Brian Skrudland

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Skrudland won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the 1985 AHL Playoffs. He scored 17 points in 17 games leading the Sherbrooke Canadiens to a Calder Cup championship. He made his NHL debut in 1985 for the Montreal Canadiens, winning the Stanley Cup in 1986. In game two of that series, he scored the fastest overtime goal in Stanley Cup playoffs history at nine seconds. He was selected to go to the 1991 NHL All-Star Game but could not attend due to injury. He was traded to the Calgary Flames midway through the 1992–93 season. He moved to the expansion Florida Panthers for the 1993–94 season and was the first captain in franchise history, a title he held for four seasons. He was with the team until 1997, including Florida's run to the 1996 Stanley Cup Final. He signed with the New York Rangers in the summer of 1997 and played one season until he was dealt along with Mike Keane to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Todd Harvey and Bob Errey. He helped the Stars win the Stanley Cup in 1999 and retired at the close of the 2000 Stanley Cup Final at 36 years old. He was one of the final cuts for Team Canada during the 1991 Canada Cup tournament. He held the NHL record for fastest goal in a playoff overtime when he scored the winning goal at 0:09 seconds into overtime in game two in the 1986 Final.

In Their Own Story

When Skrudland arrived in Calgary midway through the 1992–93 season, he joined a Flames team looking for veteran depth. He had just come from Montreal, where he had been a key part of the Canadiens' 1986 Stanley Cup championship and had set an NHL record with the fastest overtime goal in playoff history at nine seconds. Though his stay in Calgary was brief—he moved to the Florida Panthers the following season—he brought the kind of defensive reliability that had made him a Selke Trophy finalist in 1994. His time with the Flames was a short chapter in a career that would later include serving as the first captain of the Panthers and winning another Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999.

Reader's Guide

Skrudland lives in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife Lana and their three children. From July 6, 2010 until July 9, 2015, he was the director of player development for the Florida Panthers. He also served as assistant coach for the Panthers during the 2013–14 season.

Did You Know?

• Skrudland held the record for the fastest overtime goal in Stanley Cup playoffs history at nine seconds in game two of the 1986 Final.
• He was the first captain in Florida Panthers franchise history.
• He won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the 1985 AHL Playoffs.