Jeff Finger

Lore & Background

Finger grew up in Houghton, Michigan, and played high school hockey for Houghton High School, where his team was Michigan Class BCD State Runners-up in 1994–95 and made an MHSAA Final Four appearance in 1996–97. He then played junior hockey for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, earning two consecutive USHL All-Star Team selections and being named USHL Defenseman of the Year in 1999–2000, the same season the Gamblers won the Clark Cup Championship. Finger was drafted 240th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1999 NHL entry draft.

After three seasons with the Gamblers, Finger attended St. Cloud State University, where he scored goals in each of his first two college games and was named WCHA Rookie of the Week in March 2001. He set St. Cloud State's all-time record for most penalty minutes in a season (105) in 2001–02. Finger turned professional in 2003–04, splitting time between the Reading Royals of the ECHL and the Hershey Bears of the AHL. He played for the Lowell Lock Monsters in 2005–06 and was named an assistant captain of the Albany River Rats in 2006–07 before being called up to the Avalanche.

Finger made his NHL debut on February 20, 2007, and scored his first NHL goal on March 1, 2007. He played a career-high 72 games in 2007–08 with the Avalanche. On July 1, 2008, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Finger to a four-year deal worth $3.5 million per season. A broken foot from a teammate's shot during the 2008 pre-season caused him to miss the first month of the regular season. Finger finished the 2008–09 season with a career-high 23 points in 66 games. A strained relationship with Leafs' coach Ron Wilson and the signings of defensemen Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin limited his playing time to 39 games in 2009–10. After a knee injury in training camp and salary cap restrictions, Finger was placed on waivers in October 2010 and assigned to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. He played 23 games for the Marlies in 2010–11 before requiring hip surgery, and 31 games in 2011–12 before a career-ending concussion.

Reader's Guide

Jeff Finger's significance lies in his status as the most accomplished NHL player born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the modern era. He holds regional records for most goals (17), assists (40), points (57), and games played (199) among NHL players born in the Copper Country. Only Clarence 'Taffy' Abel, who played from 1926 to 1934 and was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan (outside the Copper Country), has played more NHL games (333) than any player born in the Upper Peninsula. Finger is regarded as the best all-around ice hockey player to be born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. His induction into Michigan's Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 cements his legacy in the region. His NHL career, though shortened by injuries and a strained relationship with a coach, included a career-high 23 points in 2008–09 with the Maple Leafs and a +10 plus/minus in his rookie season that tied for second on the Avalanche. After his playing career ended due to a concussion, Finger served as an assistant coach for the Finlandia University Lions men's ice hockey team from 2018 to 2021.

Did You Know?

• Finger's foot was broken during the 2008 pre-season by a shot from teammate Nikolai Kulemin, causing him to miss the first month of the regular season.
• He played his final NHL game on April 7, 2010 against the New York Rangers.