Paul Johannes Kruse is a former National Hockey League

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 left wing

Winger (ice hockey)

Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...

.He is married to Laurie-Anne. He is the father of Mckinley and Sierra. He was drafted in the fourth round, 83rd overall, by the Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...

 in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft

1990 NHL Entry Draft

The 1990 National Hockey League Entry Draft was the 28th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Vancouver Canucks at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 16, 1990...

.

After playing three seasons in the Western Hockey League

Western Hockey League

The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...

 with the Moose Jaw Warriors

Moose Jaw Warriors

The Moose Jaw Warriors are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League which are based out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The team plays its home games at Mosaic Place. The franchise moved to Moose Jaw from Winnipeg after the 1983–84 season, where they had previously been named the...

 and Kamloops Blazers

Kamloops Blazers

The Kamloops Blazers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League based out of Kamloops, British Columbia. They play their home games at Interior Savings Centre.-History:...

, Kruse joined the International Hockey League's Salt Lake Golden Eagles

Salt Lake Golden Eagles

The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1969 to 1994.They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International Hockey League from 1984 to 1994...

. After splitting three seasons between the Golden Eagles and the Flames, he joined the Flames full-time in the 1993–94 season.

During the 1996–97 season, Kruse was acquired by the New York Islanders

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

. At the trade deadline of the 1997–98 season, he was traded, along with Jason Holland

Jason Holland

-International:-External links:...

, to the Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...

 for Jason Dawe

Jason Dawe (ice hockey)

Jason Dawe is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Dawe was drafted in the second round, 35th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. Dawe played his junior hockey career with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League, where he compiled 337 points in 241...

. Kruse was a member of the Buffalo Sabres team which went to the Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...

 Finals in the 1998–99 season, appearing in ten playoff games during the run.

Kruse's last NHL appearance came when he dressed for one game for the 2000–01 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

. He went to Europe after the season, playing two years in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

's British Ice Hockey Superleague for the Sheffield Steelers

Sheffield Steelers

The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...

 and the Belfast Giants

Belfast Giants

The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....

 and one more year playing in Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 playing for EHC Black Wings Linz

EHC Black Wings Linz

The EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz are a member of the Austrian Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. They play their home games in Linz, Austria at the Keine Sorgen Eisarena Linz.-History:...

 before retiring.

External links