Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Last updated

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen 2022.jpg
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

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (born 9 March 1999) known colloquially as UPL is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 54th overall, by the Sabres in the 2017 NHL entry draft.

Contents

Early life

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 football, 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 twin brother, Jaakko, who played football 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

Junior

Luukkonen has formerly played for HPK of Liiga, as well as HPK's under-16, under-18, and under-20 teams, and for LeKi of Mestis on loan. [7] After playing for HPK's under-20 team, he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres, 54th overall, in the 2017 NHL entry draft. [8] He has also been drafted in the 2016 KHL Junior Draft by Severstal Cherepovets of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with the 122nd overall pick.

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 ice 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

On 12 April 2019, Luukkonen signed an amateur tryout contract with the Sabres' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. [16] On 14 April, Luukkonen made his 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 played successfully with the Cyclones, being named ECHL Goaltender of the Month for November 2019, [19] and represented 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 a period of four-to-six weeks due to the delayed 2020–21 North American season. [21] He played 13 games with TPS 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 played four games for the Sabres in 2021.

Luukkonen spent most of the 2021–22 season with the Americans, but he was one of six goaltenders to play for the Sabres in the 2021–22 season. [24] He played well in limited ice time, but suffered an injury against the Boston Bruins. [25]

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 remained 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' defence struggled for most of the season, and by the time the defence 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 UPL-jan-13-2024.jpg
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. His 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 NHL shutout in a 4–0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on 29 October. [34] [35] Luukkonen missed 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] He 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 3–2 shootout victory against the Carolina Hurricanes, Luukkonen would become the first Sabres goaltender 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 (PHWA) 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 Comrie, [49] while former Sabres coach Don Granato credited Luukkonen's work with Anderson as well as competing with 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, however prior to the hearing, he 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. [51] [52] [53]

International play

Medal record
Representing Flag of Finland.svg  Finland
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2019 Canada
World U18 Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2016 USA
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2017 Slovakia

Luukkonen played for Finland national teams in the under-18 and junior world championships. He was first selected as the third goaltender for the 2016 World U18 Championships, and although he was such a late selection that team items were not customized with his name, [6] he would step in as starter when Leevi Laakso got sick [54] and led the team to a gold medal. Luukkonen would lead Finland to the silver medal in the 2017 World U18 Championships. He won the gold again at the 2019 World Junior Championships in a 3–2 victory over the United States junior team and was named the media's pick for best goaltender of the tournament. [55]

Personal life

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

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGPWLOTLMINGA SO GAA SV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
2015–16 HPK Jr. A 15——————1.98.9248—————1.94.920
2016–17HPKJr. A35——————1.78.9179—————2.01.915
2017–18HPKJr. A2——————2.50.924————————
2017–18 LeKi Mestis 24————70—2.92.908————————
2017–18 HPK Liiga 101034203.55.750————————
2018–19 Sudbury Wolves OHL 53381123,07812862.50.9208435142803.27.906
2018–19 Rochester Americans AHL 110060202.00.941————————
2019–20 Cincinnati Cyclones ECHL 2312731,3385032.24.912————————
2019–20 Rochester AmericansAHL103436103203.15.874————————
2020–21 TPS Liiga136347873312.52.908————————
2020–21 Rochester AmericansAHL147528174903.60.888————————
2020–21 Buffalo Sabres NHL 41302171403.88.906————————
2021–22 Rochester AmericansAHL35151462,03211113.28.900————————
2021–22 Buffalo SabresNHL92525042302.74.917————————
2022–23 Rochester AmericansAHL96305272703.07.898————————
2022–23 Buffalo SabresNHL33171141,91111503.61.892————————
2023–24 Buffalo SabresNHL54272243,08113252.57.910————————
Liiga totals146448213512.56.905————————
NHL totals1004741105,71128452.98.904————————

International

YearTeamEventGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%
2015 Finland U17 101060303.00.903
2016 Finland WJC18 3300180602.00.917
2016 Finland IH18 2020118904.58.850
2017 FinlandWJC1865103731802.90.899
2018 Finland WJC 52213071603.13.879
2019 FinlandWJC64203671101.80.932
Junior totals2314811,4056302.69—

Awards and honours

AwardYearRef
Jr. A
Champion2017
OHL
First All-Star Team 2019
Goaltender of the Year 2019
Red Tilson Trophy 2019 [56]
ECHL
All-Star Game 2020

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominik Hašek</span> Czech ice hockey player (born 1965)

Dominik Hašek is a Czech former ice hockey goaltender who mostly played for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Widely regarded as one of the best goaltenders of all time, Hašek also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators in his 16-season National Hockey League (NHL) career before finishing his career in Europe. While in Buffalo, he became one of the league's finest goaltenders, earning him the nickname "The Dominator". His strong play has been credited with establishing European goaltenders in a league previously dominated by North Americans. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, both with the Red Wings, winning his first one as the starting goaltender, and his second one as the backup goaltender.

