Tuomo Ruutu write up

[southsider2k5]

Glimpse of greatness

It was only his first game, but highly touted Hawk Tuomo Ruutu showed he has exceptional skills

 

Clear some space in the rafters at the United Center, somewhere between those retired numbers 18, 9 and 21 should work.

 

Make sure Grant Park is available every June beginning in a year or two and make those plans to be in Toronto for the induction ceremony in about 20 years.

 

OK, it was just one game—an exhibition game at that—but in an age in which reality so seldom matches the hype, it's hard not to be a bit lightheaded after Tuomo Ruutu's Blackhawks debut Sunday night.

 

"It's inspiring to watch someone like that," Hawks coach Brian Sutter said of Ruutu. "It's inspiring for your teammates and exciting for fans to watch."

 

Inspiring. That's not a word associated with the Hawks too often.

 

"He gives the fans a lot to look forward to," said Mark Bell, Ruutu's linemate Sunday. "He's an entertaining player and he's fun to play with. A great guy to have on your side."

 

It's hard to find the most impressive aspect of the 19 minutes 23 seconds that Ruutu played. Was it the "I'm here!" check on Christian Laflamme about 10 seconds into his first professional shift?

 

"He showed right away, the first shift, what he was going to do and he showed [st. Louis] what he was going to do," Sutter said.

 

Maybe it was the goal he scored on his second shift? Or getting under the skin of St. Louis' Jamal Mayers, which earned Mayers a penalty?

 

Maybe it was the shift in which he crunched Jame Pollack into the boards and then, as he was skating back to the bench for a line change, dropped Daniel Tkaczuk to the ice—for no reason except that Tkaczuk was there.

 

"He's going to be a handful," St. Louis coach Joel Quenneville said. "When he goes for the hit, he's going to go through you. All that and he can play the game too."

 

With his physical style of play, there is going to be a point—sooner rather than later—when someone is going to challenge Ruutu to drop the gloves and see if he can back up what he gives.

 

At 6 feet 1 inch, 202 pounds, Ruutu doesn't seem like someone that needs a shadow on the ice to fight his battles. Still, the Hawks don't want him spending his time fighting goons and sitting in the penalty box.

 

"He's not here to drop his gloves, there are guys here to do that," Bell said. "If push comes to shove, we'll be there for him."

 

Mayers tried to goad Ruutu in the first period, but Ruutu just skated away and Mayers skated to the penalty box.

 

"Why fight him in the first period?" Ruutu pondered afterward. "I want to play."

 

Nothing gains a player more respect, though, than fighting—and winning—his own battles. Sometimes it doesn't even mean dropping your gloves.

 

Mayers set Ruutu on his radar in the second period as Ruutu carried the puck into the St. Louis zone. Mayers lined up his hit, but Ruutu dropped his right shoulder and Mayers landed on his back.

 

"That was the end of them running at him right there, because Mayers is a big man," Sutter said.

 

That play—in which Ruutu delivered a hit while still carrying the puck—is a prime example of why he has been compared to Colorado's Peter Forsberg.

 

"It's fine to say that people play hard," Sutter said. "But you take it to another level when you compete at a high level and do things in traffic and two or three guys are banging you."

 

Watching Ruutu from the press box Sunday, Hawks goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, who played briefly with Forsberg in Quebec and Colorado, said the comparisons were valid.

 

"It's just the first game," Ruutu said matter-of-factly Sunday.

 

But one that can have Hawks fans dreaming of what might be ahead.

[whitesoxfan99]

I've never been a big hockey fan but I may have to check this guy out. Sounds like the real deal.

[southsider2k5]

I've never been a big hockey fan but I may have to check this guy out.  Sounds like the real deal.

The thing is they left out the part where he got off a shot from the circle, skated around the defensemen, and pounded home his own rebound for a goal. I have watched a pretty good amount of hockey, and this kid has me excited like not many have. I got to watch Patrick Stefan play a couple of times the year he was drafted #1 and he didn't even awe me the way Tuomo did.

[Harry Chappas]

The thing is they left out the part where he got off a shot from the circle, skated around the defensemen, and pounded home his own rebound for a goal.  I have watched a pretty good amount of hockey, and this kid has me excited like not many have.  I got to watch Patrick Stefan play a couple of times the year he was drafted #1 and he didn't even awe me the way Tuomo did.

Are you trying to say he is no Everett Sanapas (forgive the spelling.)

[southsider2k5]

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/hawks.asp

 

Another article...

[The Critic]

FEAR THE OVERKILL....

Beat writers are so desperate for ANYTHING positive to write about the LackHawks that they're already close to oversaturation on this kid.

" Tuomo Ruutu ate a Wendy's salad for lunch after the morning skate. Team officials quietly voiced some concern over the Frosty he ate for dessert, fearing that the frozen treat may, in the words of one official on the condition of anonymity, "sit in his gut like a stone". Wendy's personnel were unavailable for comment."

[DBAHO]

He wasn't called the best player not playing in the NHL for nothing. He'll win da Calder for sure.

[The Critic]

He won't win the Calder if he's saddled with crap linemates.

If he ends up on line 3 or 4 ( or even 2 ) chances are he will have crap linemates.

I hope he does well, but it's unfair to heap expectations on him too soon.

[southsider2k5]

He won't win the Calder if he's saddled with crap linemates.

If he ends up on line 3 or 4 ( or even 2 ) chances are he will have crap linemates.

I hope he does well, but it's unfair to heap expectations on him too soon.

He was skating with Daze and Bell. Besides I doubt that you skate a guy with that much talent with stiffs on the 3rd or 4th line.

[DBAHO]

He'll prob start as their 3rd line center, but by the end of the year I'll bet he'll be on the 2nd line somewhere. Not that I'm putting down Tyler Arnason who's gonna a great player as well if he can be more consistent. At least our center depth is actually an asset now, Zhanmov, Arnason, Ruutu, Nichol, though Alex Zhanmov is definitely not a 1st line center.

[The Critic]

He was skating with Daze and Bell.  Besides I doubt that you skate a guy with that much talent with stiffs on the 3rd or 4th line.

NEVER let logic seep into a discussion about the Chicago LackHawks...

I'd be a bit surprised if Ruutu didn't wind up on a kid line like last year's.

That might not be a bad idea, anyway, but I'm just not yet sold on these kids - I've been fed too many Everett Sanipasses and Ken Yaremchuks and Florent Robidoux's in the past to take a young Hawk on blind faith.

[southsider2k5]

NEVER let logic seep into a discussion about the Chicago LackHawks...

I'd be a bit surprised if Ruutu didn't wind up on a kid line like last year's.

That might not be a bad idea, anyway, but I'm just not yet sold on these kids - I've been fed too many Everett Sanipasses and Ken Yaremchuks and Florent Robidoux's in the past to take a young Hawk on blind faith.

Well for me personally it isn't blind faith. I watched this kid play on Sunday and he is pure guts and andeneline. He isn't one of those Euros who is a fancy skater who eventually will just get run over by NHL defensemen. This kid works hard and creates his own chances. The success rate for those kind of guys increase exponentially over guys like Vorobiev who seem to be reling on just talent to get by.