Lihuania: Tadas Kumeliauskas

FinnSlovak

Registered User
Jul 22, 2013
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Finland
When it comes to Lithuanian hockey, you might expect that Dainius Zubrus is the lone star for this midget hockey nation. Probably he is - there's no denying the fact he's the only Lithuanian ever to play in the NHL. Of course there was Darius Kasparaitis, but he decided to represent Russia instead.

TPS Turku, from Finnish Elite League, signed a contract lately before the season opener with Lithuanian Tadas Kumeliauskas. First off he had a try-out contract, but he showed off pretty well in relation to the expectations the Finnish team and fans had. Like a streak of lightning, he suddenly became with Charles Bertrand the favourite players amongst fans.

TPS' fans started a sort of a fan club called KUBE (two first letters from their surnames, KU & BE) for these two hockey players, who are - no objection - from smaller hockey countries than Finland. The fans found the new acquisitions utterly exotic and were enthusiastic. Currently there are 144 members in the fan club.

Bertrand has played for TPS already in the regular season, but Kumeliauskas got injured in a pre-season match. The reports are, however, positive and it seems likely that we'll see him play soon in the Finnish Elite League.

In the pre-season he managed to score four (1+3) points in seven games. The goal he scored was the one and only TPS was able to score against SKA St. Petersburg.

I'm hoping he would have an impact in Turku. He will be an asset for the Lithuanian national team in the future for sure. :nod:
 

seeep

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Mar 13, 2011
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according to eliteprospects he didn't play a single game for TPS this season .. injure ?
 

FinnSlovak

Registered User
Jul 22, 2013
22
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Finland
according to eliteprospects he didn't play a single game for TPS this season .. injure ?

Like I said earlier, he was injured and that's why he hadn't played a single game.

However, now he's healthy and he has played in four games for TPS. He has been quite decent, playing in a ~10 TOI role as the 3rd line center. He has already scored his very first goal in the FEL against Lukko.

Stats so far:
4GP 1+0=1 4PIM +0 9.54TOI
 

Justinov

Registered User
Apr 30, 2012
4,206
22
Copenhagen
Like I said earlier, he was injured and that's why he hadn't played a single game.

However, now he's healthy and he has played in four games for TPS. He has been quite decent, playing in a ~10 TOI role as the 3rd line center. He has already scored his very first goal in the FEL against Lukko.

Stats so far:
4GP 1+0=1 4PIM +0 9.54TOI

So now they have two prospects. :handclap:
Also Mantas Armalis (goalkeeper in Mora in Allsvenskan).
 

BalticWarrior

Registered User
Apr 28, 2012
6,477
320
Riga
If our Braļiukas to the south would invent a cloning machine,they could clone 20 Kumeliauskas clones and we could finally get some rivalry going :sarcasm:
 

FinnSlovak

Registered User
Jul 22, 2013
22
0
Finland
Currently Tadas has played six games for us. He hasn't scored additional goals since he scored his very first FEL goal against Lukko, but he has played pretty well in the third line with his linemates Matias Sointu and Tuomas Suominen (yesterday Suominen had fever so Camilo Miettinen took his place).

Yesterday against Pelicans, Kumeliauskas unintentionally hit Tommi Paakkolanvaara in the middle ice. Neither of the players noticed each other coming, but it seemed like Paakkolanvaara was a little bit injured. As a result Kumeliauskas got 5+20 major for interference.

I can't see that there would be further action by the FEL disciplinarian. It was an accident. Hopefully Tadas is back in business today, when TPS Turku is battling against Espoo Blues in Espoo.
 

FinnSlovak

Registered User
Jul 22, 2013
22
0
Finland
I can't see that there would be further action by the FEL disciplinarian. It was an accident. Hopefully Tadas is back in business today, when TPS Turku is battling against Espoo Blues in Espoo.

Unfortunately Tadas got a one-game penalty for that hit. I think it wasn't the right decision to make by FEL. So that's why he didn't play against Blues. Maybe he'll be back in Tuesday, as TPS takes on against JYP in Turku.
 
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FinnSlovak

Registered User
Jul 22, 2013
22
0
Finland
He played seriously well against HPK at Hämeenlinna. The best play in the match was his assist on Rasmus Kulmala's goal. He hit young HPK defenceman, took the puck and drove to the goal. Patiently waited as another defender tried to stop Tadas, but the Lithuanian made a brilliant pass to Kulmala who had no problem putting the puck into the net.

So far he has got 10 games, consisting of 1 goal and 1 assist. TOI 10:26 on average and PIM 29 mins, +/- -2.
 

SoundAndFury

Registered User
May 28, 2012
11,309
5,282
So now they have two prospects. :handclap:
Also Mantas Armalis (goalkeeper in Mora in Allsvenskan).

