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NHL fans have gotten to know the name of the Buffalo Sabres' goalkeeper quite well this year. While it may take a few tries to say Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's name correctly, the task is not as hard as it looks at first glance.
ESPN's NHL Intermission Report desk did have some difficulty pronouncing the Finn's name, but after a moment of virality across social media, surely they have improved on that now.
After seeing that, the Sabres' social media team took the time to poke fun at the crew by recruiting some young fans to pronounce Luukkonen's name properly.
Here's how to pronounce the name of the man who sits between Buffalo's pipes on the ice.
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How do you pronounce Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's name?
The goalie of the Sabres has one of the most unique names in the entire NHL. The Finnish native's name is pronounced OO-koh-PEH-kuh LOO-koh-nehn.
While it may take a couple of tries to pronounce without prior context, everyone is bound to make mistakes. Earlier during the NHL Playoffs, even ESPN had difficulty getting the name of Buffalo's goaltender out of their desk's mouth. Here is a clip of Steve Levy, Marc Messier, and P.K. Subban having a go at pronouncing the Finn's name.
"Probably should mention Buffalo's goalie's name, did you want to take a crack at that, anybody?" 😬 pic.twitter.com/gAZOPcpm6N
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 20, 2026After ESPN's mishap went viral on social media, the Sabres' social media team had some fun with the situation. The team recruited an entourage of young Buffalo fans who were able to pronounce Luukkonen's name with ease.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) May 13, 2026What is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's full name?
The full name of the Sabres goaltender is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Buffalo's goalie has a hyphenated given name, which is a common naming tradition in Finnish and Nordic culture.
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What is the origin and meaning of Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen's name?
Ukko-Pekka was named after a former Finnish president. Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, the third president of Finland, had a nickname he commonly went by: Ukko Pekka, according to Ilta-Sanomat.
The nickname translates to "Old Man Pekka," and Buffalo's goalie was given this name by his father, Jari Luukkonen, who works as a conservation director for the World Wildlife Foundation.
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