Top 100 Oilers: No. 40 — Mike Krushelnyski

Notable 

From Montreal, Mike Krushelnyski was drafted in the sixth round, 120th overall, in the 1979 draft by the Boston Bruins. 

After a great start to his professional career, he made the jump from the AHL to the NHL with the Boston Bruins in the 1981-82 season. He produced 65 points in his first full-time season, playing alongside veterans like Rick Middleton and Brad Park, and fellow young dynamos Ray Bourque and Barry Pederson. 

After the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1984, Edmonton acquired Krushelnyski from the Bruins in exchange for Ken Linseman. 

Multiple productive seasons with the Oilers, plus his good friendship with Wayne Gretzky, made him one of the pieces included with the Great One in the infamous trade to Los Angeles in August 1988. 

His most famous career moment was the overtime series-winning goal in 1990 with the Kings to upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames. 

Krushelnyski was also along for the ride with the Toronto Maple Leafs during their 1993 playoff run. After a short stint with the Detroit Red Wings, a return to the Oilers organization with their Cape Breton affiliate, and a jaunt to the Italian League, he hung up the skates after the 1996-97 season. 

The Story

Krushelnyski is one of several NHLers who received the ‘Gretzky bump’ playing on his wing. A feature for that 1984-85 with Jari Kurri, he scored 43 goals and 88 points, a career high he’d never get close to again. 

That was good enough for fourth on the team that season. He chipped in 13 points in that postseason run, as the Oilers repeated as Stanley Cup champions.  

“I had to learn how to win. These guys had known it, so I had to watch them and follow suit,” said Krushelnyski in 2017.  

“It was very exciting. Even when we were down, we always knew we could pop in a few goals to win the game. To be with such a good group of guys, and when a big guy came and said, ‘Krush, way to win that draw, nice goal,’ that was really special to me. We had a very special bond back then.”

Krushelnyski didn’t play much on Gretzky’s wing in the next three seasons, but was a much-needed depth piece on a roster with steel pillars throughout the lineup.

What Brownlee said

“Even when rumors of the Gretzky sale to Los Angeles began to swirl behind the scenes in the days leading up to the big deal on Aug. 9, Krushelnyski didn’t put any stock in in the talk. He never saw it coming, or at least he never thought he’d be a part of the swap. When asked if he had any inkling he would be involved, Krushelnyski laughed off the possibility,” said Brownlee.

“Not at all,” he said. “I think I was with a reporter a couple days earlier, and they were mentioning, ‘Well, what do you think of the trade?’ and I’m like, ‘What are you, nuts? You can’t trade Wayne Gretzky.’ And lo and behold, two days later, my agent calls me, and it looks like we’re off to L.A.” The Great One, McSorley and Krushelnyski were dealt to Tinseltown.”

The Last 10

• No. 50 — Stuart Skinner
• No. 49 — Janne Niinimaa
• No. 48 — Jason Arnott
• No. 47 — Oscar Klefbom
• No. 46 — Craig Muni
• No. 45 — Tommy Salo
• No. 44 — Kevin McClelland
• No. 43 — Kelly Buchberger
• No. 42 — Bill Guerin
• No. 41 — Mattias Ekholm