There are few more and I wouldn't really call Tadas a prospect but yeah, these two look like future "stars" of Lithuanian hockey.

He played seriously well against HPK at Hämeenlinna. The best play in the match was his assist on Rasmus Kulmala's goal. He hit young HPK defenceman, took the puck and drove to the goal. Patiently waited as another defender tried to stop Tadas, but the Lithuanian made a brilliant pass to Kulmala who had no problem putting the puck into the net.

So far he has got 10 games, consisting of 1 goal and 1 assist. TOI 10:26 on average and PIM 29 mins, +/- -2.

All the updates are greatly appreciated.
 

FinnSlovak

Registered User
Jul 22, 2013
22
0
Finland
All the updates are greatly appreciated.

Thanks! Now he has played four games more, so I think it's a good time for an update now.

He hasn't shown anything mind-blowing, just decent plays so I cannot say if he has come up to expectations - okay, we didn't expect anything so I guess everything is positive. I think he should upgrade his defensive playing, his big stature should benefit him. He's not the fastest skater but I think his vision compensates his weaknesses.

Against Tappara he got an assist. It was a great play by Steven Seigo, the Canadian defenceman. He made his way through Tappara's lousy trap at that time, and the puck leaped accidentally to Tadas, who continued it forward to Seigo who skated between the defencemen and shot the puck upstairs. Not a big play by our Lithuanian, but an assist is an assist and it looks good in the statistics though!

14 games played; 1 goal & 2 assists, 29 PIM, -2 and 9.38 TOI on average.
 

FinnSlovak

Registered User
Jul 22, 2013
22
0
Finland
Tadas has improved his playing a lot! In this year's games he has been very good, in four games he has three goals and one assist! The last goal he managed to score was yesterday against HPK - an overtime goal after only 17 seconds of play. A good wrister past Juuse Saros, the HPK netminder, who didn't stand a chance. Also I liked Kumeliauskas' playing, and honestly I think he was our best center against HPK.

Before the New Year Tadas won a game for TPS in shootout. After that he played against Tappara in our fourth line and scored two goals, those two had only about a minute between each other. The second goal was also the GWG. Against SaiPa he had an assist.

Remarkable improvement, thanks to his good effort and showings on the ice, the coach Suikkanen rewarded Tadas and "the Lithuanian Malkin" got a chance to center our 2nd line. It paid off, as he scored the overtime goal. Today he's continuing on that line with Rasmus Kulmala and Matias Sointu. The match is against Lukko in Turku, so let's hope he can pull it off once again. Seems like he has became accustomed to the Finnish League pace quite well. :handclap:

Oh yeah, the stats:
21 games, 4+3=7, 33 PIM, -1, 10.10 TOI
 

FinnSlovak

Registered User
Jul 22, 2013
22
0
Finland
Kumeliauskas had a contract consisting of 1+1 years - TPS decided to confirm that optional additional year, so seems like we'll see Tadas playing for us next season too! :yo: Currently he's having an injury, don't know what's going on really. He missed the last game and he won't play today either. Heard it's day-to-day, so it's not a bad injury. :)
 

smitty10

Registered User
Aug 6, 2009
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2,643
Toronto
Looks like he's not the only hot Lithuanian prospect. Mantas Armalis who just had a great season in Mora has signed with Djurgarden of the top league. I'm sure he'll at least start as a back up, but I wonder if he could be the next Frederik Andersen.
 

SoundAndFury

Registered User
May 28, 2012
11,309
5,282
I'm sure he'll at least start as a back up, but I wonder if he could be the next Frederik Andersen.

He can't. At least not yet, he's far too raw. Frankly, I think he moved to the SHL too soon, he might get murdered there.
 

smitty10

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Aug 6, 2009
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Toronto
Looks like he's had a great start to the WC playing alongside NHLer Dainius Zubus. Must be quite the thrill for the team to have Zubrus representing them at home
 

SoundAndFury

Registered User
May 28, 2012
11,309
5,282
Looks like he's had a great start to the WC playing alongside NHLer Dainius Zubus. Must be quite the thrill for the team to have Zubrus representing them at home

That's Donatas Kumeliauskas you're talking about, Tadas' older brother. Donatas is a wing and much smaller
 

Milos Krasic

Best Serbian Footballer (2009) / Serie A Winner
Jul 1, 2008
1,827
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Kumeliauskas had 25 points in 37 Liiga games. Is under contract one more year with TPS.

Could he make a jump to the KHL?
 

SoundAndFury

Registered User
May 28, 2012
11,309
5,282
After plethora of injuries Tadas, after 1.5 year brake, signed a contract with Dresden Eislowen in DEL2. Wishing him all the best, hopefully health problems are in the past.
 

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