Ron Tugnutt

Ron Tugnutt
Born	(1967-10-22) October 22, 1967 Scarborough, ON, CAN
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	AHL Fredericton Express Halifax Citadels Portland Pirates NHL Quebec Nordiques Edmonton Oilers Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators Pittsburgh Penguins Columbus Blue Jackets Dallas Stars
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	81st overall, 1986 Quebec Nordiques
Playing career	1987–2004

Ronald Frederick Bradley Tugnutt (born October 22, 1967 in Scarborough, Ontario) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the NHL with several teams from 1987–2004 and is currently an assistant coach with the OHL's Peterborough Petes.

Playing career

Early years

Tugnutt was born in Scarborough, Ontario and played three seasons with the OHL Peterborough Petes. During that time, he won the F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy for the rookie with the best goals against average, followed by the Dave Pinkney Trophy for Top Team Goaltending, and was named to the OHL All Star team in 1987.

NHL beginnings

He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in the 4th round (87th overall) of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. He was primarily used as a backup during his first three pro seasons, bouncing up and down between the AHL's Halifax Citadels and the parent club in Quebec City. During 1990–91 NHL season, Tugnutt played what would be a career high 56 games for Quebec and established himself as a quality NHL starter despite playing for what was then the worst team in the league.

On March 21, 1991, Tugnutt stopped 70 of 73 shots to earn his team a 3-3 tie against the Boston Bruins, the second highest number of saves made in a regular season game in NHL history. His performance in that game evoked such respect that after it was over, several Bruins players skated over to congratulate Tugnutt.

In the midst of an inconsistent 1991–92 NHL season, and with the emergence of Stéphane Fiset as the Nordiques' #1 goaltender, Tugnutt was demoted to the Nordiques' AHL affiliate. In exchange for Martin Ručínský, he was soon traded to the Edmonton Oilers to serve as Bill Ranford's backup. Tugnutt remained in this role until he was selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1993 expansion draft. In Anaheim, he split goaltending duties with Guy Hebert.

As Anaheim quickly decided that Hebert was to be their future starter, and as the Montreal Canadiens decided that André Racicot and Les Kuntar were not adequately serving as Patrick Roy's backup, Tugnutt was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Stephan Lebeau. In his new role, Tugnutt's performance suffered; for Anaheim he posted a .908 save percentage in 28 games. For Montreal, he posted an .860 save percentage in eight games during the 1993-94 season.

During the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Boston Bruins, Tugnutt started a match as starter Patrick Roy was recuperating from an appendectomy. He did not return to the Canadiens for the 1995–96 season, and was replaced by Patrick Labrecque. These experiences caused Tugnutt to ponder retirement.

Career breakthrough

In 1995, Tugnutt signed a one year deal with the Washington Capitals, and subsequently spent the entire 1995-96 season with their AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates. He was productive in Portland, helping lead the Pirates to the Calder Cup Finals.

It was this strong performance that caught the attention of the Ottawa Senators. With the help of goaltending coach Phil Myre, Tugnutt worked on the fundamentals, gained some confidence and improved his game each season. While in Ottawa, he went from fighting for the backup position with Mike Bales behind starter Damian Rhodes to splitting duties with Rhodes the next two seasons and becoming the team's undisputed starting goaltender by 1999.

On April 12, 1997, Tugnutt backstopped the Senators to a 1-0 shutout of the Buffalo Sabres in the final game of the regular season. Tugnutt's father had just passed away and immediately following the win Tugnutt pointed to the rafters to signify the win was for his father. The moment was captured by cameras and became an iconic image of Tugnutt. This win propelled the Senators to their first playoff berth.

In 1998–99, Tugnutt had the best season of his career, and one of the best by an NHL goaltender in the modern era. He posted a league-best goals against average of 1.79, placed second in the league in save percentage at .925, had a career high in wins, and tied a career high in shutouts. This outstanding play, and an injury to Curtis Joseph, gave Tugnutt the opportunity to play in the 1999 NHL All-Star Game.

The next season, Rhodes was shipped to the expansion Atlanta Thrashers, giving Tugnutt sole possession of the starting job. However, he was unable to match his previous season and Ottawa decided to trade him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in favor of an experienced playoff performer, Tom Barrasso.

After arriving in Pittsburgh, Tugnutt took over the starting job from Jean-Sébastien Aubin and helped lead Pittsburgh deep into the playoffs. Tugnutt was in goal for the May 4, 2000, playoff game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He made 70 saves on 72 shots. The 72nd shot was a goal scored by Keith Primeau of the Flyers at 12:01 of the fifth overtime. The final score was Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1, after 152:01 minutes, the longest NHL game since the 1930s.

