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Jyrki LummeJyrki Lumme was born July 16, 1966 in Tampere, Finland. He was a defenseman in the National Hockey League from 1988 to 2003, drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 3rd round, 57th overall in 1986. Lumme only played 75 games with the Canadiens over two seasons before his career took off with the Vancouver Canucks, following a trade during the 1989-90 season. He quickly established himself as the Canucks' top offensive defenseman, recording career highs for goals, assists and points during his first full season in Vancouver. He would score 44 points each of the next two seasons, to lead Vancouver's defense corps in scoring both years. His career high of 55 points in 1993-94 would also have led the Canucks' defenders in scoring if not for the late-season acquisition of high-scoring defenseman Jeff Brown, a move which helped Vancouver make an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals that spring. Vancouver forced the New York Rangers to the seven-game maximum, and came within a goalpost and crossbar of forcing overtime or, potentially, winning the Cup in the 3-2 seventh-game loss. Lumme continued his fine career in Vancouver, becoming a more complete defender, and falling only one point short of his career high during the 1995-96 season, scoring 54 points -- enough to lead the defense corps in scoring once more. That included a career high 17 goals, as well, a very impressive mark for an NHL defenseman during that period. He continued to lead the Canucks' defense in scoring his final two years in Vancouver. Becoming an unrestricted free-agent in 1998, he regretfully left the Canucks during a time of team turmoil, when the fiery Mike Keenan was coach. Lumme played three seasons for the Phoenix Coyotes, then had a brief stint with the Dallas Stars before a trade brought him to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He never saw the same success that he had while in Vancouver, however. Though Lumme's smooth skating and deadly-accurate wrist shot made him best known as an offensive defenseman, during the peak of his career he was reliable in his own end, too, with likely the most effective backhand on the Canucks, allowing him to clear the zone with ease. Playing on the West Coast, many analysts felt that Lumme never received the kind of acclaim he might have in an NHL market with more media exposure. In this vein, Canuck broadcaster Tom Larscheid once called him "the best kept secret outside of British Columbia." Now retired from professional hockey, Lumme and wife Minna have returned to Vancouver.
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