Tyler Cuma

{{Infobox ice hockey player

|image = 20161213 VIC VSV 5627.jpg

|caption = Cuma with the Vienna Capitals in 2016

|image_size = 225px

|team = HC TWK Innsbruck

|league = ICEHL

|prospect_team =

|prospect_league =

|former_teams = Minnesota Wild
Graz 99ers
Vienna Capitals
Dornbirn Bulldogs

|position = Defence

|shoots = Left

|height_ft = 6

|height_in = 2

|weight_lb = 193

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|01|19}}

|birth_place = Scarborough, Ontario, Canada

|draft = 23rd overall

|draft_year = 2008

|draft_team = Minnesota Wild

|career_start = 2010

}}

Tyler Cuma (born January 19, 1990) is an Austrian-Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for HC TWK Innsbruck of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the first round, 23rd overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft when he was playing for the Ottawa 67's.

Playing career

=Junior=

Cuma began his major junior career in the OHL with the Ottawa 67's in 2006–07. He was drafted sixth overall in the 2006 OHL Priority Draft.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

He recorded 19 (3 goals, 16 assists) points in his rookie season before improving to 32 (4 goals, 28 assists) points in 59 games in 2007-08. That year, he was named the 67's Top Scholastic Player and played in the OHL All-Star Game.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Cuma's 2008–09 season, his third with the 67's, was cut short after sustaining a knee injury during Team Canada's 2009 World Junior selection camp in December 2008.{{cite web|title=Cuma suffers World Junior heartbreak for second straight year|url=http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=300824|access-date=December 2, 2009|date=December 2, 2009|publisher=The Sports Network|archive-date=December 6, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091206025117/http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=300824|url-status=dead}} He appeared in just 21 games, scoring nine points. It was thought that he might have made the Minnesota Wild's roster that year.{{cite news|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/hockey/nhl/senators-extra/cowen-myers-not-alone-in-struggles|title=Cowen, Myers not alone in struggles|work=Ottawa Citizen|date=December 9, 2013|accessdate=December 23, 2017}}

Cuma's last year in the OHL was the 2009-10 season, where he got 22 points (5 goals, 17 assists) in 52 games.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

=Professional=

Cuma's first AHL season was in 2010–11, when he played for the Houston Aeros. That year, he played 31 games, getting 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) before suffering a knee injury in February.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

In the 2011–12 season, Cuma played 73 games, getting 9 assists for the Houston Aeros. Cuma made his NHL debut in April, playing for the Minnesota Wild in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, getting 2 PIM in 11 minutes on ice.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

In 2012–13, Cuma spent the entire season with the Houston Aeros, playing in 42 games, getting 12 points (1 goal, 11 assists). He suffered a foot injury which caused him to miss a month.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

As a free agent from the Wild, Cuma belatedly signed a trial contract into the 2014–15 season with Austrian club, the Graz 99ers of the EBEL on September 30, 2014.{{cite news|url=http://www.erstebankliga.at/de/news/detail/2014/09/30/99ers_holen_austro-kanadier_zum_tryout|title=99ers pick Canadian for try-out|publisher=Austrian Hockey League|date=September 30, 2014|access-date=September 30, 2014|language=de|archive-date=October 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006171322/http://www.erstebankliga.at/de/news/detail/2014/09/30/99ers_holen_austro-kanadier_zum_tryout|url-status=dead}} Cuma opted to remain in the EBEL the following season, although leaving Graz as a free agent to sign with rivals, the Vienna Capitals on October 5, 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.vienna-capitals.at/newsdetails/items/tyler-cuma-wird-ein-cap-das-team-reist-nach-litvinov.html|title=Tyler Cuma is a Cap|website=Vienna Capitals|date=October 5, 2015|accessdate=December 23, 2017|language=de}}

After sitting out the 2018–19 season, Cuma returned to the professional ranks, using his Austrian citizenship in obtaining a one-year non import contract with HC TWK Innsbruck of the EBEL on May 13, 2019.{{cite web| url = https://www.hcinnsbruck.at/de-DE/news-detail?titel=Tyler%20Cuma%20ein%20Hai!&news-id=269| title = Tyler Cuma a Shark! | website = HC TWK Innsbruck | date=May 13, 2019| accessdate=May 13, 2019 | language=de}}

Having another season long hiatus, Cuma extended his professional career for the 2021–22 season, returning to the ICEHL with the Dornbirn Bulldogs on July 10, 2021.{{cite web | url = https://www.bulldogs.hockey/heimkehrderfans/ | title = Countdown started | publisher = Dornbirn Bulldogs | date = July 10, 2021 | accessdate = July 10, 2021 | language = German | archive-date = August 20, 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220820201217/https://www.bulldogs.hockey/heimkehrderfans/ | url-status = dead }}

International play

Cuma has represented Canada the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships.

Style of play

Cuma is a two-way defenseman, who has a slightly offensive bent.{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/tyler_cuma/|title=Tyler Cuma player profile|website=hockeysfuture.com|date=March 4, 2012|accessdate=December 23, 2017}}

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="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM
2006–07	Ottawa 67's	OHL	63	3	16	19	55	5	0	2	2	6
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \|2007–08	Ottawa 67's	OHL	59	4	28	32	69	4	1	1	2	2
2008–09	Ottawa 67's	OHL	21	1	8	9	27	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \|2009–10	Ottawa 67's	OHL	52	5	17	22	73	12	0	5	5	20
2010–11	Houston Aeros	AHL	31	1	3	4	15	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \|2011–12	Houston Aeros	AHL	73	0	9	9	48	2	0	0	0	0
2011–12	Minnesota Wild	NHL	\|1	0	0	0	2	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \|2012–13	Houston Aeros	AHL	42	1	11	12	14	1	0	0	0	0
2013–14	Iowa Wild	AHL	\|55	0	8	8	47	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \|2014–15	Graz 99ers	EBEL	\|31	1	7	8	35	—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Vienna Capitals	EBEL	\|35	0	2	2	10	4	1	0	1	2
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \|2016–17	Vienna Capitals	EBEL	41	3	8	11	28	12	0	4	4	6
2017–18	Vienna Capitals	EBEL	48	1	13	14	36	11	0	1	1	18
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \|2019–20	HC TWK Innsbruck	EBEL	37	1	4	5	36	—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Dornbirn Bulldogs	ICEHL	37	0	7	7	24	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3"\|NHL totals !1 !0 !0 !0 !2 !— !— !— !— !—
style="background:#e0e0e0;" ! colspan="3"\|ICEHL totals ! 229 ! 6 ! 41 ! 47 ! 169 ! 27 ! 1 ! 5 ! 6 ! 26