Ron Tugnutt
Ronald Frederick Bradley Tugnutt ( born October 22, 1967 in Scarborough, Ontario ) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goalie who during his career 1987-2004 for the Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets and Dallas Stars played in the National Hockey League.
Career
Ron Tugnutt began his career in 1984 in the Canadian Junior Football League OHL with the Peterborough Petes. At the end of his first season he was awarded the FW " Dinty " Moore Trophy as the best rookie goalkeeper with the least Gegentordurchschnitt. The following year he received along with goalkeeping colleague Kay Whitmore, the Dave Pinkney Trophy for the fewest goals.
In the same year he was selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the NHL Entry Draft in 1986 in the fourth round at position 81. After another year in the OHL, he joined the Nordiques in the NHL. He held the role as back-up goalie and played casually in the AHL at the farm teams of the Nordiques, the Fredericton Express and the Halifax Citadel The first three years.
In the 1990/91 season he became the number 1 in the team and played 56 games. In a game against the Boston Bruins that ended 3-3, Tugnutt parried 70 shots, the second highest figure in the history of the NHL. Some players the Bruins came after the game even Tugnutt and congratulated him on his outstanding performance.
But after a year as a goalkeeper he became the number 2 back in March 1992, he was transferred to the Edmonton Oilers. Again he took the role as a back-up goalie behind Bill Ranford. In June 1993 Tugnutt was selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the NHL Expansion Draft 1993. After only eight months in Anaheim, he was transferred to the Montréal Canadiens, where he remained one and a half years. Especially in Montreal, he got little chance to prove himself.
Prior to the 1995/96 season he signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals, but graduated from the entire season with their farm team, the Portland Pirates in the AHL. Tugnutt did a good job as the No. 1 and reached Portland the Calder Cup Finals, where they were, however, inferior.
His good performances meant that he received a contract in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators in 1996. With goalkeeping coach Phil Myre he worked before the 1996/97 season in his abilities and was able to get the place as number 2 behind Damian Rhodes. He shared the following two years, with Rhodes the role as goalkeeper.
In the season 1998/99 he had a Gegentordurchschnitt of 1.79 and a catch quota of 92.5 % in 43 games. These outstanding values and his superb performances meant that he was employed in the NHL All-Star Game. In summer 1999 expansion draft was selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999 Damian Rhodes in the NHL and Tugnutt was now the sole number 1 in Ottawa. He was unable to repeat the performance of last year in the season 1999/2000. In addition to that back-up goalie Patrick Lalime impressed by its performance and a serious competitor for Tugnutt was.
Even during the season Tugnutt was transferred to a swap deal for Tom Barrasso of the Pittsburgh Penguins because the senator wanted to have an experienced goalie for the playoffs. However, with Barrasso already failed the Senators in the first round, while the Penguins moved in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference with Tugnutt. Particularly well remembered this was the game against the Philadelphia Flyers on May 4, 2000. Tugnutt managed to ward of 72 shots 70, however, led the 72nd shot the decisive 2-1 for Philadelphia in the fifth extension. The game lasted 152 minutes and is only surpassed by its length of two games from the 30s. Tugnutt reached a Gegentordurchschnitt of 1.77 and a catch quota of 94.5 % in eleven games.
His contract expired in the summer of 2000 and due to its outstanding performance in the playoffs did the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ottawa Senators to win him over. But Tugnutt opted for the Columbus Blue Jackets, who had offered him a four -year contract, which should earn him a total of 10 million U.S. dollars. The Blue Jackets were faced with their first season in the NHL.
With Tugnutt as a goalkeeper, although they did not reach the playoffs, but they had been in league newcomer a relatively positive start. Tugnutt presented with 22 wins as an NHL goalkeeper Freshman a record. The following season he shared the role as number 1 with Marc Denis. After the season, the management of the Blue Jackets decided that Marc Denis will be the sole goalkeeper from Columbus and Ron Tugnutt was transferred in June 2002 to the Dallas Stars.
The season 2002/ 03 he graduated as a back -up goalie Marty Turco of. But injured when Turco took Tugnutt temporarily Turco 's post and came at the end of the season to 31 games and four shutouts.
The 2003/04 season was one of the hardest in his career. From October to January, he was allowed to play only three times from the beginning, and was occasionally sent to the AHL, so he gets some match practice. But after five games in the league unterklassigen he dragged the bar and missed several games. In early March he was allowed to play two games in the NHL again, but then had to again goalkeeper Turco soft. But the end of March Marty Turco has been banned from the NHL for four games and Tugnutt got the chance to prove his skills. However, lost all four games, which was also because that several key players were missing injured.
Dallas had been his last stop in his career. Tugnutt has never officially announced until now that he has ended his career, but he now works as a commentator for the TV station CBC Hockey.