Defenceman Tapio Levo played briefly with the Colorado Rockies and New Jersey Devils in the early 80s. He was better known as a domestic and international player in his native Finland.
Born in Pori, Finland, Levo played his first game with the local Assat club in 1972-73. This began a long association with the club which lasted until the end of the 1988089 season. Along the way he was one of the top offensive rearguards in the country and was a key part of Assat Pori's national championship in 1978.
Internationally, Levo made his first international appearance for Finland at the 1975 World Championships. He later played on five Finnish teams at the World Championships as well as the Canada Cup in 1976 and 1981. The slick blueliner was also named to the Finnish first all-star team in 1984 and 1985.
Levo's NHL career materialized after he signed with the Colorado Rockies in July, 1981. He scored 22 points in 34 games as an NHL rookie on the weak club in 1981-82. In the off-season his rights were transferred to the New Jersey Devils after the Colorado franchise relocated. Levo scored 47 points for the club but still finished with a plus/minus rating of -41 on the defensively horrid Devils. He returned to Finland the next season and played six more years with Assat Pori before retiring in 1989.
