Senior Admin Will 4,660 Posted October 24, 2014 Senior Admin Share Posted October 24, 2014 G - Tuomas Tukio Birthplace: Oulu, Finland Height: 6’4” Weight: 202 lbs. Jersey Number: 42 Drafted: S31 HEL (via GM Rule) Username: Higgins Tuomas Tukio, the man who so valiantly minded the net of the mighty Helsinki Titans from S31 up to and including S36; after which, he played out his final two seasons with the Quebec City Meute and the New York Americans, before hanging up his skates for good at the conclusion of S38. Now, in addition to being a first ballot Hall of Famer, Tuomas Tukio is widely regarded as one of, if not the, best goaltenders that the Victory Hockey League has ever seen. Career Awards: S33 Victory Cup (with Helsinki) S34 Victory Cup (with Helsinki) S34 Terence Fong Trophy (with Helsinki) S34 Continental Cup (with Helsinki) S35 Terence Fong Trophy (with Helsinki) S37 Scotty Campbell Trophy S37 Brett Slobodzian Trophy S37 Aidan Shaw Trophy S38 Scotty Campbell Trophy S38 Brett Slobodzian Trophy S38 Aidan Shaw Trophy S38 Victory Cup (with New York) Season 31: Regular Season (HEL) 64 GP / 33-25-6 / 0.912 SV% / 2.89 GAA / 2 SO Playoffs (HEL) 5 GP / 1-4-0 / 0.904 SV% / 3.60 GAA / 0 SO After a successful partial season in the VHLM, during which he joined the now defunct Kolari Panthers in mid-season and helped lead them to a Founder’s Cup, Tuomas Tukio circumvented the S31 VHL Entry Draft and went straight to the Helsinki Titan’s roster, due to special relations with the management team. Come the beginning of Season 31, his rookie season, Tukio found himself immediately thrown into the fire, becoming the new starter for the Titans. Although Tukio’s rookie stats appear quite mediocre, remember that he was playing on a largely young team and faced the second most shots out of all goalies in the regular season. Despite their youth, the Titans were able to sneak into the playoffs with just five points over of the newly formed Cologne Express. Up against a strong Riga team in the first round, with the famed goaltender Alexander Labatte between their posts, Tukio’s first playoff appearance proved to be short-lived as the Titans were eliminated in five games. Season 32: Regular Season (HEL) 64 GP / 45-12-6 / 0.927 SV% / 1.80 GAA / 7 SO Playoffs (HEL) 11 GP / 4-4-3 / 0.911 SV% / 2.36 GAA / 1 SO Season 32 saw vast improvement for both Tuomas Tukio and the Titans franchise as a whole, as they continued to build upon the mild success that they found in Season 31. Tukio began to show his true potential as he trimmed over 1.00 off of his GAA and greatly improved his save percentage. With the regular season going well, perhaps even better than expected, the Titans moved to acquire now Hall of Fame centreman Phil Rafter from Davos, further solidifying their position as a potential contender for the Continental Cup. By the end of the season, the Titans sat at second overall in the league, a mere five points behind the Riga Reign. In the playoffs, the Titans just barely got past the Vasteras Iron Eagles in the first round, taking seven games to finish the series. Sadly, despite each game being close, Riga swept past the Titans in the conference finals, taking the series in four games straight. Tukio’s performance during these playoffs is best described as inconsistent, but the blame for this disappointing end to an otherwise great season certainly cannot be placed on his shoulders alone, as the team as a whole seemingly under-performed in comparison to their regular season. Season 33: Regular Season (HEL) 64 GP / 53-6-5 / 0.928 SV% / 1.73 GAA / 9 SO Playoffs (HEL) 7 GP / 3-3-1 / 0.880 SV% / 2.81 GAA / 0 SO Although the unfortunate loss in Season 32 was disappointing, the Titans did not let that get in the way as they began what would become a remarkable Season 33. With one of the dominant goalies of his era, CAL G, retiring at the end of Season 32, and Alexander Labatte not getting any younger; the stage was set for another goalie(s) to step up. There were three main up and coming goaltenders at this time; Remy LeBeau, Skylar Rift, and of course, Tuomas Tukio. Matching Labatte’s 1.73 GAA and being only 0.03% under Labatte’s save percentage, Tukio