Daren James Puppa is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender in the NHL. During his career, he played for the Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He won the 1985 NCAA Championship with the RPI Engineers. He is the cousin of NHL hockey player Ralph Backstrom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Miller</span> American ice hockey player (born 1980)

Ryan Dean Miller is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. In 2010, he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender. Miller was the winningest American-born goaltender in NHL history from February 2019 until March 2024, when he was passed by Jonathan Quick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Anderson (ice hockey)</span> American ice hockey player (born 1981)

Craig Peter Anderson is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals, and Buffalo Sabres, with the Senators being his longest-tenured team. Internationally, Anderson represented the United States on multiple occasions. He is one of 40 NHL goaltenders to have won over 300 games in their career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pekka Rinne</span> Finnish ice hockey player (born 1982)

Pekka Päiviö Rinne is a Finnish former professional hockey goaltender. Drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Rinne became their starting goaltender during the 2008–09 season and quickly established himself as one of the NHL's best goaltenders. He won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender in the 2017–18 season, and was a finalist for the award four times. Rinne led the Predators to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in franchise history in 2017, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Smith (ice hockey, born 1982)</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1982)

Mike Smith is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Smith played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, and the Edmonton Oilers. Smith is the 11th goaltender in NHL history to score a goal, which he did in the 2013–14 season against the Detroit Red Wings. A two-time NHL All-Star, he was named to the 2014 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team, winning a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Quick</span> American ice hockey player (born 1986)

Jonathan Douglas Quick is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Quick was selected in the third round, 72nd overall, by the Los Angeles Kings at the 2005 NHL entry draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anders Lindbäck</span> Swedish ice hockey player (born 1988)

Anders Lindbäck is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Vienna Capitals in the Austrian based ICEHL. He most recently played with Brynäs IF of the Swedish second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan. He has previously played for the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes in the National Hockey League (NHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carter Hutton</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1985)

Carter John Hutton is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres and the Arizona Coyotes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Subban</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1993)

Malcolm-Jamaal Justin Subban is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently under contract with the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League. Subban was selected by the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the first round, 24th overall, of the 2012 NHL entry draft. He also previously played for the Vegas Golden Knights, Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, and Columbus Blue Jackets. He played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League with the Belleville Bulls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrei Vasilevskiy</span> Russian ice hockey player (born 1994)

Andrei Andreyevich Vasilevskiy is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 19th overall, by the Lightning at the 2012 NHL entry draft, and is widely regarded as one of the best goaltenders currently in the NHL, and possibly in league history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linus Ullmark</span> Swedish ice hockey player (born 1993)

Linus Ullmark is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the sixth round, 163rd overall, of the 2012 NHL entry draft. With the Boston Bruins during the 2022–23 season, Ullmark led the NHL in wins, goals against average, and save percentage, scored an empty net goal, and won both the Vezina Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy, the latter being shared with his teammate Jeremy Swayman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Murray (ice hockey, born 1994)</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1994)

Matthew Murray is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Murray was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round of the 2012 NHL entry draft. In 2016, Murray won his first Stanley Cup championship as the starting goaltender for the Penguins during the playoffs after having replaced then-starter Marc-André Fleury. Murray would split the net with Fleury during the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, winning the Stanley Cup again in 2017 and becoming the first goaltender to win back-to-back titles in his first two seasons in the NHL. In recent years, his career has been plagued by injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Igor Shesterkin</span> Russian ice hockey player (born 1995)

Igor Olegovich Shestyorkin is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round, 118th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. In his first 82-game season in 2021–22, Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender.

The 2017–18 OHL season was the 38th season of the Ontario Hockey League, in which twenty teams played 68 games each according to the regular season schedule, from September 21, 2017 to March 18, 2018. The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds accomplished a streak of 23 consecutive wins between October 27, 2017 and January 4, 2018.

The 2018–19 OHL season was the 39th season of the Ontario Hockey League, in which twenty teams played 68 games each according to the regular season schedule, from September 19, 2018 to March 17, 2019.

Devon Levi is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastian Cossa</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 2002)

Sebastian Cossa is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 15th overall by the Red Wings in the 2021 NHL entry draft.

Ryerson Leenders is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender for the Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was selected 219th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2024 NHL entry draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devin Cooley</span> American ice hockey player (born 1997)

Devin Cooley is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL).

References

  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. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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). Retrieved 21 November 2024– 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. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  45. 1 2 "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. 1 2 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". NHL.com. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  52. ↑ "Sabres Re-Sign Starting Goalie, Avoid Arbitration". SI.com. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  53. ↑ "Sabres, goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen agree to five-year contract". Sportsnet.ca. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  54. ↑ Aykroyd, Lucas (25 April 2016). "Finns golden in Grand Forks". Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  55. ↑ Merk, Martin. "Poehling MVP". Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  56. ↑ "2018-19 OHL All-Star Teams – Ontario Hockey League". Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.