Tuomo Ruutu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tuomo Ruutu |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Ruutu with the New Jersey Devils in 2014
|
|||
| Born | 16 February 1983 Vantaa, Finland |
||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | HIFK Jokerit Chicago Blackhawks Carolina Hurricanes New Jersey Devils HC Davos |
||
| National team |  Finland |
||
| NHL Draft | 9th overall, 2001 Chicago Blackhawks |
||
| Playing career | 1999–2017 | ||
Tuomo Ruutu (born on February 16, 1983) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He played as a forward. Today, he is an assistant coach for the Florida Panthers in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Tuomo was picked ninth overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. He played his first four NHL seasons with them. He also played for the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils. Later, he finished his playing career with HC Davos in Switzerland.
Tuomo is the younger brother of Jarkko Ruutu, who was also an ice hockey player. His other brother, Mikko Ruutu, is a scout for the Ottawa Senators.
Contents
Tuomo Ruutu's Hockey Journey
Tuomo Ruutu began his hockey career in Finland. He played for HIFK in the Finnish SM-liiga during the 1999–2000 season. After that, he moved to Jokerit for two seasons. In 2002, he returned to HIFK for one more year.
The Chicago Blackhawks chose him in the 2001 NHL Draft. He was their first pick, ninth overall. In 2003, Tuomo moved to North America. He played a full 82 games with the Blackhawks in his first NHL season.
Challenges and Comebacks
Tuomo did not play during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. He used that time to recover from injuries. He also worked as a commentator for Finnish television.
His 2005–06 season was cut short. First, a back injury kept him out for months. Then, an ankle injury in January needed surgery. This ended his season early.
After a tough time at the 2006 IIHF World Championship, Tuomo thought about quitting hockey. But he decided to keep playing. He signed a new two-year contract with Chicago.
Moving to New Teams
During the 2007–08 season, the Blackhawks traded Tuomo. He went to the Carolina Hurricanes in February 2008. The Hurricanes quickly signed him to a one-year contract.
In July 2009, the Hurricanes signed Tuomo to a longer contract. It was for three years. Later, in February 2012, he signed another four-year deal with them.
Just before the NHL trade deadline in March 2014, Tuomo was traded again. He joined the New Jersey Devils.
In the 2015–16 season, Tuomo faced more injuries. He only played in 33 games and had one assist. After his contract ended, the Devils did not re-sign him. He became a free agent.
Tuomo tried out with the Vancouver Canucks in September 2016. However, he was released from his tryout contract in October.
On October 28, 2016, Tuomo signed with HC Davos in Switzerland. He played there for the rest of the 2016–17 season. He scored his first goal for Davos in November 2016.
Tuomo Ruutu's International Play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Finland |
||
| Ice hockey | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 2010 Vancouver | |
| Bronze | 2014 Sochi | |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2011 Slovakia | |
| Silver | 2007 Russia | |
| Bronze | 2006 Latvia | |
| Bronze | 2008 Canada | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Silver | 2001 Russia | |
| Bronze | 2002 Czech Republic | |
| Bronze | 2003 Canada | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
| Gold | 2000 Switzerland | |
| World Cup | ||
| Silver | 2004 Canada | |
Tuomo Ruutu played for the Finnish national team many times. He played in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He scored his first goal for Finland in the final game against Canada.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Tuomo won a bronze medal with Finland. In 2011, he won a gold medal at the 2011 IIHF World Championship. He earned a medal in almost all major international tournaments he played in.
Tuomo also played for Finland at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Finland finished third, winning the bronze medal. They beat the United States 5–0. Tuomo had an assist in that game.
He played for Finland again at the 2015 IIHF World Championship. Finland was eliminated in the quarterfinal. This was one of the few times Tuomo did not win a medal in an international tournament.
Tuomo Ruutu's Coaching Career
Tuomo Ruutu became an assistant coach for the Florida Panthers on June 29, 2021. He was part of the coaching team when the Panthers won the Stanley Cup. They won in both the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 NHL seasons. Before joining Florida, Tuomo worked for two years with the New York Rangers. He was the Assistant Director of Player Development there.
See also
- Notable families in the NHL
- List of Olympic medalist families
