Colorado Avalanche: 4 Forgotten Facts about Uwe Krupp
Colorado Avalanche retired defenseman Uwe Krupp once made the most important play in team history. Let’s recover that and other forgotten memories.
Longtime Colorado Avalanche fans will remember Uwe Krupp as one of the most important Avs players ever even though he only played 144 games across three seasons for the team. Or, rather, they’ll concede he made one of the most important plays in Avalanche history.
Krupp was born in Cologne, West Germany because in 1965, there was a distinction. Despite being a late-round draft pick — 214th overall in 1983 by the Buffalo Sabres — Krupp played 729 NHL games across 16 seasons. And he collected a few honors along the way. He played for five different franchises.
Krupp’s entrance into the franchise was relatively inauspicious. He came to the team from the New York Islanders via a draft-day trade in 1994 — that would have been the Quebec Nordiques.
His exit from the franchise was equally inauspicious. The Nashville Predators claimed Krupp in the 1998 Expansion Draft and quickly traded his rights to the Detroit Red Wings. Yeah, the Detroit Red Wings.
Uwe Krupp, Uwe Krupp… why does that name ring so familiar in Avs Nation? Hopefully you haven’t really forgotten this fact about Krupp, but let’s start with the most important one first.