Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Born in Espoo, Finland on March 9, 1999, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft, 54th overall. He stands 6'5" and catches left — a frame that has been with the Sabres organization ever since that draft night, and one that has now accumulated 190 NHL regular-season appearances, all in Buffalo.

Luukkonen's earliest NHL appearances came in small doses. He made four starts in the shortened 2020-21 season, going 1-3 with a 3.88 GAA. The following year he appeared in nine games, finishing 2-5 with a 2.74 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Those early seasons coincided with his development work in Buffalo, where InGoal documented him working extensively alongside Sabres goaltending development coach Seamus Kotyk on a series of movement drills rooted in the teachings of the late Warren Strelow — the first full-time goaltending coach in NHL history. That seven-part drill series, available to InGoal subscribers, traces everything from five-puck crease movement sequences to warm-up skating routines, with Luukkonen demonstrating the work on the ice ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}. Notably, one of the skating drills in the series — a shuffle variation Luukkonen brought with him to the Sabres — was dubbed the Finnish Shuffle by Kotyk ^[6].

In 2022-23, Luukkonen took on a larger share of the workload, appearing in 33 games and posting a 17-11 record. The 2023-24 season marked a significant expansion of his role: he started 54 games, went 27-22, posted a career-high 5 shutouts, and recorded a 2.57 GAA alongside a .910 save percentage. He followed that with 55 appearances in 2024-25, going 24-24 with a 3.20 GAA and .887 save percentage.

Through 190 career NHL games entering the 2025-26 season, Luukkonen has compiled 93 wins, 74 losses, 18 overtime losses, a career 2.96 GAA, a .900 save percentage, and 8 shutouts across more than 10,911 minutes of ice time.

The 2025-26 season has been his most productive stretch to date by several measures. In 35 games, he carries a 22-9-3 record, a 2.52 GAA, a .910 save percentage, and 1 shutout. That workload and those results sit behind more than 2,027 minutes of ice time through the current campaign.

InGoal has gotten to know Luukkonen well over those seasons. When the Sabres visited Vancouver, Kevin Woodley made a point of sitting down with him — and when a road practice day opened up in Seattle earlier in the 2025-26 season, InGoal traveled there to film two in-person Pro Reads with him. The first breaks down how Luukkonen managed a moving screen off the rush against the Pittsburgh Penguins ^[8]; the second examines his approach to a low lateral play against the Carolina Hurricanes, including his use of the reverse-VH ^[9]. Both are available to InGoal members.

In the Pro Reads, Luukkonen is candid about his read-and-react process. On managing a flash screen, he explained his priority simply: "First and foremost, you need to see the puck. That is the biggest thing you need to be doing" ^[8]. On protecting the ice in the low reverse-VH, he put it this way: "A lot of goals — probably to me too — a lot of times the shooters beat you under the pads, which I would say is the easiest shot for them. So, first and foremost, take the ice away" ^[9].

Luukkonen also appeared on Episode 248 of the InGoal Radio podcast alongside Cayden Primeau — a conversation Woodley referenced as essential background for anyone digging into the Pro Reads ^[10].

An injury prevented Luukkonen from representing Finland at the 2026 Olympics, as noted in the introduction to his second Pro Read ^[9]. InGoal Magazine has covered Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in one podcast appearance, two Pro Reads, and seven drill breakdowns.