Yutaka Fukufuji

is a Japanese ice hockey player for the Nikko Ice Bucks of the Asia League Ice Hockey. Fukufuji was the first Japanese player to appear in a National Hockey League (NHL) game, and played 4 games with the Los Angeles Kings during the 2006–07 season. The first Japanese draft pick, Hiroyuki Miura, was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1992 NHL Draft, but never played in an NHL game. Fukufuji is the first Japanese citizen to be drafted as a goaltender in the NHL and second Japanese national to be drafted. Internationally Fukufuji has played for the Japanese national team at several World Championships.

Career Fukufuji was born in Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan. 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.

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 Bucks in July 2010.

On January 29, 2020, it was announced that Fukufuji had been selected to represent Japan in the third round of qualifiers for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP W L T OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV% 2001–02 Koduko JIHL 14 — — — — 715 42 — 2.94 .914 — — — — — — — — 2002–03 Cincinnati Cyclones ECHL 9 4 3 0 — 403 21 0 3.13 .915 — — — — — — — — 2003–04 Koduko JIHL 9 — — — — 544 13 0 1.99 .918 — — — — — — — — 2004–05 Bakersfield Condors ECHL 44 27 9 5 — 2,517 104 3 2.48 .919 — — — — — — — — 2005–06 Manchester Monarchs AHL 2 1 1 — 0 120 6 0 3.00 .923 — — — — — — — — 2005–06 Reading Royals ECHL 29 15 9 — 4 1,691 82 1 2.91 .917 4 1 2 196 11 0 3.36 .888 2006–07 Los Angeles Kings NHL 4 0 3 — 0 97 7 0 4.37 .837 — — — — — — — — 2006–07 Manchester Monarchs AHL 5 3 1 — 0 261 4 1 0.92 .965 1 0 0 1 0 0 0.00 1.000 2006–07 Reading Royals ECHL 28 13 10 — 0 1,522 75 1 2.96 .905 — — — — — — — — 2007–08 Bakersfield Condors ECHL 46 18 18 — 1 2,427 137 1 3.39 .899 6 2 2 — 22 0 3.55 .912 2008–09 Bakersfield Condors ECHL 35 18 12 — 1 1,821 100 0 3.29 .902 7 3 4 432 25 0 3.47 .905 2009–10 Tilburg Trappers NED 30 — — — — 1,086 60 0 3.43 — 11 — — 652 36 0 3.31 — 2010–11 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 31 — — — — 1,769 85 1 2.88 .922 — — — — — — — — 2011–12 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 35 — — — — 2,002 92 4 2.76 .930 5 — — 277 14 1 3.03 .926 2012–13 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 30 — — — — 1,793 92 4 2.54 .932 — — — — — — — — 2013–14 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 37 — — — — 2,107 93 — 2.65 .919 — — — — — — — — 2014–15 Esbjerg Energy DEN 34 — — — — — — — 3.04 .887 14 — — — — — 3.25 .886 2015–16 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 18 — — — — 1,037 36 — 2.08 .933 2 — — 80 8 — 6.00 .852 2016–17 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 22 — — — — 1,276 43 — 2.02 .927 6 — — 349 19 — 3.27 .914 2017–18 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 25 — — — — 1,522 73 — 2.88 .909 3 — — 179 7 — 2.38 .887 2018–19 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 20 — — — — 1,132 51 1 2.70 .908 — — — — — — — — 2019–20 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 24 — — — — 1,334 68 0 2.41 .892 — — — — — — — — 2022–23 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 13 8 5 — 0 782 27 3 2.07 .932 2 0 2 117 5 0 2.56 .918 2023–24 Nikkō Ice Bucks ALIH 27 13 11 — 0 1,481 81 3 3.28 .902 — — — — — — — — NHL totals 4 0 3 — 0 97 7 0 4.37 .837 — — — — — — — —

International Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% 2000 Japan U18-B 5 — — — — — — 2.81 .909 2000 Japan WJC-C 1 1 0 0 — — — 1.00 .933 2001 Japan WJC-II 3 2 1 0 — — 0 2.68 .915 2002 Japan WC 5 0 3 2 299 18 0 3.61 .893 2010 Japan WC-I 3 1 2 0 177 6 0 2.04 .939 2013 Japan WC-IA 5 2 3 0 299 16 0 3.21 .905 2014 Japan WC-IA 4 3 1 0 288 11 0 2.29 .924 2015 Japan WC-IA 5 2 3 0 258 11 0 2.56 .901 2016 Japan WC-IA 1 0 0 0 20 1 0 3.00 .667 2017 Japan WC-IB 5 4 1 0 281 11 0 2.36 .921 2018 Japan WC-IB 3 3 0 0 181 8 0 2.65 .877 Senior totals 31 15 13 2 1803 82 0 2.73 —