THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Feb. 13, 2014
Who knows if Luke Tuten will end up someday like his grandfather, John Ernest "Jack" Tuten, a right-handed defenseman just like Luke, who once played in the Eastern Hockey League - one step below the NHL.
Or like Luke's great uncle, Audlling (Audie) Tuten, a left-handed defenseman who also played in the Eastern Hockey League, in the 1930s, and also played briefly in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL in the early 1940s.
Or like his own father, Dave Tuten, a centerman growing up in California, who made it as far as Junior A hockey before injuries derailed his career.
One thing's for sure - Luke is determined to find out.
These days, the 19-year-old Rathdrum resident is playing for the Fort Vancouver Vipers of the five-team Northern Pacific Hockey League. The Vipers are a Junior A team based in Vancouver, Wash., and Luke is trying to see where the sport eventually takes him.
"I used to play center, played it for about seven years," the 5-foot-10, 192-pound Tuten said recently. "One game, my coach asked me to go back and play defense, and it kind of stuck, and I've been there ever since."
Luke isn't old enough to have met Jack or Audie, but knows full well of them, thanks to newspaper clippings saved by his mom and dad.
"That inspired me to want to play defenseman, when I realized it ran in the family," Luke said.
"He's a natural," says Dave, a Level 3 coach through USA Hockey, who has coached his son since he was age 4 1/2.
LUKE TUTEN played youth hockey in the area most of his life, first with the Coeur d'Alene Thunder, and most recently with the Inland Empire Warhorses, a Midget A team based in Spokane.
He attended schools in the area growing up, eventually graduating from University High in Spokane in 2012.
He said he played with the Thunder for three or four years.
"Those were probably my favorite years," Luke said, "because you grow up and play with the same kids every single year. My hockey coach (Scott Murphy) was like my second dad, and my defense partner (Dylan Murphy) was like my best friend."
Jake Mullen, a teammate for some 10 years growing up, is a goaltender with the Vipers. His dad told Dave Tuten there might be some openings with the Fort Vancouver team.
Dave called the Vipers coach about six weeks ago. Luke had tried about some three years earlier, and the coaches thought enough of him to invite him back.
The coach told Dave to bring his son down, and Luke made the team.
Luke stays with a "billet" family in Tualatin, Ore., some 21 miles away from Vancouver.
Games are generally on weekends, practices during the week. A typical non-game day consists of practice, weight training, perhaps a team dinner, then watching - what else? - the NHL Network.
"Being away from home, it was hard for the first two weeks," Luke said. "But I've got some good friends on the team, so I don't mind it too much."
What helps is the billet family is a pretty big hockey family - one of the boys plays hockey, too - and Luke and his billet family often go to Portland Winterhawks games.
DAVE TUTEN, now 58, grew up in Burbank, Calif., and earned the nickname "fast gloves Tuten" during his playing days. After his hockey playing days were over, he ended up being a bricklayer for some 30 years. Dave and Tammy have been together for 30 years, and married for the past 10. They moved to Twin Lakes in 1991, and have lived there, Spirit Lake, Post Falls and now Rathdrum since then. Dave has been coaching off and on for the past 15 years.
Luke said he is more of a playmaker than an enforcer.
Luke has two sisters - one, Katedee, played hockey on an all-boys team for a few years growing up, sometimes with her brother.
"He's more mellow than Dave, but he's got the heart to play hockey," Tammy said of her son. "He's a beast out there."
Added Dave, "He's like me in the sense that when he gets out on the ice, he'll turn into a bulldozer and knock the (stuff) out of you."
When Dave and Tammy lived in Post Falls, Dave built a 24-by-36-foot ice rink in the front yard for his kids and neighbor kids to play on.
"He would feed me one-timers all night, and play hockey with us," Luke recalled.
THE VIPERS' season ends Feb. 23, at which time Luke Tuten will continue his quest to move up the hockey chain. Right after the season he said he'll be going to hockey schools/camps, looking to get noticed.
Thirty-six games into their 40-game season, the Vipers are still looking for their first win. Since joining the club, Luke has played in 17 games.
His ultimate goal?
"Hopefully I'll go pro," Luke said. "That's every kid's dream, to make it to the show."
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached by phone at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.