Originally from Savonlinna, Finland, Tuukka Rask is about to enter his 12th season with the Boston Bruins.
Since, he's won the 2011 Stanley Cup and the 2014 Vezina Trophy, given to the National Hockey League's top goaltender. Loved by some and the point of consternation for others, the 31-year-old has established himself as a premier goaltender in the NHL and on the international stage.
To learn more about the man behind the mask, New England Hockey Journal caught up with Rask for a wide-ranging conversation, with everything from the Boston Marathon bombing, to Boston favorites, to Stanley Cup memories back home in Finland.
What is your favorite hockey memory from when you were a kid? “The best memories are from the backyard rinks when I started playing with my friends. Those are the first ones. We had a nice neighborhood, Savonlinna, a small community in Finland, with about five to 10 kids always playing hockey in the backyard rinks or outside with no skates. Those are the best memories.”
How come you chose to be a goaltender? “It just became natural for me. My godfather played goalie with the local team, and then my cousin played goalie. I looked up to them and wanted to try it and then just stuck with it. It was never really a question that I wanted to do anything else. I played as a forward, too, in the backyard games a lot, but I enjoyed being a goalie, so I just stuck with it.”
What was your toughest challenge as you developed in hockey? “The biggest was when I moved away from home at the age of 16. I had to make a choice; if I wanted to pursue the hockey career I needed to move to a bigger town, and that meant moving away from home. That was the biggest challenge because I had to mature quickly at that age. Those first two years were definitely tough for me.”
How did you overcome it? Who helped you? “I lived with billet parents for a year. After that, when I was 17, I moved to my own place. I had a lot of friends who were the same age, and we played on the national team together, so that helped me a lot because I wasn’t trying to figure everything out by myself.”
You were able to return to Savonlinna with the Stanley Cup in 2011 after winning it with the Boston Bruins. What did that mean to you and what do you remember most about your day with the Cup? “I wanted to take it back to my hometown to let people know that I hadn’t forgotten my roots. The most memorable thing was seeing all the junior kids there at the hockey rink (Talvisalon Jaahalli), and how big of a deal it was for them to see the Stanley Cup.
"I remember, when I was a kid, you always dreamed about the National Hockey League. You watched those games, and never really think that you’d be able to see that trophy live. Seeing those kids and how much it meant to them was the most rewarding thing.”
Two years later, you helped lead the Bruins back to the Stanley Cup Final following the Boston Marathon bombing. What did it mean to you and your team to be able to go on that run and help Boston heal? “It was definitely a special year. I remember the day of the bombings we were supposed to have a game. We didn’t really know what was going on when we showed up at the rink, and then we heard what had happened and how serious it was. You don’t know how to react. Then we and the other teams — the Boston Red Sox were playing at that time — took it upon ourselves to help people heal. We used hockey as a therapy for the fans.
“You stop worrying about hockey and pay attention to what really matters in life, and how serious those events are. We didn’t focus on winning or losing; we were just trying to be part of the healing process and help people have fun. It ended up being a great run for us and for the city. We are super proud of that.
That offseason, you signed a contract extension for eight years, the maximum term allowed by a team to re-sign its own player, to stay a Bruin. How have you embraced your status in Boston, a passionate sports city? “I had the luxury of playing on a good team before that and got to learn my way around the city and the organization. When I had a chance to stick around for a long while with the contract, I was just proud that I can be part of the city and the organization for a long period of time.
"Even though it’s always a surreal feeling when you sign a long contract like that, you can’t take it for granted. You try to remember to take nothing for granted, be as good as you can be, and try to be worth all that money and the years that they offered you. Every year, every game, every day, you remind yourself, ‘Do not take anything for granted.’ ”
Away from the rink, what is your favorite aspect of Boston (you can’t say the people), and what are your favorite things to do? “Boston feels very European to me. Being from Europe and traveling around Europe, it’s nice to live in a city where you can commute by walking or riding a bike, or go downtown and see different cultural things. The community feel within Boston is one of my favorite things.
“As for things to do, I like to play golf. There are a lot of good golf courses. You meet a lot of interesting people around the city and you make connections. It seems like everybody kind of knows everybody. Even though it’s a big city, it feels like a small city to me, and the European feel of the city is my favorite thing.”
When you first heard the region’s unique accent, did you have any reaction to it? “Not really. I used to live in Charlestown, so I got the Charlestown accent pretty dialed in. After that accent, I don’t think anybody can throw me off anymore. It’s definitely unique, and I try to embrace it myself, too.”
What do you enjoy most about golf, and what are some of your favorite courses? “The challenge of the sport is what keeps me going back. How challenging that sport is physically and mentally is my favorite thing. You always think you’re getting better, and then the next time you go out there you realize you’re not that good. It’s a very humbling game. It kind of relates to being a goaltender and a hockey player, too. Focus plays a big part in it, and you don’t think about what you’re doing out there. You just let your body do the work, and good things will fall, like in hockey.
“There are so many good golf courses; it’s tough to name them all. I play out of Woodland Golf Club. That’s one of my favorite ones. The Country Club, in Brookline. Essex County Club. I played Boston Golf Club, in Hingham, a bunch of times. Those are just a couple good ones.”
What is your most memorable hockey moment? “Lifting the Stanley Cup; that’s the all-time high. Even though I didn’t play in the (2011) playoffs, I got to be part of the team that won it. It’s the greatest feeling ever. It was nice to play in the (2013) final, too, even though we didn’t get to hoist the Cup. But my favorite moment is definitely winning the Stanley Cup.”
Favorites
- Food: “A nice pasta.”
- Pregame meal: “Salad and pasta.”
- Book: "Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win” by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
- TV show: “There are a bunch of good ones. Right now I’m watching ‘The Office.’ ”
- Actor/actress: “Too many to name one. All of them.”
- Musician: “I don’t have a favorite. I like country music, but mostly listen to rock and roll.”
- Non-hockey athlete: “I don’t have a favorite there either. I like soccer, tennis and golf. I respect all the athletes.”
- Type of save: “It’s got to be a nice glove save that makes the highlight reel.”
Equipment
- Mask: Vaughn
- Glove: Vaughn
- Blocker: Vaughn
- Pads: Vaughn
- Pants: Vaughn
- Stick: Warrior
- Skates: True
