 Drafted 168th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins, Gruden played for the Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals playing a total of 92 regular season games, scoring one goal and eight assists for nine points and collecting 46 penalty minutes.He also had a spell in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany for Eisbären Berlin.He played high school hockey in Hastings, Minnesota in the late 1980s.