Yutaka Fukufuji
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese ice hockey player currently with the Nikko Ice Bucks of the Asia League Ice Hockey
Asia League Ice Hockey
Asia League Ice Hockey is an association which operates a professional ice hockey league based in East Asia, with seven teams from Japan, China, and South Korea. The league is headquartered in Japan...

. Fukufuji was the first Japanese player to appear in a National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 game. He is the first Japanese citizen to be drafted as a goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...

 in the NHL and second Japanese national to be drafted.

Playing career

Fukufuji was born in Kushiro, Hokkaidō
Kushiro, Hokkaido
is a city located in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital city of Kushiro Subprefecture, as well as the most populous city in eastern Hokkaidō....

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. He played on the Kokudo hockey team
Seibu Prince Rabbits
The were an Asia League Ice Hockey team based in Nishitōkyō City in Tokyo, Japan that was folded in 2009. The Rabbits played at the DyDo Drinco Ice Arena from 2006-07 to 2008-09...

 of Asia League Ice Hockey
Asia League Ice Hockey
Asia League Ice Hockey is an association which operates a professional ice hockey league based in East Asia, with seven teams from Japan, China, and South Korea. The league is headquartered in Japan...

 in 2001. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 in the 2004 entry draft in the 8th round, 238th overall. He made his North American debut on February 7, 2003 with the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...

 Cincinnati Cyclones
Cincinnati Cyclones
The Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Founded in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at U.S. Bank Arena....

. He was voted the ECHL rookie of the month in January 2003. He played for the Bakersfield Condors
Bakersfield Condors
The Bakersfield Condors are a minor league ice hockey team based in Bakersfield, California. The team plays in the Pacific Division of the ECHL's Western Conference. The Condors join the Houston Aeros as an affiliate of the Minnesota Wild in the National Hockey League...

 of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...

 in 2004–05 leading the team in wins, GAA, and shutouts. Fukufuji signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 in August 2005. After starting the 2005–06 season with the Reading Royals
Reading Royals
The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Sovereign Center located in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania...

, the Kings ECHL franchise, Yutaka was the number 2 goalie on the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 Manchester Monarchs
Manchester Monarchs
The Manchester Monarchs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Manchester, New Hampshire at the Verizon Wireless Arena. They have been the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings since 2001.-History:...

 for a time.

On December 15, 2006, Fukufuji was called up on to the Los Angeles Kings on emergency basis. He became the first Japanese-born player to dress for an NHL game, but he did not play.

When goaltender Mathieu Garon
Mathieu Garon
Mathieu Garon is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Garon is a goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Garon has also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Garon was a member...

 was placed on injured reserve with a broken finger, Fukufuji was again recalled and flew in from Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

 to dress as backup to goalie Barry Brust
Barry Brust
Barry Brust is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Brust is currently a member of the Straubing Tigers of the German Ice Hockey League. Brust has played in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings...

. On January 13, 2007, Fukufuji made his first NHL appearance, the first by a Japanese-born player, when Kings head coach Marc Crawford
Marc Crawford
Marc Joseph John Crawford is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach, most recently employed by the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. He was previously the head coach of three other organizations and won a Stanley Cup in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche...

 decided to put him in to start the third period of a game against the St. Louis Blues. Fukufuji entered the game with the Kings trailing 5-4. He allowed one goal in the period, and the Kings also scored one goal while he was in net. The final score of the game was 6-5 in favor of St. Louis; as Fukufuji was the goaltender who allowed the decisive sixth St. Louis goal, he was assessed the loss.

On January 16, 2007, Fukufuji made history again when he became the first player born in Japan to start in an NHL game, as he began the game in goal for the Kings against the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...

.

Fukufuji was not presented with a qualifying offer by the Kings before the 2007–08 season, but returned to the Condors on September 10, 2007 after signing a contract for the 2007–08 season.

On May 25, 2009, Fukufuji was signed by the Destil Trappers
Destil Trappers
The Destil Trappers are a professional ice hockey club based in Tilburg, The Netherlands, playing in the highest level league in the country, the North Sea Cup . Founded on 21 October 1938, they were officially recognised by the National Federation on 18 January 1939...

 of the Eredivisie, the top league in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. After one full season with Destil Trappers
Destil Trappers
The Destil Trappers are a professional ice hockey club based in Tilburg, The Netherlands, playing in the highest level league in the country, the North Sea Cup . Founded on 21 October 1938, they were officially recognised by the National Federation on 18 January 1939...

 Fukufuji signed with Nikko Ice Bucks on July, 2010.

Career statistics


Season Team Lge GP MIN GA EN SO GAA W L T SV Pct
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2002-03 Cincinnati Cyclones ECHL 9 403 21 1 0 3.13 4 3 0 226 0.915
2004-05 Bakersfield Condors ECHL 44 2517 104 1 3 2.48 27 9 5 1182 0.919
2005-06 Manchester Monarchs AHL 2 120 6 0 0 3.00 1 1 0 72 0.923
2005-06 Reading Royals ECHL 29 1691 82 3 1 2.91 15 9 4 909 0.917
2006-07 Los Angeles Kings NHL 4 96 7 0 0 4.37 0 3 0 36 0.837
2006-07 Reading Royals ECHL 28 1522 75 2 1 2.96 13 10 0 718 0.905
2006-07 Manchester Monarchs AHL 5 261 4 0 1 0.92 3 1 0 111 0.965
2007-08 Bakersfield Condors ECHL 46 2427 137 3 1 3.39 18 18 1 1219 0.899
2008-09 Bakersfield Condors ECHL 35 1821 100 2 0 3.29 18 12 1 917 0.902

External links

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