View: Previous | Next
| 1983 NHL DRAFT PICK |
 |
Uwe Krupp
Selected in
11th round
No. 214 overall by Buffalo Sabres
Born
June 24, 1965
 | Position:
Defense
Height: 6-6 Weight: 230
|
|
| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Cologne (West Germany)
Birthplace:
Cologne, West Germany
Hometown: Cologne, Germany |
 |
 |
|
| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1982-83 |
Cologne | W. Germany |
11 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
0 |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
World Junior Championships: 1983 (W. Germany) (seventh place)
European Junior Championships: 1983 (W. Germany) (fifth place)
Miscellaneous: Did not play competitive hockey until he was in his
mid-teens, because he had focused on soccer as a young boy. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 29, 1986 (Buffalo at
Montreal)
Numbers: 40, 4 (Buffalo); 4
(N.Y. Islanders); 4 (Quebec/Colorado);
4 (Detroit); 44 (Atlanta)
Stanley Cup: 1996, 2002 (name not
engraved on Cup)
Playing Status:
Retired April 27, 2003 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1986-2003 |
Buffalo, N.Y. Islanders,
Que./Col., Det., Atlanta | 729 |
69 | 212 |
281 | 660 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1988-2003 |
Buffalo, N.Y. Islanders
Quebec/Colo., Detroit | 81 |
6 | 23 |
29 | 86 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
All-Star Game: 1991 (Buffalo), 1999 (Detroit) (injured, did not play)
Buffalo Horton Award (Unsung Hero): 1989-90
2001-02: Played two playoff games for Detroit team that won Stanley
Cup, but did not play in final series vs. Carolina and did not play in
enough postseason games to have his name engraved on the Cup.
Coaching
Career: Served as Atlanta assistant coach while out with back injury
from Dec. 26, 2002, until Jan. 14, 2003.
Miscellaneous: Did not know he was picked in the 1983 NHL draft until a
German sports writer informed him of it nearly a week after the draft. ... Missed part of 1987-88 season with bruised hip, an injury
suffered during Buffalo's Nov. 25, 1987, game at Philadelphia. ... Suffered head injury during 1988 playoff
series vs. Boston, but did not miss any postseason games. ... Missed part of
1988-89 season with broken rib, an injury suffered during Buffalo's Jan. 6,
1989, game at New Jersey. He did not return to action until Buffalo's Jan.
25, 1989, game at Detroit. ... Missed part of 1989-90 season with charley
horse, an injury suffered in October 1989. ... Scored in overtime for
Buffalo at Pittsburgh on March 31, 1990, giving Sabres a 3-2 victory and
eliminating Penguins from the playoff race. ... Missed part of 1990-91
season with cyst on foot, an injury suffered in January 1991. ... Became
first German-born and trained player to appear in an NHL All-Star Game when
he achieved feat in 1991. ... Missed
part of 1991-92 season with sprained left knee, an injury suffered during
N.Y. Islanders' Dec. 28, 1991, game vs. N.Y. Rangers. He did not return to
action until N.Y. Islanders' Jan. 9, 1992, game vs. Hartford. ... Missed
part of 1991-92 season with bruised left knee, an injury
suffered during N.Y. Islanders' Feb. 7, 1992, game at Edmonton. ... Missed
part of 1992-93 season with the flu, an illness contracted in March 1992.
... Was only N.Y. Islanders player to score five points in one game during
1992-93 season, a feat he achieved during N.Y. Islanders' March 20, 1993,
game at Vancouver. ... Missed part of 1992-93 season with sore shoulder, an
injury suffered during N.Y. Islanders' April 10, 1993, game vs. Ottawa. He
did not return to action until N.Y. Islanders' April 16, 1993, game vs. New
Jersey. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with broken big toe on right foot, an injury
suffered when he was hit by a shot during N.Y. Islanders' Oct. 8, 1993, game at Edmonton. He did not
return to action until N.Y. Islanders' Oct. 19, 1993, game vs. Pittsburgh. ... Missed part of
1993-94 season with broken orbital bone, an injury suffered when he was hit by
a clearing attempt just above the right eye during N.Y.
Islanders' Oct. 26, 1993, game vs. Los Angeles. The injury required 18
stitches, followed by more extensive surgery
on Oct. 29, 1993, and Krupp did not return to action until N.Y.
