On April 27, we celebrate the birthdays of 29 NHL players, past and present. Today's list includes the three-time Stanley Cup champion who was part of one of the most historic trades in history, as well as the young core of the Ottawa Senators and the starting netminder of the New York Islanders. Today let's take a look at the names that will blow out the candles on your birthday cake.
Mike Kruschelniski (1960)
Mike Kruschelniski is the only NHL player born on April 27th to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. Drafted in the sixth round (120th overall) in 1979, he began his 14-year professional hockey career with the Boston Bruins in 1981-1982 at the age of 21. During his rookie season, he finished eighth in Calder Trophy voting and was eventually traded to the Edmonton Oilers on June 21, 1984 in a one-for-one trade for Ken Linsman.
Related: Today in Hockey History: April 27th
As luck would have it, Kruschelniski stumbled into the Oilers' dynasty, winning Stanley Cups in 1985, 1987, and 1988. His tenure with the franchise ended on August 8, 1988, as he was part of one of the most shocking trades in NHL history. The Wayne Gretzky trade that sent The Great One to Los Angeles. He played briefly (156 games) in Hollywood before moving on to the Toronto Maple Leafs (1990-1994) before finishing his career with the Detroit Red Wings (1994-95). Kruszelniski scored 241 goals and 569 points in 897 games.
Drake Batherson (1998)
Drake Batherson will be 26 years old in 2024 and is a top-line winger for the Senators. He became a regular in the NHL after being drafted in the fourth round (121st overall) in 2017, signing a six-year contract worth $4.97 million a season through 2026-27. Batherson is one of many young skaters in Ottawa's lineup, hoping to turn his franchise into a contender again.
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After making his debut as a 20-year-old in the 2018-19 season, he had limited playing time with the Senators, appearing in just 43 games over two seasons and scoring 19 points. However, since earning the full-time role, his goals and point totals have continued to increase each season. Batherson's career high was 17 goals, but he finished with 28 goals in 2023-24, moving him closer to 30 goals. In addition, he collected 44 points in the 2021-22 season, topped last season with 62 points, and scored a career-high 66 points this season.
Semyon Varlamov (1988)
Semyon Varlamov is making every player's dream come true by skating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs on his birthday. On his 36th birthday, he was cleared to start Game 4 of the New York Islanders' first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 2023-24 season will be the sixth time the Russian netminder has played in the postseason, having reached back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals in 2020 and 2021.
Originally drafted by the Washington Capitals in the first round in 2006, Varlamov only skated with the club from 2008 to 2011 before transferring to the Colorado Avalanche, where he became an everyday starter. Ta. He had a 183-156-38 record in eight seasons with Denver and signed with the Islanders as a free agent in 2019. There he shares the grades with his compatriot Ilya Sorokin. Varlamov played in 611 games, winning 286, losing 228, and losing 68.
Current players celebrating their birthdays (age)
- Niko Mikkola – Florida Panthers (28)
- James Hamblin – Edmonton Oilers (25)
Inactive players celebrating birthday (age)
- Dave Campbell (1896 – 1975)
- Burn Ayres (1909 – 1968)
- Alan Caron (1938 – 1986)
- Bob Dillabaugh (1941 – 1997)
- Keith Magnuson (1947 – 2003)
- Anders Håkansson (68)
- Murray Bannerman (67)
- Bob McGill (62)
- Yves Hérault (59)
- Vlastimir Krupa (49)
- Ian McNeill (47)
- Jeff Ulmer (47)
- Mike Brown (45)
- Mark Stewart (40)
- Pierre-Marc Bouchard (40)
- Matt Keetley (38)
- Taylor Chorney (37)
- Paul Byron (35)
- Mike Condon (34)
- Matthew Peka (31)
- Tyler Graobach (31)
- Andy Welinski (31)
- Brandon Perlini (28)
- Jackson Stover (25)
