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Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (born 9 March 1999) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Luukkonen with the Rochester Americans in 2022
Born (1999-03-09) 9 March 1999 (age 25)
Espoo, Finland
Height 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight 212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Buffalo Sabres
HPK
TPS
NHL draft 54th overall, 2017
Buffalo Sabres
Playing career 2017–present

Early life

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Luukkonen was born in Espoo and he grew up in Hyvinkää.[1] Luukkonen's father, Jari, is the Secretary General at the World Wildlife Fund-Finland. Luukkonen was named after former Finnish president Pehr Evind Svinhufvud's nickname.[2] As a child, Luukkonen played soccer, floorball, and flute.[3] He also played for the Hyvinkää Jää-Ahmoje [fi] junior squad.[3] Luukkonen grew up idolizing Finnish goaltenders Miikka Kiprusoff and Tuukka Rask.[4] Luukkonen has a fraternal twin, Jaakko, who played soccer before becoming an engineer. Luukkonen's older brother, Nuutti, was also a goaltender at the junior level,[5] and went on to become a pilot.[6]

Playing career

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Junior

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Luukkonen has formerly played for HPK of Liiga, as well as HPK's U16, U18, and U20 teams, and for LeKi of Mestis on loan.[7] After playing for HPK's U20 team, he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, 54th overall, in the 2017 NHL entry draft.[8] He was also previously drafted in 2016 by Severstal Cherepovets of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), 122nd overall, but never played for them.

On 15 June 2018, Luukkonen agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sabres.[9] Luukkonen was selected third overall by the Sudbury Wolves in the 2018 CHL Import Draft.[10]

In the 2018–19 season, his first in North America playing major junior hockey, Luukkonen set the Sudbury Wolves franchise record for most wins in a regular season,[11] and led the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in wins, save percentage, and shutouts.[12] Luukkonen was the first European import player to win the Red Tilson Trophy as the league's most outstanding player.[13] Rob Papineau, the Wolves general manager, said that Luukkonen told him he played much better once he felt like the Wolves were "[his] team. I'm the starter. This is my team".[14] Luukkonen later said his time in Sudbury was "one of the best years of my hockey career" and "a special time for me", and he would later present Quentin Musty with a Wolves jersey when the latter was selected first overall in the 2021 OHL Draft.[15]

Professional

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On 12 April 2019, Luukkonen signed an amateur tryout contract with the Rochester Americans, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres.[16] On 14 April, Luukkonen made his professional ice hockey debut with Rochester, earning a victory in a 4–2 win over the Belleville Senators.[17] Following the conclusion of the 2018–19 season, Luukkonen underwent successful hip surgery.[18]

Following his return from hip surgery, Luukkonen spent the majority of the 2019–20 season with the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL to return to form.[6] Luukkonen would be the only member of the team who would ever make it to the NHL.Luukkonen was successful with the Cyclones, being named ECHL Goaltender of the Month for November 2019,[19] and representing the team at the ECHL All-Star Game.[20]

On 18 August 2020, Luukkonen agreed to return to the Finnish Liiga on loan from the Sabres with TPS for an initial period of 4–6 weeks due to the delayed 2020–21 North American season.[21] He played 13 games for the team between October 2020 and January 2021 before returning to North America.[22] On 23 April 2021, Luukkonen made his NHL debut and recorded his first NHL win in a 6–4 win over the Boston Bruins.[23] Luukkonen would play 4 games for the Sabres in 2021.

Luukkonen spent most of the 2021–22 season with the Americans, but he was one of six goalies to play for the Sabres in the 2021–22 season.[24] Luukkonen played well in limited ice time, but suffered an injury against the Boston Bruins.[25] Luukkonen ended up posting solid numbers in 9 games played.

Luukkonen began the 2022–23 season with the Americans to ensure he could get ice time,[26] before being called up due to an injury to Eric Comrie. During a road trip in December 2023, Luukkonen had "two stellar showings out west...he was decisive and showed off his athletic ability", including a 41-save performance against the Vegas Golden Knights where Tage Thompson said Luukkonen "won the game for us. He stood on his head all night."[27] In January 2023, Luukkonen was named NHL Rookie of the Month with six wins in nine starts and a .907 save percentage for the month.[28] Luukkonen would remain with the Sabres even after Comrie's return from injury, becoming part of a difficult three goaltender rotation with Comrie and veteran Craig Anderson.[29] The Sabres defense struggled for most of the season, and by the time the defense began to improve at the end of the season, Luukkonen was the fourth goaltender behind the newly arrived rookie Devon Levi.[6]