Islanders' Dec. 7, 1993, game vs. Edmonton. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with
torn hamstring, an injury suffered when he tried to stop a shot in the
crease after teammate Ron Hextall was caught out of position during N.Y. Islanders' Dec. 19,
1993, game at Pittsburgh. He did not return to action until N.Y. Islanders'
Jan. 14, 1994, game
vs. Montreal. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with the flu, an illness contracted
in February 1994. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with sprained right
hand, an injury suffered during N.Y. Islanders' Feb. 19, 1994, game vs.
Washington. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with cut on jaw, an injury suffered during N.Y. Islanders' Feb. 25, 1994,
game vs. Philadelphia. He did not return to action until N.Y. Islanders'
March 7, 1994, game at Winnipeg. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with sprained
right wrist, an injury
suffered during N.Y. Islanders' March 9, 1994, game at Vancouver. He did not return
to action until N.Y. Islanders' March 26, 1994, game vs. Florida. ... Became
only NHL defenseman to score a hat-trick during the lockout-shortened 1995
season when he achieved feat during Quebec's March 1, 1995, game vs. Tampa
Bay. ... Missed parts of 1995 season with hip injury, suffered during
Quebec's Feb. 23, 1995, game vs. Philadelphia, and with hip flexor injury,
suffered during Quebec's April 18, 1995, game at N.Y. Islanders. ... Was on
Quebec team that relocated to Colorado on June 21, 1995. ... Missed most of
1995-96 regular season with torn ligaments in left knee, an injury suffered
when he was checked along the boards by Martin Lapointe in Colorado's
1995-96 season-opener vs. Detroit on Oct. 6, 1995. Krupp, who had two
assists in the game, tore the ACL, MCL and lateral meniscus in the left
knee. The injury required surgery on Oct. 21, 1995, and Krupp did not make
his 1995-96 regular-season debut until Colorado's April 6, 1996, game vs.
San Jose. ... Scored Stanley Cup-clinching goal for Colorado at 4:31 of the
third overtime in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals at Florida on June 10,
1996. Krupp's goal, on a slap shot from the right point, was the only one
scored in the 1-0 Avalanche victory. It ended the longest 1-0 NHL game since
1936. ... Missed part of 1996-97 season with separated shoulder, an injury
suffered during Colorado's Nov. 8, 1996, game at Phoenix. He did not return
to action until Colorado's Nov. 20, 1996, game vs. Phoenix. ... Missed part
of 1996-97 season with tendinitis in left elbow, an injury suffered during
Colorado's Feb. 13, 1997, game at Phoenix He did not return to action until
Colorado's March 9, 1997, game vs. Anaheim. ... Missed remainder of 1996-97
regular season and entire 1997 playoffs with pinched nerve in lower back, an
injury suffered during Colorado's March 26, 1997, game at Detroit. The
injury required surgery on May 13, 1997. ... Was NHL's tallest
regular player from 1986-87 season through 19996-97 season. ... Missed part of 1997-98 season
with back spasms, suffered during Colorado's Jan. 31, 1998, game at San Jose. ...
Missed part of 1997-98 season with sciatic nerve pain near his back, an
injury suffered
during Colorado's March 9, 1998, game vs. Tampa Bay. ... Led Colorado with a
plus-21 rating in 1997-98. ... Left unprotected by Colorado for 1998 NHL Expansion
Draft. He was claimed by Nashville on June 26, 1998, but never played for
parent team because he was on the verge of unrestricted free agency. ...
Signed with Detroit as a Group III unrestricted free agent on July 7, 1998.
... Missed part of 1998-99 season with bruised knee, an injury suffered
during Detroit's Oct. 16, 1998, game vs. St. Louis. ... Missed part of 1998-99 season
with hamstring injury, suffered during Detroit's Oct. 23, 1998, game vs.
Toronto. He did not return to action until Detroit's Nov. 11, 1998, game vs.
