Original Article

Luka Myller learns a new American custom every day.

The sophomore goaltender for the Chaminade hockey team hails from Helsinki, Finland. He has soaked up one tradition after another during his eventful 10-month stay in the U.S.

But he will never forget his late November surprise.

Myller was speaking with Owen McNamee, his teammate with the St. Louis AAA Blues 18U squad, when McNamee invited Myller to spend the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday at his house.

"He said, ‘What's a Thanksgiving,’ " McNamee recalled. “Then I realized they didn’t have that in Finland. " ‘I told him, "You're going to love this.’ "

Myller's voice raises an octave when he recalls the feast that was put before him at the McNamee residence in O'Fallon, Mo. — turkey, dressing, stuffing and all usual trimmings.

"It was great,” Myller said. “I couldn't stop eating."

Turkey and dressing are not common in Myller’s home country. So he took advantage of the new specialties and gorged himself.

Now Myller is already looking forward to next November.

"A lot of fun things (have) happened to me here," he said. "That was one of the best."

The 17-year-old is enjoying himself on the ice as much as he is off of it.

Myller is considered the top goaltender in the 34-team Mid-States Club Hockey Association. He possess an uncanny ability to take over a game with his dynamic puck stopping skills.

Normally, there is debate around the league about its top scorer, defensemen and goalie.

But no one questions Myller’s status as netminder extraordinaire.

"He's second to none," Chaminade coach Joe Watson said. "He's just got that confidence and awareness that you don't see in a young goalie like that."

Myller had CBC veteran coach John Jost shaking his head after stopping a whopping 57 shots in Chaminade’s 5-0 loss to CBC on Jan. 18.

"He'll make save after save no matter the score or situation," Jost said. "He makes that team dangerous every time he's out there."

Myller has compiled a 4-6-1 mark with a league-best 326 saves and a .921 save percentage. He has kept the Red Devils (6-9-1) competitive in games where they were outplayed by a wide margin.

"Sometimes he'll make a save and you'll say to yourself, ‘How did he just do that,’ " said McNamee, who also plays at Fort Zumwalt West, where he leads the team with 27 goals.

Myller was at his mystifying best in stopping 53 of 56 shots in a 3-3 tie against Saint Louis U. High on Jan. 7. He seems to be sharpest when peppered by shots from top-notch teams.

"I'm doing all right, playing pretty well," Myller said. "I can always do better. But I'm happy that every game I'm giving my team a chance out there."

Myller came to U.S. in hopes of taking advantage of different opportunities on and off the ice.

"I wanted some new challenges in my life,” he said.

Myller has hopes of following in the footsteps of his countrymen. Finland is known for producing NHL goalies by the bunches.

Tuukka Rask (Boston), Pekka Rinne (Nashville) and Kari Lehtonen (formerly of the Dallas Stars) top a list that includes a total of nine goalies on current NHL rosters.

Myller said he grew up idolizing Lehtonen, who recorded 310 wins in the NHL with Dallas and Atlanta.

One day, Myller hopes to follow in the footsteps of his Finish heroes.

"That would be great, but right now I'm not thinking about my future," he said. "Just thinking about tomorrow and how to get better."

There is no competitive high school hockey in Finland and Myller decided to come here to sharpen his game. He plans on staying for at least one more school year before hopefully moving on to play on the junior level.

Myller is having the time of his life. He recently enjoyed a feast at Taco Bell, a treat for those not accustomed to that type of fare.

Chaminade hosts several students in a dorm on campus who hail from out of the area or out of the country. Myller shares an area with two others. He doesn't have a drivers' license, but his teammates and friends are happy to shuttle him around.

Watson serves as a father figure, keeping an eye on Myller in the absence of his parents, Marko and Sanna, who remain in Helsinki.

Myller said he doesn't have time to get homesick since he plays on two hockey teams and has a full load of schoolwork.

"School and hockey, that's about it," Myller said.

Myller is an above-average student.

He likes to make fun of his teammates, who moan when the temperature dips below 30 degrees. He is quick to point out that the average temperature in Helsinki in the winter hovers around zero.

"What people think is cold is nothing to what the real cold is back home," Myller said.

Myller is looking forward to the Mid-States playoffs, which begin in a week. Chaminade will be competing in the top-tier Challenge Cup bracket.

"Right now, he's an elite goaltender," Watson said. "And I have a feeling he's just going to get better and better."