Albert Pudas

{{short description|Finnish-Canadian ice hockey player and coach}}

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| image = Albert Pudas.jpg

| image_size = 175px

| played_for = Toronto St. Patricks

| position = Winger

| shoots = Right

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 10

| weight_lb = 160

| birth_date = {{birth date|1899|2|17}}

| birth_place = Siikajoki, Grand Duchy of Finland

| death_date = {{death date and age|1976|10|28|1899|2|17}}

| death_place = Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

| career_start = 1921

| career_end = 1928

}}

Juho Albert Pudas (originally Putaansuu) (February 17, 1899 – October 28, 1976) was a Finnish-born Canadian ice hockey player and coach. He was the first Finnish-born hockey player in the National Hockey League, and played 4 games for the Toronto St. Patricks during the 1926–27 season. Following his hockey career Pudas was active in the capacity of referee.

Biography

Pudas moved to Canada at the age of 18 months. He began his hockey career in Port Arthur, Ontario with the Pascoes, Ports, and later, the Port Arthur Bearcats. On October 28, 1926, Pudas accepted a contract offer from the Toronto St. Pats, along with fellow Bearcats Bill Brydge, Danny Cox and Lorne Chabot. Pudas was recalled December 29, 1926, by the Toronto St. Pats (renamed the Maple Leafs that same season on February 14, 1927) to play four games. These four games made Pudas the first Finnish-born player to play in the NHL.{{cn|date=June 2023}}

In 1936, Pudas coached the Port Arthur Bearcats who represented Canada in the Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Canada won a silver medal with Pudas as coach (the only medal Canada won at these games).{{cite web|url=https://www.chroniclejournal.com/sports/local_sports/olympic-hockeys-controversial-past/article_0e93df82-1255-11e8-b35b-d3038de8df3b.html|title=Olympic hockey's controversial past|publisher=Chronicle Journal|author=Diane Imrie|language=English|date=15 February 2018|accessdate=8 February 2021}}

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM
1921–22 \| Port Arthur Bruins \| TBSHL \| —	—	—	—	— \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1922–23 \| Port Arthur Bruins \| MHL \| 16	17	8	25	5 \| 2	1	0	1	0
1923–24 \| Port Arthur Bruins \| MHL \| 16	11	2	13	2 \| 2	1	0	1	2
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1924–25 \| Port Arthur Bruins \| MHL \| 20	3	3	6	— \| 10	11	10	21	13
1925–26 \| Port Arthur Bruins \| MHL \| 20	11	2	13	20 \| 9	7	6	13	18
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1926–27 \| Toronto St. Patricks \| NHL \| 4	0	0	0	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
1926–27 \| Windsor Bulldogs \| Can-Pro \| 18	10	2	12	18 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1926–27 \| Hamilton Tigers \| Can-Pro \| 9	8	0	8	2 \| 2	3	0	3	0
1927–28 \| London Panthers \| Can-Pro \| 10	2	2	4	4 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1927–28 \| Stratford Nationals \| Can-Pro \| 1	0	0	0	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
1927–28 \| Detroit Olympics \| Can-Pro \| 19	4	1	5	0 \| 2	0	0	0	0
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| Can-Pro totals ! 57 !! 24 !! 5 !! 29 !! 24 ! 4 !! 3 !! 0 !! 3 !! 0
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| NHL totals ! 4 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! —