The scrappy 23-year-old left wing has made a seamless transition from across the ocean, making the NHL in his first try and becoming one of the more productive first-year players in the league until being sidelined by a broken collarbone just before Christmas.

Kallio, who is expected to return around the All-Star break, has also helped fuel talk of a possible playoff appearance for the second-year Thrashers. Playing on Atlanta's second line with Shean Donovan and Andreas Karlsson, he has scored eight goals -- including a hat trick against Boston early the season -- and 14 points in 28 games. More important, he has demonstrated the kind of energy and aggressiveness that is becoming the trademark of the team.

Tomi Kallio has been able to dive right into the NHL this season. (AP)

"We were looking for big things from him this year, and he hasn't disappointed, " Thrashers coach Curt Fraser told SportsLine.com. "We think he could be a real impact player for us."

Which is why Atlanta decided to go the extra miles it took to secure his services.

The Thrashers acquired Kallio from Colorado's reserve list in the 1999 expansion draft, taking a shot at a player who had spent his entire career in Finland. There he earned a reputation for being a talented and tough offensive player, the kind of skilled athlete Atlanta GM Don Waddell felt would be difficult for a new team to find elsewhere.

Repeated scouting trips to Finland to watch Kallio play convinced the Atlanta brain trust that he was a player who would be a good fit for the type of lineup they were building.

"We spent a lot of time in Europe that year and we watched him play maybe 15, 18 games," said Waddell, adding that Colorado tried to make a last-minute deal to keep the Thrashers from taking him. "I went over personally to see him three times, and we really liked what we saw.

"We knew that his skill level was something we weren't going to get in the draft, so even though it might take a year or two to get him over, we felt it was worth the gamble."

So did Kallio. Just not right away. The six-foot, 190-pound native of Turku remained home to play another season in his country's elite league rather than in the minor leagues of North America. He ended up among the league leaders in scoring and was named as the top left wing in the European Hockey League Championships.

Fraser said the youngster made the right decision.

"(The NHL) is not a development league, and even though lots of people thought he could come over and play right away, I think it's good he stayed and got some extra time to develop and mature," Fraser said. "Now he's ready for this. He's not coming over here with eyes as big as saucers."

Ironically for someone who has dreamed of playing in the NHL since he was a kid collecting the hockey cards of Finnish legends such as Jari Kurri and Esa Takkannen, Kallio has never been in a rush to come over to North America.

"I always thought it was better for me to stay in Finland, that's why I never went to Canada to play junior," he said. "I was playing with grown ups from the time I was 16 and 17, and I think it was a better choice than coming to play with guys the same age."

Waddell agrees, noting that the quality of the Scandinavian hockey development programs allows players from those countries to remain home longer than their East European counterparts.

"They have good leagues over there and they are preparing players for the NHL," he said.

Kallio says that's one reason he has not had as much difficulty as he anticipated playing a more physical type of game on a much smaller North American ice surface, but Waddell thinks it has more to do with the individual than the circumstances.

"He is not a shy player," the GM said. "He's different than most European players who are soft. He is very willing to take a hit, to give a hit to make a play. He likes the physical play."

Kallio admits as much, but says the up-tempo, 'European' style of game Atlanta plays is well suited for someone who is known for his skating and play-making abilities.

"You don't have as much time to make moves here so you have to keep the puck going fast," he said. "The only thing I try to do is to play my game. I try to use my speed, skate, handle the puck and make good passes. I figure if I can do that, then things will be all right here."