stepped up in a big way as he led the Titans to a 61-6-5 record; the best regular season record in VHL history. With that, it’s no surprise that the Titans led the league this season and took home the Victory Cup for best regular season record. Riga, who was feeling the loss of Labatte after he tested free agency and went to New York, ended up with 89 points, just 6 ahead of HC Davos. With such a large margin over the other two European seeds, the Titans were confident they would be making a finals appearance this season. However, after defeating Davos in the first round, Riga narrowly edged out the Titans once again in the seventh game of the semi-finals, as the misfortune of Season 32 seemingly remerged. Consequentially, the misfortune of Tuomas Tukio’s playoff appearances also remerged. Season 34: Regular Season (HEL) 64 GP / 51-8-5 / 0.928 SV% / 1.83 GAA / 8 SO Playoffs (HEL) 14 GP / 8-6-0 / 0.919 SV% / 2.44 GAA / 0 SO As Season 34 came around, there was only one thing on the Titans mind. Not disappointment, nor anger from the woes of their Season 33 playoff meltdown, but redemption. Although by not as wide of a margin as Season 33, the Titans once again found themselves on top of the league. Tukio, again, held impressive regular season statistics, leading the league in goals against average and coming in third in save percentage, just 0.01% behind Skylar Rift, who was in second behind the ever-emerging Remy LeBeau. Despite the consistency Tukio had shown for three regular seasons now, there were still questions whether or not he could hold to it come playoff time. Sweeping Cologne in the first round, the Riga Reign came to once again face Helsinki in the conference finals. Being eliminated by Riga for the three seasons prior to Season 34, Helsinki was dead set on this being their season. After six close games, the series was tied at 3-3. In game seven, the Titans apparently lit a fire under themselves, as they crushed Riga in a 7-1 victory, with Tukio saving 30/31 shots for a 0.968 SV%. The road was not over for them, however, as they still had to face a strong Calgary team, who had just gotten past perhaps an even stronger Quebec team, in the finals. Again, after six games, the Titans found themselves taking the series to game seven. In an overtime victory, the Helsinki Titans won the Season 34 Continental Cup. Tukio received first star in the game and appeared to have finally overcome is playoff competency issues. Season 35: Regular Season (HEL) 64 GP / 45-13-6 / 0.920 SV% / 1.90 GAA / 6 SO Playoffs (HEL) 12GP / 6-5-1 / 0.905 SV% / 2.77 GAA / 0 SO Coming off of their victory in Season 34, the Titans were still in a very advantageous position to possibly repeat the success they found in the previous season. An off-season trade that brought now Hall of Fame defensemen Ryan Sullivan to the team further extended this potential. Once again, the Titans found themselves leading the European Conference and only slightly behind the Quebec City Meute who, in one of the most turbulent off-seasons in VHL history, had acquired Skylar Rift, Wesley Kellinger, and Yuri Grigoranko. Although Tukio put up impressive numbers this season, he ultimately, ended up behind those of Rift, LeBeau, and Labatte, who was now in his final season. Playoffs came around, and the Titans were, as I mentioned above, yet again a strong contender. Helsinki received a bye into the second round as a result of finishing on top of the European Conference. After getting past Davos in the first round, the Cologne Express fell to the Titans in 6 games as Helsinki moved onto the finals to face Quebec. Unfortunately the combination of Quebec’s newly acquired offensive strength, in combination with goaltender Skylar Rift, allowed the Meute to take down the Titans in a 4-2 series. Tukio’s performance during these playoffs was once again questionable, as he ended up second last among goalies in terms of save percentage. Season 36: Regular Season (HEL) 64 GP / 39-21-4 / 0.921 SV% / 2.35 GAA / 4 SO Playoffs (HEL) 10 GP / 6-4-0 / 0.936 SV% / 1.94 GAA / 0 SO At the end of Season 35, Helsinki would have been, arguably, a favorite yet again for Season 36. However, the