Background
Fukufuji was born in Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan.
福藤 豊
Fukufuji was born in Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan.
Fukufuji was the first Japanese player to appear in a National Hockey League game. The first Japanese draft pick, Hiroyuki Miura, was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1992 National Hockey League Draft, but never played in an National Hockey League game. A fictional Japanese player, Taro Tsujimoto, was a name "plucked out of the Buffalo telephone book" as a joke in 1974 by Buffalo Sabres General Motors Punch Imlach.
He is the first Japanese citizen to be drafted as a goaltender in the National Hockey League and second Japanese national to be drafted.
He played on the Kokudo hockey team of Asia League Ice Hockey in 2001. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2004 entry draft in the 8th round, 238th overall.
He made his North American debut on February 7, 2003 with the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones. He was voted the ECHL rookie of the month in January 2003.
He played for the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL in 2004-2005 leading the team in wins, Gaelic Athletic Association, and shutouts.
Fukufuji signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings in August 2005. After starting the 2005-2006 season with the Reading Royals, the Kings ECHL franchise, Yutaka was the number 2 goalie on the AHL Manchester Monarchs for a time. 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 National Hockey League 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 National Hockey League 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 Saint 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 Netto.
The final score of the game was 6-5 in favor of Saint Louis.
As Fukufuji was the goaltender who allowed the decisive sixth Saint 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 National Hockey League game, as he began the game in goal for the Kings against the Atlanta Thrashers. Fukufuji was not presented with a qualifying offer by the Kings before the 2007-2008 season, but returned to the Condors on September 10, 2007 after signing a contract for the 2007-2008 season.
On May 25, 2009, Fukufuji was signed by the Destil Trappers of the Eredivisie, the top league in the Netherlands.
After one full season with Destil Trappers Fukufuji signed with Nikko Ice Buckinghamshire on July, 2010.