Jeff Finger
Jeffrey Finger | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 18, 1979 Michigan, United States |
| Occupation | Ice hockey defenseman |
| Years active | 2003–2012 |
| Known for | NHL defenseman for Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs |
Jeffrey John Finger (born December 18, 1979) is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who competed in the National Hockey League between 2006 and 2010, representing the Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs. Among NHL players originating from The Copper Country in The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Finger holds the highest marks for goals (17), assists (40), points (57), and games played (199). Only Clarence "Taffy" Abel, hailing from Sault Ste. Marie (outside Copper Country), surpassed Finger with 333 NHL games played among Upper Peninsula natives. Regarded as the most accomplished NHL player from the Upper Peninsula, Finger was inducted into Michigan's Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
Background and early career
Finger attended Houghton High School located in Houghton, Michigan. During his freshman year, he was part of the 1994-95 Houghton hockey squad that finished as runners-up in the Michigan Class BCD State Championship. In his sophomore year, he competed with the 18U Midget AAA Marquette Electricians during their 1995-96 campaign. Returning to Houghton for his junior season, Finger played a key role in guiding the Gremlins to an MHSAA Final Four appearance while securing titles such as the LSC High School Conference, Wishigan Cup, and Hayward Invitational Championships. That season, he was honored with Michigan High School Athletic Association All-State Class B recognition. For his senior year (1997-98), Finger joined The Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, tallying 14 points alongside 208 penalty minutes over 51 games.
Pre-NHL playing career
Finger continued with the Green Bay Gamblers throughout the 1998-99 season, earning his initial USHL All-Star selection of two consecutive years. He was chosen 240th overall (8th round) by the Colorado Avalanche during the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. In the 1999-2000 season, still with Green Bay, Finger earned the title of USHL Defenseman of the Year as his team captured the Clark Cup Championship. After three seasons at Green Bay, he advanced to collegiate hockey by joining St. Cloud State University in 2000 to compete within the WCHA.
During his freshman year at St. Cloud State, Finger scored goals in each of his first two contests and received WCHA Rookie of the Week honors on March 5, 2001. That same season, his team secured victory in the WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. He was awarded St. Cloud State's Roland Vandell Award for Outstanding Freshman, highlighted by a +12 plus/minus rating. Finger participated in every game across his first two college seasons, earned WCHA Defensive Player of the Week on February 4, 2002, and established a university record for penalty minutes in a single season (105) during 2001-02.
Following three years competing in the WCHA, Finger embarked on his professional journey in 2003-04 by splitting time between the Reading Royals (ECHL) and Hershey Bears (AHL). He notched his first AHL point during his Hershey debut on November 9, 2003, and netted his inaugural AHL goal on January 10, 2004. In the subsequent season (2004-05), Finger appeared in 75 games for Hershey, accumulating 16 points and 125 penalty minutes. The next year saw him play 70 games for the Lowell Lock Monsters, registering 23 points along with 116 penalty minutes. During the 2006-07 campaign, Finger served as Assistant Captain for the Albany River Rats before earning a call-up to join the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.
NHL playing career
Finger joined the Avalanche for the last 22 games of the 2006–07 campaign, making his NHL debut on February 20, 2007, facing the Calgary Flames. He earned his initial NHL point by assisting Paul Stastny on February 27 and netted his first NHL goal on March 1 against Nikolai Khabibulin of the Chicago Blackhawks. Concluding the season, Finger tallied one goal, four assists, accumulated 11 penalty minutes, and achieved a +10 plus/minus rating, ranking second on the team behind Ken Klee.
On May 23, 2007, Finger secured a one-year extension with the Avalanche for the 2007–08 season. During his first complete season in the NHL, he appeared in a career-high 72 games and scored eight goals.
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Finger to a four-year contract worth $3.5 million annually on July 1, 2008. However, during the 2008 pre-season, he suffered a broken foot due to a shot from teammate Nikolay Kulemin, causing him to miss both the pre-season and the opening month of regular play. Finger closed out the 2008–09 season with a personal best of 23 points over 66 games.
A challenging rapport with Leafs' coach Ron Wilson, along with the acquisitions of defensemen Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin, restricted Finger to just 39 games during the 2009–10 season. His last NHL appearance came on April 7, 2010, against the New York Rangers. After two seasons in Toronto, a knee injury sustained during training camp combined with salary cap issues led to Finger being placed on waivers on October 12, 2010, and subsequently assigned to the Leafs' AHL affiliate the next day.
Post-NHL playing career
For the 2010–11 season, Finger was assigned to the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League, but he participated in only 23 games due to undergoing hip surgery. Following his recovery, he returned for the 2011–12 season and played in 31 games before a concussion sustained in St. John's ended his playing career.
Coaching career
Finger took on an assistant coaching role with the Finlandia University Lions Men's Ice Hockey Team competing in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association for three consecutive seasons: 2018–19, 2019–20, and 2020–21.
Career statistics
|2003–04 (AHL) |Hershey Bears |AHL |63 |2 |9 |11 |88 |— |— |— |— |— | |2004–05 |Hershey Bears |AHL |75 |4 |11 |15 |125 |— |— |— |— |— | |2005–06 |Lowell Lock Monsters |AHL |70 |3 |20 |23 |116 |— |— |— |— |— | 45 3 10 13 65 5 1 1 2 4 22 1 4 5 11 — — — — — 2007–08 Colorado Avalanche NHL 72 8 11 19 40 5 0 2 2 4 2008–09 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 66 6 17 23 43 — — — — — 2009–10 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 39 2 8 10 20 — — — — — 2010–11 AHL season Toronto Marlies AHL 23 0 5 5 8 — — — — — 2011–12 AHL season Toronto Marlies AHL 31 3 7 10 44 — — — — —| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1997–98 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 51 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 208 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 1998–99 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 55 | 11 | 28 | 39 | 199 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 1999–00 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 55 | 13 | 35 | 48 | 154 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 40 | ||
| 2000–01 | St. Cloud State | WCHA | 41 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | St. Cloud State | WCHA | 42 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 105 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | St. Cloud State | WCHA | 24 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 (ECHL) | Reading Royals | ECHL | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals !199 !17 !40 !57 !114 !5 !0 !2 !2 !4 |
} Awards and honors
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