off-season took a toll. Key players lost to retirement such as Brody Hodgson and Ryan Sullivan, as well losing the young Odin Tordahl to free agency, greatly impacted Helsinki’s chances at glory. The Titan players did not let those tough losses bring them down, though, as they fought tooth and nail to remain a contender. They ended up coming in at second in the European Conference, behind the up and coming HC Davos squad. Tukio, despite the comparatively weaker team in front of him, kept his form and put up a solid 0.921 SV %. As the playoffs got underway, Helsinki swept past the Express in the first round, finishing them off in just four games. The second round, however, posed a greater challenge, as Helsinki had to face Davos. Ultimately, despite a valiant effort, Helsinki fell to the Dynamo, who went on to win the cup. Although they lost, Tukio performed wonderfully; putting up, by far, his best playoff numbers to date. Sadly, this would be Tukio’s final performance in a Helsinki jersey. Season 37: Regular Season (QUE) 64 GP / 43-19-1 / 0.930 SV% / 1.82 GAA / 12 SO Playoffs (QUE) 7 GP / 3-4-0 / 0.936 SV% / 1.96 GAA / 1 SO Following Helsinki’s elimination in the Season 36 playoffs, management came to the decision that it was time to shift the team into rebuild mode – sell their assets before they were too old and prepare for the future. As a result of the surprise retirement of goaltender Skylar Rift at the conclusion of Season 36, a starter spot was open in Quebec City and, ultimately, that is where Tukio ended up. Among his new teammates were the three Valiq brothers, Wesley Kellinger, Doug Clifford, and Yuri Grigoranko. Tukio settled in well, putting up some his best all-time numbers through the regular season and leading the Meute into the playoffs as the second seed in the North American Conference. Sadly, the Meute couldn’t get passed the strong Seattle Bears – who also benefitted from the Titans’ asset liquidation, as they picked up star forward Ethan Osborne and defenseman Willie Weber. It took seven games, but the Bears moved onto the second round, leaving Quebec questioning it’s future. For the first time in Tukio’s career, he received some well-deserved recognition in the form of personal awards – the Scotty Campbell Trophy (MVP), the Brett Slobodzian Trophy (Most Outstanding), and the Aidan Shaw Trophy (Top Goalie). With Grigoranko and one of the Valiq’s retiring at the end of the season, it was largely agreed upon that Quebec essentially had no choice but to rebuild – which would leave Tukio with nowhere to play, having only been signed for a one-season contract. Soon it became apparent that Quebec was, in fact, going to enter a rebuild. Tukio was now left in limbo. With nowhere to play, and assuming slim chances of being claimed on free agency, Tukio began to contemplate early retirement. Season 38: Regular Season (NYA) 64 GP / 50-10-4 / 0.939 SV% / 1.63 GAA / 13 SO Playoffs (NYA) 6 GP / 2-3-1 / 0.939 SV% / 1.50 GAA / 0 SO Seemingly out of nowhere, the New York Americans dumped some cap, sending Simon Tremblay to Calgary as well as Logan Laich and Jakob Linholm to Cologne. With this new found cap space, Americans GM Chris Miller offered Tuomas Tukio a contract with New York for his final season of VHL eligibility. Of course, Tukio accepted. This acquisition sent current New York starter Brick Wahl to the backup position but, luckily, Wahl had close relations with Chris Miller and stepped back for the veteran goaltender without hesitation. New York was an extremely strong team and was certainly a favorite, with the likes of Odin Tordahl, Xin Xie Xao, Tom Slaughter, Conner Low and, now, Tuomas Tukio between their posts. Being his last season, Tukio was sure to make it count – yielding his best ever regular season performance in terms of save percentage and goals against average. It can be said, without question, that Tukio played a major role in leading the Americans to the first overall position in the league during Season 38. With a first round bye in the playoffs, the Americans ended up facing off against the Toronto Legion. It was fitting that these two teams came to meet each other, as Toronto goaltender Remy