Uwe Krupp
German defenceman who scored the 1996 Stanley Cup-clinching goal in triple overtime.
Uwe Krupp, born June 24, 1965, is a German former professional hockey defenceman who now serves as head coach of EV Landshut in Germany’s second-tier league. He is regarded as one of the nation’s finest players ever, was the second German-born player to win the Stanley Cup, and was the second German-born professional to appear in an NHL All-Star Game. His most famous moment came when he scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in triple overtime of Game 4 of the 1996 Final against the Florida Panthers.
Krupp grew up in Germany and came to North America as a young but seasoned pro. He was drafted 214th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1983 after being spotted by Scotty Bowman. After winning the German championship with Kölner Haie in 1986, the team let him go to the NHL. He debuted against the Montreal Canadiens but spent part of that season with the Rochester Americans, winning the Calder Cup. In the 1989–90 season, he scored an overtime goal for Buffalo against the Pittsburgh Penguins that knocked Pittsburgh out of playoff contention in favor of the New York Islanders.
Krupp developed into a mobile, puck-moving defenceman, increasing his point totals each year with the Sabres. He played in the 1991 NHL All-Star Game, the second German-born player to do so. On October 25, 1991, Buffalo traded him and Pierre Turgeon to the Islanders for Pat LaFontaine and Randy Wood. He finished second among Islanders defencemen in scoring with 35 points in 59 games. Over the next two seasons, he was a top defender, helping the Islanders eliminate the defending champion Penguins in the 1993 playoffs and reach the conference finals, where they lost to Montreal.
On June 28, 1994, the Islanders traded Krupp and their first-round pick (used to select Wade Belak) to the Quebec Nordiques for Ron Sutter and a first-round pick (used on Brett Lindros). In the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season, he recorded 6 goals and 23 points for Quebec. During the lockout, he briefly played for EV Landshut in the DEL, appearing in five games in November 1994 and scoring one goal and two assists. He stayed with the team when it relocated to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche.
In the Avalanche’s first game of the 1995–96 season, Krupp tore the ACL, MCL, and lateral meniscus in his left knee.
Quick Facts
- Played For
- Kölner Haie / Buffalo Sabres / New York Islanders / EV Landshut / Quebec Nordiques / Colorado Avalanche / Detroit Red Wings / Atlanta Thrashers
- Position
- Defence
- Shoots
- Right
- Height Ft
- 6
- Weight Lb
- 235
- Ntl Team
- West Germany
- Birth Date
- 24 June 1965
- Birth Place
- Cologne, West Germany
- Draft
- 214th overall
- Draft Year
- 1983
- Draft Team
- Buffalo Sabres
- Career Start
- 1982
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Krupp spent his formative years in Germany and was spotted by Scotty Bowman, coach and general manager of the Buffalo Sabres, who drafted him in 1983. After winning the German Championship with Kölner Haie in 1986, he moved to North America, making his NHL debut against the Montreal Canadiens and later winning the Calder Cup with the Rochester Americans. He steadily improved as a mobile, puck-moving defenceman, increasing his point totals each year with the Sabres and participating in the 1991 NHL All-Star Game. In 1991, the Sabres traded Krupp and Pierre Turgeon to the New York Islanders for Pat LaFontaine and Randy Wood. He helped the Islanders eliminate the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1993 playoffs and reach the Conference Finals. In 1994, the Islanders traded him to the Quebec Nordiques, with whom he remained after the team relocated to become the Colorado Avalanche. During the 1994–95 lockout, he played briefly for EV Landshut in the DEL. In the 1995–96 season, he tore the ACL, MCL and lateral meniscus in his left knee in the first game in Avalanche history, returning for the final five regular-season games and playoffs, where he scored 16 points in 22 playoff games and the Cup-winning goal. He later signed with the Detroit Red Wings, missing the 1999–00 and 2000–01 seasons due to a back injury and being suspended without pay for dogsledding while injured. He returned for the 2001–02 season and was a member of the Red Wings' Stanley Cup win, though his name was not engraved on the Cup. He played four games for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2002–03 before retiring.
Reader's Guide
Krupp's significance lies in his role as a pioneering German player in the NHL and his impact on German hockey. He was the second German-born player to win the Stanley Cup and the second to play in an NHL All-Star Game, breaking barriers for German players. His overtime goal in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final remains a defining moment in Avalanche history. After retiring, he transitioned to coaching, leading the German national team to a semifinal appearance at the 2010 World Championships—Germany's best result since 1976—and winning the Xaver Unsinn Trophy. He coached Kölner Haie to back-to-back DEL finals in 2013 and 2014, was named best DEL coach in 2012–13, and later coached Eisbären Berlin, HC Sparta Praha, and HC Lugano. His son Björn Krupp also became a professional ice hockey player. Krupp was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2017, with the selection committee calling him 'the finest hockey player Germany has ever produced.'
Did You Know?
- Krupp scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in triple overtime of game four of the 1996 Stanley Cup Final.
- Krupp missed the entire 1999–00 and 2000–01 seasons due to a back injury and was suspended without pay by the Detroit Red Wings for dogsledding while injured.
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