St. Louis. ... Missed remainder of 1998-99 regular season, entire 1999
playoffs, entire 1999-00 season, entire 2000 playoffs, entire 2000-01
season, and entire 2001 playoffs with re-aggravation of chronic back injury, suffered
during warm-ups prior to Detroit's Dec. 22, 1999, game vs. Phoenix. The injury,
officially diagnosed as a herniated disc in his back, also caused him to
miss the 1999 NHL All-Star Game, to which fans had voted him as a World
All-Star team starter. During the summer of 1999, while he was still
injured, Detroit suspended Krupp without pay for having gone dog-sledding at
the risk of his own recovery. The Wings withheld two years' worth of Krupp's
salary, and he was not able to play in the NHL again until the 2001-02
season. ... Missed start of 2001-02 season with shoulder injury, suffered
during Detroit's 2001 training camp. He did not make his 2001-02 NHL debut
until Detroit's Oct. 20, 2001, game vs. Los Angeles. By the time he skated
onto the ice vs. the Kings, Krupp had not played in nearly three full years.
... Missed most of 2001-02 season with re-aggravation of shoulder injury,
suffered during Detroit's Oct. 24, 2001, game vs. Edmonton. The injury
required surgery, and Krupp did not return to action until Detroit's April
3, 2002, game at Anaheim. ... Signed with Atlanta as a
Group III unrestricted free agent on July 19, 2002. ... Missed most of
2002-03 season with re-aggravation of back injury, suffered during Atlanta's
Oct. 11, 2002, season opener at Carolina. The injury required surgery on
Nov. 6, 2002, and Krupp did not return to action until Atlanta's Feb. 14,
2003, game vs. Tampa Bay. ... Missed remainder of 2002-03 season with pulled
hamstring, an injury suffered during Atlanta's Feb. 27, 2003, game at
Colorado. It would prove to be the final game in the NHL, because his back
problems flared up again in mid-March 2003, ending his pro hockey career.
Delayed NHL Entry:
Krupp attended Buffalo's 1986 training camp, but he was not allowed
to open season with team because of an ongoing dispute between the Sabres and the West German
hockey federation. The West Germans wanted Krupp to remain with his local club team
through the 1988 Olympics, knowing that if he played in the NHL he would
void his Olympic eligibility. But Krupp wanted to enter the NHL, and the Sabres appealed to the International Ice Hockey Federation
to grant his release. The IIHF finally cleared him to play in the NHL on
Oct. 29, 1986. Two hours later, he made his NHL debut and was named the
third star of the Sabres' 5-2 loss at Montreal.
The Detroit Fiasco: Despite a career that saw him play in an NHL All-Star Game and score a Stanley Cup-winning goal,
Uwe Krupp might best be remembered as one of the biggest Group III
unrestricted free agent busts in NHL history. The saga traced back to the
summer of 1998, when Krupp's contract with Colorado expired. When he turned
33 on June 24, 1998, Krupp knew he was on the verge of a big payday, as he
would be one of the hottest unrestricted free agents on the market. Two days
after his birthday, Krupp was left unprotected for the expansion draft by a
Colorado team that had decided it would not re-sign him at his asking price
of $4 million per year.
Despite his free agent status, Krupp was taken in the expansion draft
by Nashville. The Predators made the move knowing they would never sign Krupp, but recognizing they could at least get a 1999 compensatory draft
pick when he signed elsewhere. It didn't take long for the Detroit Red Wings
to make Krupp's big-money dreams come true. On July 6, 1998, Detroit signed
Krupp to a four-year, $16.4 million contract. The signing angered Avalanche
fans, who blamed Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix for letting Krupp get away to
the arch-rival Red Wings. In the end, Lacroix would have the last laugh,
because Krupp's stay in Detroit was nothing short of a disaster. After he
had battled some minor injuries in his first month with the Red Wings,
Krupp's old back problem flared up like never before on late December 1998.
As a result, his 1998-99 season was immediately over. Following the season,
in August 1999, Krupp and Detroit got into a bitter contract dispute when the Red Wings
suspended him without pay for refusing to release his medical records to the
team. In September 1999, Krupp, represented by attorneys Robert Riley and
George Googasian, finally agreed to release the records, but the Wings
argued that Krupp had jeopardized his health by going dog-sledding in
January 1999, and did not deserve to have his suspension lifted. The Wings
said he broke NHL rules by engaging in another sport without permission
while unable to play in the NHL. Krupp, who was still injured, filed
a grievance through the NHLPA on Sept. 23, 1999, claiming he should not be
suspended for dog sledding. The NHL assigned Krupp's case to arbitrator
Lawrence Holden, who was later fired, leaving the case in a holding pattern.
