Antti Tuomisto continues to head in the right direction toward his goal of being an NHL defenseman.

Story and photo by Mark Newman

        Antti Tuomisto is following in the footsteps of his father. And while their hockey careers have mirrored each other relatively speaking, the son hopes his path ultimately takes him far beyond what his dad ever dreamed.

        Growing up in Pori, Finland, Tuomisto was almost destined to play hockey. As a boy, he tried other sports, including soccer, but it was skating where he felt he was in his element, a feeling undoubtedly intensified by the awareness that his father had played.

        "I don't know what age I was, probably 4-ish, but I remember going with my dad to the outside rink," he said. "We walked there in the winter and there was a lot of snow. I can't remember much about what we did, but it was the first time I skated. I remember that."

        His father, Petri, was only a few years removed from pro hockey, having played as a left-handed shooting defenseman in Finland and France. He became a school principal after starting his post-hockey career as a physical education teacher.

        "He didn't push me to play defense," Tuomisto recalled. "When I was younger, he tried to get me to play a little forward, to try different positions, but I think I always wanted to be a defenseman. It just felt natural."

        Tuomisto developed a right-handed shot, the mirror image of his father, who preached the importance of skating. His father also prioritized school, which was fitting given his dad's profession and the fact that his mother was a special education teacher.

       "Education was important to them and obviously they could help me with school when I was younger because they know so much about it," Tuomisto said.

        In the same way, his father was able to teach him the finer points of hockey.

        "I think he pushed me, not in a way where I had to do something, but more as far as encouraging me to do better," Tuomisto said. "He tried to give me advice and do whatever was best for me. He helped me any way he could."

        As a teen, Tuomisto was developing skills that drew the attention of scouts. He became known for making a good first pass with accuracy while possessing a powerful point shot that created scoring chances. His strong skating and size (6-5, 205) would make him hard to knock off the puck.

        So when it came time to decide where to take his talents after being selected in the second round (35th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Tuomisto followed the lead of his father, who played at the University of Alaska-Anchorage from 1992-1995.

        "He might have planted the seed in the way that going to North America was an option for me," Tuomisto said. "I can't remember when we first talked about it, but it was something that he helped me with, too."

        Close to a dozen colleges inquired about the big defenseman, who narrowed his visits to Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Denver. He said his father was influential but ultimately allowed him to decide.

         "He talked about how you're not going to find the same experience playing in Finland but also the upsides and downsides [of college hockey]," Tuomisto said. "He told me a little bit about the experience of everyday life in college and what being a student-athlete is like. Maybe the biggest thing he said is that it's a great experience."

        Tuomisto decided on Denver, where two of the team's assistant coaches, Dallas Ferguson and Tavis MacMillan, had played for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks at the same time his father was guarding the blueline for the University of Alaska-Anchorage.

        "They remembered playing against my dad," he said. "It didn't influence me going to Denver. I think it was more just a funny coincidence."

        He headed to Denver under less-than-ideal circumstances. With the COVID-19 pandemic at full strength, his classes were remote and team practices were highly restricted. All the lockdowns made the transition to a new country even more difficult.

       "Coming from Finland and not knowing anyone, there was a little culture shock," he said. "Even though I had visited the U.S. a couple of times – we had been to Florida for vacation and I went to Canada for a tournament with the under-17 national team – it was still different.

       "Because of Covid restrictions, the hardest part was not meeting people, because that helps you get used to things and gives you that feeling that you belong. The only thing we couldn't do was be with other people."

        Playing hockey in a bubble was less than ideal for a young player trying to find his feet.

        "There were 2-3 months where we didn't even play and when we finally did, we had small groups of five or six guys to workout or skate, so we didn't even spend time with the whole team," he said. "It was the same thing with classes. We were not in-person with classes, which made things pretty difficult.

        "I missed my friends and family, especially that first year when I was nine months away from home. That it was the first time I was away from home made it even more difficult to adjust to everything."

       Nevertheless, Tuomisto found he liked playing on the smaller ice surfaces of North America.

        "I enjoyed playing there because the game is a little more fast-paced on the smaller ice," said Tuomisto, who added that Denver's higher altitude did not prove to be a detriment to his play. "There is a difference but you get used to it quickly."

        His second year at Denver was one to remember. Joined by future Griffins teammates Carter Mazur and Shai Buium, Tuomisto and the rest of the Pioneers went 31-9-1 on the way to winning the NCAA National Championship.

        "We went all the way, which was pretty unbelievable because I couldn't have imagined it when we started," he said. "We were good in the beginning, but as the season went on, we kept getting better and better."

        He admits that, in some ways, it felt similar to his first season since all the coronavirus restrictions had been lifted. "It was nicer in a way because it was a 'normal' year, and even though it was my second year, it felt like a first year because I hadn't experienced some of the stuff as a result of Covid."

        After winning the title, Tuomisto made the difficult decision to return home and play in Finland's top pro league.

        "It was difficult because we just had won the championship," he said. "It felt weird because we had just won and then you're thinking maybe you should try for another. Looking back I think it was a good decision and the best for my development as a player."

        He felt the benefits outweighed the negatives.

        "Going back to the bigger rinks maybe was not good thinking for playing in the NHL and North America, but I felt playing in a tougher league against men in a different role and possibly getting more playing time would be good for me."

        Tuomisto played a team-leading 60 games for TPS Turku during the 2022-23 season. He topped all defensemen with 20 points, tallying five goals and 15 assists, as he made the most of his increased ice time.

        He also benefited from the guidance of two long-time NHLers: Turku assistant coach Sami Salo and Red Wings European player development manager Niklas Kronwall, both of whom played 15 NHL seasons.

        "They were awesome," he said. "I tried to get as many tips and advice from Sami Salo as possible and he helped me a lot. I was in contact with Nik Kronwall a lot during the season and he came over from Sweden a couple of times to skate with me, and that also really helped me."

        A year of pro hockey helped prepare Tuomisto for his arrival in Grand Rapids, where he hopes to prove that the Red Wings made the right choice when the organization used the 35th overall pick to select him in the second round in 2019.

        Tuomisto was thrilled when he heard his name called.

        "It was awesome," he said. "I was surprised to be taken so early in the second draft day. Obviously, with the Wings being an Original Six team and with all the history, I was excited to join a great organization like Detroit."

        The combination of college hockey and playing pro in Finland aided Tuomisto's adjustment to the American Hockey League.

        "It took me a little time but not too long," he said. "I think I got better during the season and I was happy where I was at the end of the season, and I hope now that I can continue getting better and better."

        He felt his confidence grow as every month passed.

       "Before the season, I didn't know what to expect coming to North America. I had never seen an AHL game, so I had no idea what to expect. Once I got used to the feel of the game, my confidence grew and things became a little easier that way."

        Tuomisto worked closely with Griffins assistant coach Brian Lashoff, watching video as well as doing extensive on-ice work.

        "When I'm playing well, I'm getting pucks on net, using my shot, breaking the puck out with a good first pass, and defending well by using my size," he said. "With my size [6-5, 210], I think that's what I need to do if I want to get to the next level."

        Like many of his Griffins teammates, Tuomisto felt he got stronger deeper into the season.

        "Every day, week in and week out, I kept working on those little things," he said. "When you just do the right things, I feel my offense will pick up at some point. I would like to contribute even more offensively and just be better overall."

        He is anxious for his second season in Grand Rapids. Considering the number of young players in their second and third seasons, he feels strongly that the team has real playoff potential, and that's a good feeling.

       "Winning," he said, "is always more fun."