Ken Wregget - Playing Career

Playing Career

He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, and Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League from 1983 through 2000. He played one season for the Manitoba Moose of the International Hockey League in 2000–2001 before retiring at the age of 37.

Wregget played for three seasons with the Lethbridge Broncos of the Western Hockey League and won the Del Wilson Trophy as the WHL's top goaltender in 1984. In 1983, he joined the St. Catharines Saints, the Toronto AHL affiliate, after being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third round of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, 45th overall. He split time for two seasons between St. Catharines and the Maple Leafs. The 1986–87 season was his first full year in the NHL.

In 1992, he was traded from the Philadelphia Flyers to the reigning champion Pittsburgh Penguins along with Kjell Samuelsson and Rick Tocchet in exchange for Mark Recchi. Wregget was generally backup to Penguins goaltender Tom Barrasso, although Wregget was regarded as a solid goaltender in his own right. There was frequent speculation that Wregget would take over as the starting goaltender.

Wregget's best season came in 1994–95 when he played in 38 games and compiled a 25–9-2 record with a 3.21 goals against average and a .903 save percentage while also leading the NHL in wins. He was also the goaltender who faced the first penalty shot ever awarded during an overtime period in NHL playoff history (1996). He stopped Washington Capitals star Joé Juneau, extending what was the third-longest game in NHL history, the longest game since 1936. The Penguins finally won 3–2 in the fourth overtime period.

In 2009, he was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.