IMAGE INFORMATION
EditYutaka Fukufuji (福藤 豊 Fukufuji Yutaka, born September 17, 1982) is a Japanese ice Hockey player.
Fukufuji was the first Japanese player to appear in a National Hockey League game.
He is the first Japanese citizen to be drafted as a goaltender in the NHL and second Japanese national to be drafted.
On December 15, 2006, Fukufuji was called up on to the Los Angeles Kings on emergency basis. He became the first Japanese player to dress for an NHL game, but he did not play.
When goaltender Mathieu Garon was placed on injured reserve with a broken finger, Fukufuji was again recalled and flew in from Cleveland, Ohio to dress as backup to goalie Barry Brust.
On January 13, 2007, Fukufuji made his first NHL appearance, the first by a Japanese player, when Kings head coach Marc Crawford decided to put him in to start the third period of a game against the St. Louis Blues. Fukufuji entered the game with the Kings trailing 5-4. He allowed one goal in the period, and the Kings also scored one goal while he was in net. The final score of the game was 6-5 in favor of St. Louis; as Fukufuji was the goaltender who allowed the decisive sixth St. Louis goal, he was assessed the loss.
On January 16, 2007, Fukufuji made history again when he became the first Japanese player to start in an NHL game, as he began the game in goal for the Kings against the Atlanta Thrashers.