Joni Ortio's North American pro debut was a game he'd probably like to forget.
The 19-year-old goalie from Finland, drafted in the sixth round by the Calgary Flames in 2009 and signed last week by the NHL parent club, got the start for the Abbotsford Heat in their final game of the
season on Sunday against the Toronto Marlies.
The Marlies lit up the youngster for six goals on 30 shots, en route to a 6-0 victory at Ricoh Coliseum.
Marcel Mueller led the Marlies attack, notching a hat trick and adding two assists. Justin Hodgman, Greg McKegg and Josh Engel also scored for Toronto.
Jussi Rynnas, Ortio's counterpart in the Marlies' crease, stopped all 25 shots the Heat sent his way.
A 3-0 loss to the Lake Erie Monsters on Saturday had officially eliminated the Heat from playoff contention, giving Heat head coach Jim Playfair a chance to take a look at Ortio.
The Heat (38-32-4-6, 86 points) finished fourth in the AHL's North Division, but the Oklahoma City Barons, the West Division's fifth-place squad, crossed over and claimed the North's final playoff berth by virtue of the fact they finished with more points than Abbotsford.