Samu Viltonen - The Best Name in the SHL


Possessing one of the greatest names in SHL history, Samu Viltonen is a backup goaltender for the Hamilton Steelhawks. The Turku, Finland native plays a well-rounded game, excelling at nothing, but above-average in most departments. The potential for the 20-year-old goaltender, who catches right-handed, is readily apparent, but there are questions about his mental focus.

Viltonen relies heavily on his athleticism and is very capable of making flashy saves during a game. He has solid rebound control, above-average hand speed, and is fairly quick to react to deflections. Viltonen is also a fairly decent skater, and because of that, he tends to rush out to play the puck. Scouts like his 6'2" frame, but temper that by saying that Viltonen isn't very good at using his size to his advantage. He weighs in at a toned 194 pounds.

Taken one at a time, Viltonen's weaknesses are not particularly bad, but when combined, they paint a rough picture. As with most young players, his stamina is far from developed, so his already basic skills have a tendency to be exposed as the game gets into the third period. Viltonen is very weak on penalty shots, which again speaks to a lack of focus on the ice. He is also very poor at playing the puck with his stick and, as such, is prone to costly turnovers when the opponents play a dump-and-chase style.

As a young player, there is still plenty of room for growth, but most scouts have concerns about his dedication to the game. At the present time, it is unlikely that he will ever be anything more than a journeyman backup or an average NWJHL starter. Although he will probably never experience much individual success, wiith Hamilton's dramatic overtime victory over the Calgary Dragons to win the Challenge Cup last night, Viltonen will receive a championship ring.


Showing off that agility.


Playoff stats: DID NOT PLAY