It did not
finally address the grievance until April 2001, when it appeared Krupp was
ready to return. In the end, Krupp sat out for two full years, and the
situation was not resolved until June 2001, when the Red Wings invited Krupp
back to the team under the condition that if he could play, Krupp's
suspension would be lifted and his payments would resume, even as litigation
over more than $8 million for the unpaid 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons continued. Krupp came to Detroit
training camp and ironically suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him
for the start of the season. He re-aggravated that injury a few weeks later,
and was lost for almost all of 2001-02, although he did return
for the end of the season. By the time his four years in Detroit ended, Krupp had played
in only 30 regular-season games and two playoff games for
the Red Wings. Krupp's dispute with the Red Wings was not finally resolved
until January 2003 when arbitrator Joan Parker got Krupp and Detroit owner
Mike Ilitch to agree to an undisclosed financial settlement. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams:
Cologne (West Germany); Rochester (AHL); Landshut (Germany)
Olympics: 1998
(Germany) (ninth place)
World Championships: 1986
(W. Germany) (seventh place),
1990 (W. Germany) (seventh place)
World Junior Championships: 1985 (W.
Germany) (seventh place)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
AHL Calder Cup: 1987
(Rochester)
West Germany Championship: 1984,
1986 (Cologne)
German Hockey Hall of Fame:
Inducted 2004
Coaching Career: Worked as part-time assistant coach
and consultant for Team Germany
following his retirement in 2003.
Miscellaneous: Played in Germany
during 1994-95 NHL lockout. ... Was among finalists to be Germany's coach
for 2004 World Cup of Hockey, but did not get job. ... Raised and trained Siberian Husky sled dogs in
Alaska and Seeley Lake, Montana, during off-seasons of his playing days. He
took up dog-sledding because it reminded him of stories his
mother had told him growing up in his Cologne apartment.
Banned by the IIHF: Krupp became the
center of controversy during the 1990 IIHF World Championships in
Switzerland, when he
failed a random drug test after West Germany's 3-0 loss to Czechoslovakia on
April 20. The test showed traces of phetermine, a banned substance, in
Krupp's urine, but Krupp said he had been taking a diet pill that caused the
test to come up positive. Had he known there was a banned substance in the
pill, Krupp said he would never have taken it. He said he had taken it only
to control his appetite because he was in another time zone and wanted to
get his eating on a timetable that matched up to his playing schedule. Krupp
apologized profusely for the mistake and said he regretted taking the pill,
which was left over from one of his first wife Beate's prescriptions. The drug was
considered by the IIHF to be a performance enhancer because of its
similarity to amphetamines. It was also known to be addictive and had the
potential for abuse. Noting the severity of the drug involved, the IIHF was
not willing to let Krupp go unpunished. A few days after the test, the IIHF announced Krupp
would be banned from international hockey for 18 months. He was not allowed
to return to international competition until November 1992. The NHL took no action against Krupp since his infraction did not involve
the use of an illegal drug.
Personal: Full name is Uwe G. Krupp.
... Named after Uwe Seeler, a West German soccer legend who played in four
World Cup tourneys. ... Wanted name to be pronounced as You-ee during his
years in NHL because it was what Scotty Bowman called him early in his
career. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE:
Buffalo traded Krupp, Pierre Turgeon, Benoit Hogue and Dave McLlwain to N.Y.
Islanders for Pat LaFontaine, Randy Hillier, Randy Wood and 1992
fourth-round pick (Dean Melanson) on Oct. 25, 1991. |
|
|
Visit the new
Hockey Draft Central |
HockeyDraftCentral.com is in the middle of rebuilding. You are looking at a page
that is not yet updated but is still part of the old site. Check out the new look.
• New Home Page
|
|
SNAPSHOT '83 | | Total Selected: |
242 | | Forwards: |
134 | | Defense: |
86 | | Goaltenders: |
22 | | Major Junior: |
122 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
19/5 | | College Players: |
15 | | High School: |
47 |
| Canadian: |
148 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
0 | | USA Citizens: |
60 | | U.S.-Born: |
60 |
| European: |
34 |
| Reached NHL: |
113 |
| Stanley Cup: |
21 | | Hall of Fame: |
4 |
| All-Star Game: |
20 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
34 |
| Picks Traded: |
41 |
|
| 