Krupp
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