Following his performance with Pittsburgh, Tugnutt became one of the most sought after free agent goaltenders on the market. Both Ottawa and Pittsburgh attempted to re-sign Tugnutt but were unable to match the lucrative contract offered by the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets.

During Columbus' inaugural season, Tugnutt was considered their backbone. Tugnutt's 22 wins broke another NHL record for most wins on an expansion team, and his .917 save percentage was among the best in the league.

The team's second season was not as impressive as the first. Tugnutt battled injuries and ended up sharing time with young netminder Marc Denis. GM Doug MacLean decided that it was time to give Denis the opportunity to be the sole starter on the club, and traded Tugnutt to the Dallas Stars.

Tugnutt went to the Dallas Stars in 2002–03 as the backup to goaltender Marty Turco. In January 2003, Turco suffered an ankle injury that allowed Tugnutt to start almost 20 straight games. He posted back to back shutouts during that stretch. For the season, he played 31 games and posted a 15-10-5 record along with four shutouts.

2003–04 was possibly Tugnutt's toughest in the NHL. From the start of the season to January he only received three starts. He was sent down to the minors for the first time in almost ten years to get some playing time with the Utah Grizzlies. Just five games in, Tugnutt pulled his groin and was out until after the All Star break. Soon after, he was recalled to the Dallas Stars. After two solid starts, one of which was a shutout, Tugnutt finally got the break he was waiting for as Turco received a four game suspension. He retired following the 2003-04 season.

Post-retirement

After the lockout, Tugnutt joined CBC as a color commentator for Hockey Night in Canada. From 2008-09 to 2009-10, Tugnutt served as the goaltending coach for the OHL's Oshawa Generals and was a goaltending consultant for the 2010 Canadian World Junior team. Tugnutt's contract with the Generals was not renewed after a major front office shakeup in May 2010. Tugnutt joined the Peterborough Petes coaching staff for the 2010-11 season. Tugnutt was a consultant with Hockey Canada until 2013 when that relationship ended. Tugnutt then moved behind the bench of his sons' team the Kemptville 73's.

Off the ice

• Tugnutt is married to wife Lisa, and the couple have two children.
• Currently, Tugnutt resides on Stoney Lake near Peterborough, Ontario.
• He spends much of his free time coaching his kids' minor hockey team.
• In an interview with LCS Hockey, Tugnutt admitted he is not a movie buff, contradicting earlier Wikipedia information.
• Tugnutt enjoys boating and traveling. In the summer of 1998, Tugnutt was involved in a severe boating accident. It was suspected that he might miss out on training camp. Ironically enough, Tugnutt healed and had the best season of his career, breaking the modern-day NHL record for lowest G.A.A. and coming 2nd in the league in save percentage.
• Tugnutt's favorite locker room was the Visitors' locker room at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, especially during his stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
• His two sons Jacob and Matt play for the Kemptville 73's, a Junior "A" ice hockey team of which Ron Tugnutt is part-owner and head coach, president and governor.
• For the 2015-16 season, his son Jake who is a goalie committed to St. Mary's University.

Career statistics

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1984–85	Peterborough Petes	OHL		18	7	4	2	938	59	0	3.77	—
1985–86	Peterborough Petes	OHL		26	18	7	0	1543	74	1	2.88	—
1986–87	Peterborough Petes	OHL		31	21	7	2	1891	88	2	2.79	—
1987–88	Fredericton Express	AHL		34	20	9	4	1964	118	1	3.60	—
1987–88	Quebec Nordiques	NHL		6	2	3	0	284	16	0	3.38	.870
1988–89	Halifax Citadels	AHL		24	14	7	2	1368	79	1	3.46	—
1988–89	Quebec Nordiques	NHL		26	10	10	3	1367	82	0	3.60	.892
1989–90	Halifax Citadels	AHL		6	1	5	0	366	23	0	3.77	—
1989–90	Quebec Nordiques	NHL		35	5	24	3	1978	152	0	4.61	.859
1990–91	Halifax Citadels	AHL		2	0	1	0	100	8	0	4.80	—
1990–91	Quebec Nordiques	NHL		56	12	29	10	3144	212	0	4.04	.886
1991–92	Halifax Citadels	AHL		8	3	3	1	447	30	0	4.03	—
1991–92	Quebec/Edmonton	NHL		33	7	18	3	1707	116	1	4.08	.864
1992–93	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		26	9	12	2	1338	93	0	4.17	.879
1993–94	Anaheim/Montreal	NHL		36	12	18	2	1898	100	1	3.16	.900
1994–95	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		7	1	3	1	346	18	0	3.12	.895
1995–96	Portland Pirates	AHL		58	21	23	6	3068	171	2	3.34	.898
1996–97	Ottawa Senators	NHL		37	17	15	1	1991	93	3	2.80	.895
1997–98	Ottawa Senators	NHL		42	15	14	8	2236	84	3	2.25	.905
1998–99	Ottawa Senators	NHL		43	22	10	8	2508	75	3	1.79	.925
1999–2000	Ottawa/Pittsburgh	NHL		51	22	14	8	2809	118	4	2.52	.903
2000–01	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		53	22	25	5	3129	127	4	2.44	.917
2001–02	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		44	12	27	3	2502	119	2	2.85	.900
2002–03	Dallas Stars	NHL		31	15	10	5	1701	70	4	2.47	.896
2003–04	Dallas Stars	NHL		11	3	7	0	548	22	1	2.41	.900
OHL totals				75	46	18	4	4372	221	3	3.03	—
AHL totals				137	60	51	14	7594	443	4	3.50	—
NHL totals				537	186	239	62	29,486	1497	26	3.05	.895

