NHLGamers,
We have received the devastating news that a beloved member of the community - Sami @Ampuhaukka Luoma passed away at the young age of 41 this past Friday. Sami was a family man and a long-time community member, who enjoyed spending his pastime playing the NHL series in good company. Over the years several of us had the privilege to play alongside this man and he touched many of our lives in one way or another. To honor Sami's memory, some of his past teammates and friends have shared some of their memories below:
QuoteMe and Sami played together on and off ever since ECL 1 times, over the years we must have accumulated thousands of games together. Sami was never dealt the easiest hand, he was a cancer survivor and had suffered from several medical complications over the years. Despite all of the challenges, I remember the humor and the smile you could hear through his voice every day.
Sami was a polarizing person, but first and foremost he was a sincere and kind human being. He was a good father to his little kids, and a great friend to all of us. I'll forever miss the static of your mic and the occasional squeak from your old chair, but most of all, I'll miss my good friend Sami.
My heartfelt condolences go out to Samis children, relatives and friends.
- @Tzon93
QuoteI didn't know Sami as well as I would've liked to, but I did have the privilege of playing with him in both Summer Cup 1 and 2.
He was a new acquaintance to me in Summer Cup 1, but he quickly made an impression on me (and the whole team) with his team-first attitude, positive spirit and defensive prowess on the ice. I kept in touch with Sami over the year and we occasionally guest-played on each others team, as D partners. When Summer Cup 2 rolled around, I was a captain and Sami was a given as my 4th round pick. As a team, we had a lot of fun that summer and I got to know Sami a little better. He told me of his passion for his work where he regularly got to travel and spend time in nature, among his beloved birds. We kept track of each other after that second tournament - rooting for each other in the important games and congratulating each other on any success we had.
Simple gestures, but in retrospect they feel special.We never conversed on a truly personal level, but from the interactions I had with Sami I have no doubt he was a great father and family man. I, and many others in the community, knew him as kind, caring and forever positive - never a cloud on his horizon, despite the health ailments he was battling.
I extend my deepest sympathies to the family, friends and loved ones of Sami. May the passage of time heal your grief.
Ampu, I'll miss playing defense with you. Until we meet again,
QuoteWe had so many good memories together and I'd want to share all of them, but I'll focus on the most important. I'm truly grateful to have made friends with Sami through this hobby. Our friendship developed and i cherish the moments we had both in game and outside of it.
Life is cruel and you never know what's to come. The last time we spoke on Thursday, neither one of us could have known that it would be our last moment together. I couldn't have imagined that my last message to you would be left unread.
Your time was cut short, but I pray that your pain is now gone.
My heart goes out to your family, friends and all your loved ones who are left missing you dearly.
Rest in peace Sami.
- @Lamsa
A word from @Kenu on behalf of NHLGamer:
I would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and teammates of Sami in this tragic loss. I was in touch with Sami in early January and he spoke about his plans to build a team together with @pelimies80 and he had some questions around the upcoming season. It's hard to accept that that discussion was the last chance I got to talk to him.
I didn't know Sami well, but I did talk a lot of ECL with him throughout the years and also remember trying out for his team back in the day. He was always polite, positive and fun to talk to and I he will be missed.
During his career of 227 games as a right defenseman in the ECL Sami racked up 26 goals and 125 assists, totalling 151 points. Aside from the the ECL, he was also active in a lot of our other leagues. You can see his full career stats below.
The staff at NHLGamer extends our heartfelt condolences to everyone touched by Sami during his lifetime. Please also share your memory in the comment section if you wish to do so.
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