Hrudey played
junior ice hockey for three years with the
Medicine Hat Tigers of the
Western Hockey League (WHL), being named to WHL Second All-Star Team in
1980–81. On June 11, 1980, Kelly was drafted in the second round (38th overall) of the
1980 NHL entry draft by the
New York Islanders. Hrudey played for the
Indianapolis Checkers, New York's
Central Hockey League (CHL) affiliate, before joining the Islanders.
New York Islanders With Hall of Famer
Billy Smith entrenched in the Islanders net, Hrudey managed to begin splitting the goaltending duties starting in the
1984–85, his first full season with the club. Hrudey's arrival allowed the Islanders to trade goaltender
Roland Melanson to the
Minnesota North Stars for a first-round pick. Hrudey was the Islanders' goaltender during the seventh game of the division semifinals series against the
Washington Capitals on April 18, 1987, when New York defeated the Capitals in the longest game in franchise history, a four-overtime game seven known as the "
Easter Epic", which was won on a goal by
Pat LaFontaine after 68:47 minutes of overtime. Hrudey made 73 saves in a 3–2 victory. Hrudey's 73 saves in a single game was an NHL record until
Joonas Korpisalo's 85-save performance for the
Columbus Blue Jackets in a 3–2 five-overtime loss to the
Tampa Bay Lightning during the first round series of the
2020 Stanley Cup playoffs on August 11, 2020. Later in 1987, he was the third string goaltender on
Canada senior team during the
1987 Canada Cup, but did not appear in a game.
Los Angeles Kings Despite finishing in the top five in voting for the
Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender in two of his final three seasons in New York, Hrudey was traded to the
Los Angeles Kings on February 22, 1989. Hrudey was initially angry about the trade, because he had always dreamt of playing his career with one club, but he quickly adjusted and became an important part of the
Wayne Gretzky-era Kings. Since his usual number #30 was retired by the Kings in honor of
Rogie Vachon, Hrudey would switch to number #32 which he would wear for the rest of his career. His most notable moment with Los Angeles was playing in the
1993 Stanley Cup Finals where the Kings lost to the
Montreal Canadiens. In the
1994 NHL entry draft, the Kings selected goaltender
Jamie Storr with a seventh overall pick, and with him projected as the Kings' goaltender of the future, they let Hrudey test free agency when his contract ended. While it was time for him to move on, Hrudey appreciated his time with the Kings, saying "It was maybe the best eight years of my life playing hockey. I loved the management and the ownership. Just a wonderful place to spend eight seasons." he signed a two-year deal with the
San Jose Sharks. Hrudey served as the Sharks' starting goaltender for the
1996–97 season until late January 1997, when the club traded for All-Star goaltender
Ed Belfour. With Belfour on the roster, Hrudey was pushed into the backup role. Belfour left as a free agent at the end of the season, but the Sharks acquired another veteran in
Mike Vernon, and once again Hrudey played a support role, making 28 appearances, and managing just four wins. After the
1997–98 season, Hrudey retired on July 30, 1998, and joined
CBC Television's
Hockey Night in Canada as an analyst. ==Broadcasting career==