Underrated Habs Players: Mike McPhee and Brian Skrudland

Together, the duo connected for the fastest overtime goal in Stanley Cup Final history. McPhee fed Skrudland for the winning goal 9 seconds into overtime of Game 2 of the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals against the Calgary Flames. The Canadiens captured their 23rd Stanley Cup Championship by the end of the series, and gave McPhee his only Stanley Cup victory (Skrudland won in 1999 with the Dallas Stars).

This goal was the biggest moment McPhee was involved in as a Hab, despite being a reliable 2-way forward for 9 years with the Canadiens. Between 1984 and 1992, he consistently put up around 20 goals and 40 points each year. His career-high in goals (23) and (43) points came during the 1987-88 McPhee’s consistent play allowed him to remain a staple on the Canadiens’ bottom-six. 

While McPhee was the offensive player of their duo, Skrudland brought a more defensive role at the centre position. However, Skrudland did have a high of 42 points with the Habs during the 1989-90 regular season, which was the only year he outproduced McPhee.

They consistently fed off each other and provided the Habs with secondary scoring throughout their time as a duo. 

While Skrudland was the faceoff guy between the two players, he was never seen as the team’s unsung hero, whereas Mike McPhee won the Jacques Beauchamp Trophy 3 times. He had the honor of winning the trophy in 1988, 1990 and 1991. For Skrudland, his respect throughout the league came from an All-Star game selection in 1991 for being a hard-working grinder, but unfortunately for him, he was injured and could not go.

Both Skrudland and McPhee always played behind much more talented forwards like Mats Naslund, Bobby Smith and Stephane Richer, so they were always overshadowed, but it’s clear that they deserved respect for their hard-work style. Even on the defensive side, they were also stuck behind more well-known Habs grinders like Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau and Chris Nilan, who formed a trio as the team’s main checking line. Nonetheless, the duo, alongside their linemate Claude Lemieux, proved to be one of the league’s best 3rd lines in the entire NHL for the 2nd half of the 1980s.

In 9 years with the Habs, McPhee scored 162 goals and 324 points in 581 games, before being traded to the Minnesota North Stars in the 1992 off-season for a 5th round pick. Meanwhile, Skrudland played 475 games with the Canadiens, where he scored 78 goals and 217 points. He was shipped off to the Calgary Flames for Gary Leeman during the 1992-93 season. Both players will forever be remembered as unsung heroes who played a key role in Habs history with the goal they combined for in 1986.