Antti Niemi (ice hockey)

Lore & Background

Niemi began his professional career in Finland with the Pelicans of the SM-liiga in 2005, after playing junior hockey for Kiekko-Vantaa, where he also worked part-time as a Zamboni driver and later had his number retired. He signed with the Chicago Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent in May 2008 and spent most of the 2008–09 season with their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, before making his NHL debut in February 2009. The following season, he became the Blackhawks' starting goaltender, posting a 26–7–4 record and leading the team to a Stanley Cup championship in June 2010. After salary cap constraints led Chicago to walk away from his arbitration award, Niemi signed with the San Jose Sharks in September 2010.

He played four seasons with the Sharks, earning a Vezina Trophy nomination in 2012–13 and winning The Hockey News' Gilles Villemure Award as the Best Shootout Goalie. His rights were traded to the Dallas Stars in June 2015, where he formed a goaltending partnership with fellow Finn Kari Lehtonen. After two seasons in Dallas, he was bought out and subsequently played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, and Montreal Canadiens, the latter of which saw a career resurgence. Niemi ended his 11-year NHL career in 2019, returning to Finland to play for Jokerit of the KHL.

Did You Know?

• He recorded his first NHL shutout in Helsinki, Finland, against the Florida Panthers in October 2009.
• Niemi set a Montreal Canadiens franchise record with 52 saves in a regular season home game in January 2019.
• He was the first Finnish-born goaltender to win the Stanley Cup.