El Paso Forward Tuomioksa makes NCAA Commitment

The El Paso Rhinos of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are proud to announce that forward Roope Tuomioksa has committed to play NCAA hockey for University of Wisconsin-Superior in the WIAC.

Hailing from Tuusula, Finland, Tuomioksa is a third-year veteran of the NAHL. This past season he hit the ice for 61 games with the Rhinos, tallying 13 goals and 14 assists. The 6’0 lefty spent last season mostly in the Midwest Division with the Kenai River Brown Bears. He laced up for 55 games, finding the back of the net 10 times while producing 23 assists. Four of his 10 games were scored on the man advantage with the Browns Bears. His debut in the NAHL occurred in the second half of the 2022-23 season with the Aberdeen Wings. The ‘04 forward skated in 28 matchups with the Wings. He scored six goals and made nine assists in his debut season. Two of his six goals were scored on the power play. The Finland native played in a total of 145 games in the NAHL and recorded 75 total career points.

Tuomioksa will join his fellow teammate, A.J. Reed, and Eli Mikesch from the Watertown Shamrocks in Wisconsin this upcoming fall. 

Head coach of the Rhinos, Mike Rivera, shares what he saw on the ice by Tuomioksa this season and his excitement for his next step.

“We are excited for Roope. He was an anchor in our top six all season and played a huge role in our offense production. Roope can break a game open at any point with his speed and finishing ability, and quietly had some of the best defensive details in our forward group. Due to the change in the college hockey landscape, Roope unfortunately lost his Division I commitment, so we are happy to see him go to a high-end Division III like UW-Superior and wouldn’t be surprised to see him at the Division I level before his college career is over.”

Tuomioksa is one of eleven members of the El Paso Rhinos to make a college ice hockey commitment.

Click here for an updated NAHL to NCAA commitment list