After the season, Luukkonen had surgery on his ankle.[30] During the off-season in the spring of 2023, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams invited Luukkonen to his house to have dinner and watch the Stanley Cup playoffs. During the dinner, Adams discussed Luukkonen's progress, and expressed confidence in Luukkonen's future with the team.[6] During the 2023 off-season, Luukkonen worked on his technique, including work on his stance and positioning – focusing on being less aggressive and sliding around less in the crease – as well as working with a mental coach.[31]

 
Luukkonen and Mattias Samuelsson during a game against the Vancouver Canucks on 13 January 2024

Luukkonen started the 2023–24 season as the third goaltender on the Sabres roster, behind Comrie and Levi.[32] Levi started the first four games of the season for the Sabres, but suffered a lower-body injury after the final start in that run.[6] Luukkonen's first start of the season came on the second half of a back-to-back series on 24 October 2023, a 6–4 win against the Ottawa Senators. Luukkonen's next ice time would come in relief in the next game after Comrie was injured against the New Jersey Devils.[33] Luukkonen started five out of the next seven games, with three wins, including his first career NHL shutout in a 4–0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on 29 October.[34][35] Luukkonen would miss three games in December due to an illness severe enough to cause him to lose weight,[36] and struggled on his return, losing his next three starts. However, Luukkonen entered the new year on a hot streak, including two consecutive shutouts on 15 and 18 January 2024 against the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks,[37][38] becoming the first Sabres goaltender to accomplish that feat since Carter Hutton in 2019.[39] Luukkonen recorded a 33-save shutout against the Los Angeles Kings on 13 February, becoming the first Sabres goaltender since Ryan Miller in 2011–12 to record four or more shutouts in one season.[40][41] Luukkonen led the league in save percentage and goals against average from 1 January until 15 February, where he missed a game due to a lower-body injury.[42][43] On 25 February, in a shootout victory against the Carolina Hurricanes, Luukkonen would become the first Sabre since Jhonas Enroth to make four saves and allow no goals in a shootout.[44] Luukkonen notched a fifth shutout on 14 March, against the New York Islanders. He was considered "arguably the best goalie in the league for the last while" by teammates and media.[45][46] Luukkonen was nominated by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association for the 2024 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.[45] Luukkonen's breakout season was widely considered to be a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing Sabres season, in which the Sabres' playoff drought hit an NHL longest 13 seasons.[47][48] Luukkonen ascribed his improvement to a positive mindset as well as the positivity of fellow goaltender Eric Comrie,[49] while former Sabres coach Don Granato credited Luukkonen's work with Craig Anderson as well as competing with Devon Levi.

Luukkonen received two third place All-Star votes from the PWHA, but was not selected to the NHL All-Star team.[50] After the season, Luukkonen filed for salary arbitration, but Luukkonen and the Sabres agreed to terms on a five-year, $23.75 million contract extension, including a five-team no trade clause after two years prior to the hearing.[51][52][53][54]

International play

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Medal record
Representing   Finland
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place  2019 Canada
World U18 Championships
Gold medal – first place  2016 USA
Silver medal – second place  2017 Slovakia

Luukkonen played for Finland in the U18 and U20 World Junior Championships. He was first selected as the third goaltender for the U18 World Juniors in 2016, and although he was such a late selection that team items weren't customized with his name,[6] he would step in as starter when Leevi Laakso got sick[55] and led the team to a gold medal. Luukkonen would lead Finland to the U18 silver medal in 2017. He won the gold again at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in a 3–2 victory over the United States national junior team and was named the media's pick for best goaltender of the tournament.[56]