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1985–86	Peterborough Petes	OHL		3	2	0	133	6	0	2.70	—
1986–87	Peterborough Petes	OHL		6	3	3	374	21	1	3.36	—
1987–88	Fredericton Express	AHL		4	1	2	204	11	0	3.23	—
1991–92	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		2	0	0	60	3	0	3.00	.919
1993–94	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		1	0	1	59	5	0	5.08	.833
1995–96	Portland Pirates	AHL		13	7	6	782	36	1	2.76	—
1996–97	Ottawa Senators	NHL		7	3	4	425	14	1	1.97	.923
1997–98	Ottawa Senators	NHL		2	0	1	74	6	0	4.86	.806
1998–99	Ottawa Senators	NHL		2	0	2	118	6	0	3.05	.872
1999–2000	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		11	6	5	746	22	2	1.76	.945
OHL totals				9	5	3	507	27	1	3.19	—
AHL totals				17	8	8	986	47	1	2.86	—
NHL totals				25	9	13	1482	56	3	2.26	.923

Honours and records

• Modern-day record holder for most saves in a regular season game non-loss (stopped 70 of 73 shots in a 3-3 tie with the Boston Bruins; March 21, 1991).
• 10th all time for lowest goals-against average during the regular season.
• Holds Mighty Ducks of Anaheim record for most saves in a regular season game with 46, set against the Edmonton Oilers on November 21, 1993).
• Named to the NHL first All-star Team in 1998–99.
• Tied with Dominik Hašek for Ottawa Senators highest regular season save percentage.
• Leader in save percentage for the 1999–2000 Playoffs.
• Holds Pittsburgh Penguins record for highest save percentage in the playoffs.
• Record holder for most wins in the regular season on an expansion team with 22, set while with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000–01 season.
• Has Division named in his honour in the FCHL.

International play

After a disappointing 4 game sweep in the NHL playoffs, Tugnutt was more than excited to play for Team Canada in the World Hockey Championship. The semi-final game was against the Czech Republic in which Canada lost after the game went undecided in overtime, ending in a shootout. This was Tugnutt's second appearance on Team Canada. He played for them in 1993 as well.

International statistics

Year	Team	Event		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1993	CAN	WC		4	—	—	—	125	6	—	2.87	—
1998	CAN	WC		7	4	3	0	328	11	0	2.01	.915
World Championship totals				11	4	3	0	453	17	0	2.25	—

Awards

Preceded by Scott Mosey and Marty Abrams	Winner of the Dave Pinkney Trophy 1986	Succeeded by Jeff Hackett and Sean Evoy
Preceded by Gerry Iuliano	Winner of the F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy 1985	Succeeded by Paul Henriques

Trade history

• Traded (with forward Brad Zavisha) to the Edmonton Oilers, for LW Martin Ručínský, March 10, 1992.
• Selected by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft, June 24, 1993.
• Traded to the Montreal Canadiens for forward Stéphan Lebeau, February 20, 1994.
• Signed as a free agent by the Washington Capitals, September 25, 1995.
• Signed as a free agent by the Ottawa Senators, August 14, 1996.
• Traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with Janne Laukkanen, for goaltender Tom Barrasso, March 14, 2000.
• Signed as a free agent by the Columbus Blue Jackets, July 4, 2000.
• Traded (with Columbus' 2nd round choice (Janos Vas) in 2002 Entry Draft) to Dallas for New Jersey's 1st round choice (previously acquired, later traded to Buffalo - Buffalo selected Dan Paille) in 2002 Entry Draft, June 18, 2002.

External links

• Ron Tugnutt biography at The Goaltender Home Page
• Ron Tugnutt's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Ron Tugnutt's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database