LeBeau, Tukio’s longtime rival, was also in his final season of eligibility. Ultimately, Toronto ended up taking these series in 6 games. Although this was an unfortunate way for Tukio to exit the league, he must have found some solace in the fact that he was once again, for the second straight year, awarded the Scotty Campbell Trophy, the Brett Slobodzian Trophy, and the Aidan Shaw Trophy. Career Statistics: Regular Season: 512 GP / 359-114-37 / 0.925 SV% / 1.99 GAA / 62 SO Playoffs: 72 GP / 33-33-6 / 0.917 SV% / 2.39 GAA / 2 SO As Tukio left the league at the conclusion of Season 38, he left behind a legacy. His legacy wasn’t just his sole Continental Cup, his plethora of late-career individual awards, or the fact that he was essentially one of the best goaltenders the Victory Hockey League has ever seen; it was his determination, his leadership, and, most of all, his loyalty. Although he enjoyed his time in both Quebec and New York, it was obvious that Tukio was always a Titan at heart. Although I expect the Tukio vs. LeBeau and Tukio/LeBeau vs. Shaw/Kanou debates to rage on long after this article is published, I think we can all agree that Tuomas Tukio positively deserves to have his name inscribed among the most honoured players of the VHL. So, here’s to Tukio – a decorated goalie, a leader, a friend, and, now, a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Higgins 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgins 3,618 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Nice write up Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Victor 10,833 Posted October 24, 2014 Admin Share Posted October 24, 2014 a decorated goalie, a leader, a friend, and, now, a first-ballot Hall of Famer.awww fwiends Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Admin Will 4,660 Posted October 24, 2014 Author Senior Admin Share Posted October 24, 2014 Pfft i had to add sentiment somehow, fuck friendship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sterling 1,996 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 There should be an * here: Only became good after Labatte was forced to retire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOOM 8,650 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Yes, it seems he was quite a good goalie. Nice write up Draper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Moderator frescoelmo 1,268 Posted October 25, 2014 Head Moderator Share Posted October 25, 2014 (edited) Content: 3/3 - Long, detailed article about Tukio and his Hall of Fame career. It was interesting to find that he got so close so many times, but only won the cup once. Sounds similar to my first-gen (without the cup ) ~2450. Grammar: 2/2 - Good for the length, but I did find some up and coming = up-and-coming (marginal) (2x) was only one thing on the Titans mind = was only one thing on the Titans' minds. (marginal I guess) Hall of Fame defensemen Ryan Sullivan = Hall of Fame defenseman Ryan Sullivan the Cologne Express fell to the Titans in 6 games as Helsinki moved onto the finals to face Quebec = the Cologne Express fell to the Titans in 6 games and Helsinki moved onto the finals to face Quebec (marginal) Unfortunately the combination of Quebec’s newly acquired offensive strength, in combination with goaltender Skylar Rift = Unfortunately the combination of Quebec's newly acquired offensive strength and goaltender Skylar Rift (that's a lot of combinations) the off-season took a toll = the off-season took a toll on the Titans (took a toll on who?) leaving Quebec questioning it’s future = leaving Quebec questioning its future. Appearance: 1/1 - obvi 6/6. Edited October 25, 2014 by frescoelmo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Admin Will 4,660 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Senior Admin Share Posted October 25, 2014 Yeah I didn't proofread it much, consider this your initiation Wow, I really liked the word combination. frescoelmo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank 5,057 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Claimed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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