Personal life

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Luukkonen's favorite goaltender is Pekka Rinne, and his 2023–24 "Buffalo Rage" mask was designed after Rinne's.[49]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2015–16 HPK Jr. A 15 — — — — — — 1.98 .924 8 — — — — — 1.94 .920
2016–17 HPK Jr. A 35 — — — — — — 1.78 .917 9 — — — — — 2.01 .915
2017–18 HPK Jr. A 2 — — — — — — 2.50 .924 — — — — — — — —
2017–18 LeKi Mestis 24 — — — — 70 — 2.92 .908 — — — — — — — —
2017–18 HPK Liiga 1 0 1 0 34 2 0 3.55 .750 — — — — — — — —
2018–19 Sudbury Wolves OHL 53 38 11 2 3,078 128 6 2.50 .920 8 4 3 514 28 0 3.27 .906
2018–19 Rochester Americans AHL 1 1 0 0 60 2 0 2.00 .941 — — — — — — — —
2019–20 Cincinnati Cyclones ECHL 23 12 7 3 1,338 50 3 2.24 .912 — — — — — — — —
2019–20 Rochester Americans AHL 10 3 4 3 610 32 0 3.15 .874 — — — — — — — —
2020–21 TPS Liiga 13 6 3 4 787 33 1 2.52 .908 — — — — — — — —
2020–21 Rochester Americans AHL 14 7 5 2 817 49 0 3.60 .888 — — — — — — — —
2020–21 Buffalo Sabres NHL 4 1 3 0 217 14 0 3.88 .906 — — — — — — — —
2021–22 Rochester Americans AHL 35 15 14 6 2,032 111 1 3.28 .900 — — — — — — — —
2021–22 Buffalo Sabres NHL 9 2 5 2 504 23 0 2.74 .917 — — — — — — — —
2022–23 Rochester Americans AHL 9 6 3 0 527 27 0 3.07 .898 — — — — — — — —
2022–23 Buffalo Sabres NHL 33 17 11 4 1,911 115 0 3.61 .892 — — — — — — — —
2023–24 Buffalo Sabres NHL 54 27 22 4 3,081 132 5 2.57 .910 — — — — — — — —
Liiga totals 14 6 4 4 821 35 1 2.56 .905 — — — — — — — —
NHL totals 100 47 41 10 5,711 284 5 2.98 .904 — — — — — — — —

International

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Year Team Event Result GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2015 Finland U17 5th 1 0 1 0 60 3 0 3.00 .903
2016 Finland WJC18 1st place, gold medalist(s)  3 3 0 0 180 6 0 2.00 .917
2016 Finland IH18 6th 2 0 2 0 118 9 0 4.58 .850
2017 Finland WJC18 2nd place, silver medalist(s)  6 5 1 0 373 18 0 2.90 .899
2018 Finland WJC 6th 5 2 2 1 307 16 0 3.13 .879
2019 Finland WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s)  6 4 2 0 367 11 0 1.80 .932
Junior totals 23 14 8 1 1,405 63 0 2.69 —

Awards and honours

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Award Year Ref
Jr. A
Champion 2017
OHL
First All-Star Team 2019
Goaltender of the Year 2019
Red Tilson Trophy 2019 [57]
ECHL
All-Star Game 2020

