[1] Hrudey played for the Indianapolis Checkers, New York's Central Hockey League (CHL) affiliate, before joining the 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.

[4] 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.

[8] Hrudey was initially angry about the trade, because he had always dreamt of playing his career with one club,[9] but he quickly adjusted and became an important part of the Wayne Gretzky-era Kings.

[15] Belfour left as a free agent at the end of the season,[16] but the Sharks acquired another veteran in Mike Vernon,[17] and once again Hrudey played a support role, making 28 appearances, and managing just four wins.

For the 2008–09 season, he began working alongside host Ron MacLean and Elliotte Friedman on HNIC's lead studio team.

Hrudey does advocacy work in the field of mental health, inspired in part by his daughter's struggles with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.