Miikka Kiprusoff’s playing career was amazing. It has not been forgotten in Canada.
- The Calgary Flames’ home crowd will once again shout the name of their beloved Miikka Kiprusoff on Saturday.
- Turku’s jersey will go up to the ceiling of the Scotiabank Saddledome.
- The quiet Kiprusoff was undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers of his time in the world.
Miikka Kiprusoff will receive a huge attention in Canada on Saturday. The NHL club Calgary Flames will retire the game number 34 used by the man in his career, and the Turku man’s shirt will be raised to the roof of Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome before the Flames–Penguins match.
Kiprusoff is only the second Finnish goalkeeper to receive this honor. Pekka Rinne was the first.
– I think he was one of the first Finnish goalkeepers at the absolute top of the world. Such calmness and technical fluency are the first things that come to mind about his style, says former Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu.
7 times 70 games
Miikka Kiprusoff is in Calgary with his close circle and will be celebrating on Sunday morning Finnish time. Number 34 will be retired in the Calgary Flames organization. ZUMAWIRE / MVPHOTOS
Kiprusoff’s game numbers were amazing. In seven consecutive seasons, he played more than 70 games in the regular season alone.
– It seems incomprehensible that he has played more than 70 games in the regular season for several seasons, says Jussi Parkkila, who is in his seventh season as the Colorado Avalanche’s goalie coach.
– Today, that feels really difficult. I mean, when the playoffs start and you’re 70 games down, you should be in top shape for another two months. Because the demands of the game are so fierce these days, we don’t like to play in such quantities these days. Veskari still has a particularly spiritual side to it, Parkkila continues.
– Hats off to Kiprusoff. That has been a really hard performance – whatever the time. And great that he gets the jersey in Calgary, congrats.
One of the best
Miikka Kiprusoff played at least 70 regular season matches in seven seasons. The man’s number is only the fourth in Flames history to be retired. PDO
Stanley Cup winner Kimmo Timonen is a year older than 47-year-old Kiprusoff. The two played against each other numerous times in the taala league.
– Kipper was able to play seasons of up to 70 games. It was and is really a lot for a goalkeeper. We often played against each other.
– Yes, Kiprusoff was one of the best goalkeepers of his time in the world. It’s a sure thing, Timonen continues.
Numerous records
Kiprusoff started his NHL career in the San Jose Sharks organization in the fall of 1999.
He played 12 seasons in the NHL, nine of them in Calgary. The quiet but humorous person from Turku was, in all his mystery, a beloved person in the city.
And not a swamp. The TPS graduate is the number one name in the Flames’ varsity history in, among other things, games played (576), wins (305), shutouts (41) and save percentage (91.3).
He also leads the playoff shutout record (6).
– Underneath the mask was a fearless competitor who gave us a chance to win every game. Thank you and congratulations, praises the goalkeeper’s former teammate and current general manager of the Flames, Craig Conroy.
In total, Kipper played 623 NHL regular season games.
Vezina first
Miikka Kiprusoff was a very technical goalkeeper. PDO
At the end of the 2005–2006 season, the man from Turku was awarded the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender, the first Finnish goaltender in history.
It might be the greatest achievement of the goalkeeper’s career. Kipper was a Vezina candidate no less than three times.
Since then, the award has also been won by Tuukka Rask in 2014 and Rinne in 2018.
Sure, he also took the Flames to the Stanley Cup Finals in the spring of 2004. There was a Game 7 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Kiprusoff’s NHL career ended in the spring of 2013, even though he still had a comprehensive contract for the following season.