References

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  1. ^ Vähämaa, Toni (26 June 2023). "Hyvinkään kasvatti, NHL-kiekkoilija Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen osti kämpän Helsingistä – harjoittelee kesän maineikkaassa treenitallissa". Aamuposti (in Finnish). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  2. ^ Perkiö, Jari (6 January 2019). "Tiesitkö? Suomen MM-kiekon sankari on saanut etunimensä entisen presidentin mukaan". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b Lempinen, Marko (26 April 2016). "Pikkuleijonien mestarimaalivahdin Ukko-Pekka Luukkosen isä: "Tämä oli uskomaton tarina"". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  4. ^ Fairburn, Matthew. "Sabres notes: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's surge, Owen Power's injury, trade deadline thoughts". The Athletic. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Nuutti Luukkonen". Elite Prospects. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Reporter, Lance Lysowski News Sports (23 March 2024). "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's circuitous path from top prospect to Sabres' No.1 goalie". Buffalo News. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen drafted by Sabres". eliteprospects.com. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Sabres ink Luukkonen to entry-level contract". Buffalo Sabres. 15 June 2018. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  10. ^ "Ukko Pekka Luukkonen commits to Sudbury Wolves". The Sudbury Star. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 15 August 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  11. ^ "Luukkonen sets franchise record in Wolves defeat of the Generals". Sudbury.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  12. ^ @mikecommito (16 March 2019). "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen picked up his 37th win last night and now leads OHL in wins, save percentage, and shutouts" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Wolves' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen voted Red Tilson Trophy winner as OHL's Most Outstanding Player of the Year – Ontario Hockey League". Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  14. ^ Fairburn, Matthew. "Sabres notebook: Connor Clifton finding his way". The Athletic. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  15. ^ Caputo, Brandon (9 February 2024). "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen keeping tabs on Sudbury Wolves from Buffalo". Armchair GMs Network. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Sabres prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen joining Amerks". The Buffalo News. 12 April 2019. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  17. ^ "Game Recap". www.amerks.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  18. ^ "LUUKKONEN UNDERGOES SUCCESSFUL HIP SURGERY". www.amerks.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  19. ^ "LUUKKONEN NAMED ECHL GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH". Cincinnati Cyclones. 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  20. ^ "LUUKKONEN NAMED CYCLONES ALL-STAR REPRESENTATIVE". Cincinnati Cyclones. 6 January 2020. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  21. ^ "Goalkeeper Luukkonen adds to TPS strength" (in Finnish). HC TPS. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Game logs | #30 Luukkonen, Ukko-Pekka | Liiga". liiga.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  23. ^ Lysowski, Lance (23 April 2021). "Latest chapter in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's 'journey:' Securing a Sabres win". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on 24 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  24. ^ "Sabres seek goalie plan with Houser in protocol". ESPN.com. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  25. ^ Vogl, John. "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has given the Sabres their most reliable goaltending this season, hopes future is now". The Athletic. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  26. ^ Fairburn, Matthew. "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is a changed goalie, so what's next for the Sabres prospect?". The Athletic. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  27. ^ Fairburn, Matthew. "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shuts out Avalanche in dominant Buffalo win". The Athletic. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  28. ^ "Luukkonen of Sabres named NHL Rookie of the Month for January". NHL.com. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  29. ^ Fairburn, Matthew. "Strong Sabres performance ends in crushing loss to Rangers, further denting playoff hopes". The Athletic. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  30. ^ Reporter, Mike Harrington News Sports (3 July 2023). "Mike Harrington: The Sabres are comfortable with their goaltending, but the fans are not. We'll see who's right". Buffalo News. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  31. ^ Hopmayer, Rachel (26 October 2023). "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen staying focused". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  32. ^ Fairburn, Matthew. "Sabres takeaways: Maddening inconsistency on display in loss to Blues". The Athletic. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  33. ^ Fairburn, Matthew. "Observations from Sabres win over Flyers: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Brandon Biro help lift Buffalo". The Athletic. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  34. ^ Fairburn, Matthew. "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen shuts out Avalanche in dominant Buffalo win". The Athletic. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  35. ^ "Luukkonen gets 1st career shutout as Sabres beat Avalanche 4-0". ESPN. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  36. ^ Reporter, Mike Harrington News Sports (12 December 2023). "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's return gives Sabres another strong option in goal". Buffalo News. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  37. ^ Lysowski, Lance (15 January 2024). "Sabres observations: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stakes claim to crease with shutout win". Buffalo News. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  38. ^ Lysowski, Lance (18 January 2024). "Sabres observations: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen earns second straight shutout in 3-0 win". Buffalo News. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  39. ^ LaBarber, Jourdon (19 January 2024). "At the Horn | Sabres 3 - Blackhawks 0". www.nhl.com. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  40. ^ Bové, Matthew (14 February 2024). "5 Observations: Sabres offense explodes in 7-0 win over Kings". WKBW 7 News Buffalo. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  41. ^ @SabresPR (13 February 2024). "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 33 saves and recorded his fourth shutout of the season in tonight's game. His four shutouts are the most in a single season by a Sabres goaltender since Ryan Miller recorded six in 2011-12" (Tweet). Retrieved 7 April 2024 – via Twitter.
  42. ^ "Player Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick". www.naturalstattrick.com. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  43. ^ Fairburn, Matthew. "Sabres thoughts: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's injury, Tage Thompson's scoring slump and more". The Athletic. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  44. ^ "Sabres vs. Hurricanes Postgame Report" (PDF). Sabres.com. 25 February 2024.
  45. ^ a b "2023-24 Bill Masterton Trophy nominees announced". Daily Faceoff. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  46. ^ Fairburn, Matthew. "Sabres' belief is 'higher than ever' as they inch closer to a playoff spot". The Athletic. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  47. ^ Bové, Matthew (7 February 2024). "Have the Buffalo Sabres found their future starting goaltender?". WKBW 7 News Buffalo. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  48. ^ Harrington, Mike (2 March 2024). "Inside the NHL: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's second half answers all of Sabres' questions in goal". Buffalo News. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  49. ^ a b Hopmayer, Rachel (21 April 2024). "The power of positivity propelled Luukkonen's breakout season for Sabres". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  50. ^ "PHWA reveals 2024 NHL Awards ballots – Professional Hockey Writers Association". 29 June 2024. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  51. ^ "Sabres agree to terms with Luukkonen on 5-year deal | Buffalo Sabres". www.nhl.com. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  52. ^ "Sabres Re-Sign Starting Goalie, Avoid Arbitration". Break Away ON SI. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  53. ^ "Sabres, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen agree to five-year contract". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  54. ^ "Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Contract, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen Cap Hit, Salary and Stats | Puckpedia". puckpedia.com. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  55. ^ Aykroyd, Lucas (25 April 2016). "Finns golden in Grand Forks". Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  56. ^ Merk, Martin. "Poehling MVP". Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  57. ^ "2018-19 OHL All-Star Teams – Ontario Hockey League". Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
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