Spotlight on Fedor Tyutin

Through to the Ides of March, many things have become apparent in regards to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ohio itself has become a thriving hockey market, despite getting lumped in with discussions of fan indifference and contraction. Solid hockey minds have pressed the team past its very first watershed; the combination of the enterprising GM in Scott Howson in his first term and Ken Hitchcock's tutelage on the ice, have narrowed team focus toward a legitimate playoff push.

Many factors contribute to a team philosophy and thus success, when a thought out strategy is executed with precision, as luck can play an immense role.  Rick Nash's first full season as captain, the rookie presences of Steve Mason, Derick Brassard, or Jakub Voracek are primary reasons, of course, for fortunes turning a corner in Columbus. Albeit the worst road record of any playoff team, the Jackets have entrenched themselves in a position that is envied by all but five other teams in the Western Conference, with a balanced attack and netminding that hitherto challenges the opposition nightly. Standing in third place in perhaps the toughest division in the NHL has a lot to do with the veteran influences of Mike Peca, Fredrik Modin, and Mike Commodore. The conceptual off-season additions of R.J. Umberger and Kristian Huselius mesh extremely well with defender Marc Methot and forward Jason Williams' mid-season brand of chemistry. Yet the underlying reason for success thus far has everything to do with the defensive trestle in place, separation of an opponent from the puck, and offensive transition in turn. It is no coincidence that the trade sending Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche to New York for defenders Christian Backman and the imposing Fedor Tyutin, brought a stabilizing force to the blueline in Columbus. Howson confirmed his strong trade immediately, stating on the Jackets' website that, "All strong teams are built from the backend out and we feel like we made significant strides in that area."

Hailing from Izhevsk, Russia, Tyutin's hockey sense was established early on and as a teenager he played in the Metallurg Magnitogorsk system between junior seasons in Izhevsk. Eventually, he graduated to play for SKA St. Peterburg and Ak Bars Kazan of the Russian Super League, and then Gold medal winning Russian Worlds Junior squad in 2002 and 2003. The Rangers were duly impressed, paving his invitation to begin play in the American Hockey League with their affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. It was not long after that the Rangers called, before Russia employed Tyutin in an expanding capacity in the 2002 Olympic Games.

Renowned for his responsible defending and workhorse mentality, Tyutin combines these attributes with a swift and powerful skating stride. The New York Rangers' 2nd round selection (40th overall) in 2001 compiled rather impressive rookie numbers with 25 points, 58 PIM, and a +1 rating in 2005-2006. Tyutin was a force last year with the Blueshirts, leading the club with 218 hits, while contributing 20 points and a +5 rating in all 82 regular season games. One may have been led to believe by the New York media outlets that the 6'3", 216 pound defenseman had topped out on his potential and that the Rangers had upgraded their defense, with the additions of Wade Redden on the backend, and Markus Naslund up front. The trade did come as a surprise to Tyutin, as he had recently signed a contract extension and welcomed his baby daughter into the world one prior day.

Columbus is gearing up for their first appearance in franchise history, running a 'March to the Playoffs' campaign on their website, and feeding on the optimism surrounding the team. One thing is for certain, Tyutin has been a large part of their success; the rangy defender has piled up his highest point totals since starring for the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League in 2001-02, and his versatility is on display. No one on the Blue Jackets plays more minutes per game thanTyutin, as he averages 23+ minutes and is one of only three players to suit up for every contest on the team. Tyutin leads Columbus rearguards in points with 32, shots taken with 144, sits third on the team with 85 blocked shots, and can be found killing penalties nearly as much as making other teams pay for their mistakes. "I'm to starting to know where guys are going to be (on the power play)," Tyutin told Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch. "I feel comfortable enough to make a blind pass because that level of trust is there." It is easy to see why Tyutin is defintely in the running to be his team's most valuable player, and will be seen suiting up in the same colours next winter for Russia, in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

15 March 2009

Robin Keith Thompson