Kari Lehtonen

Lore & Background

Lehtonen was born in Helsinki, Finland, to parents Martti and Marja Lehtonen. He has a sister, Kirsi, and an older brother, Kimmo. His father owns a tire dealership and his mother is a nurse. Lehtonen began picking up an interest in hockey at age five, following his brother to team practices, and started playing goalie at seven with the help of his personal goalie coach. He was drafted second overall in the 2002 NHL entry draft by the Atlanta Thrashers after an outstanding 2001–02 season in the Finnish SM-liiga, becoming the highest-drafted European goaltender. Lehtonen was the backup goalie for Jokerit but captured the starting position and won the Urpo Ylönen trophy, given to the best goalie of the season, and the league's playoff MVP award, the Jari Kurri trophy. He stayed with Jokerit for one more season before moving to North America, and was awarded the Urpo Ylönen trophy again in the 2002–03 season.

After posting a 39–19–9 record, nine shutouts and a 1.91 goals-against average in 72 career games with Jokerit, Lehtonen signed with the Atlanta Thrashers in June 2003. During the 2003–04 season, he mostly played with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL but was called up for four NHL games, winning all four and posting one shutout. He earned his first NHL shutout on March 27, 2004, against the Florida Panthers. Lehtonen spent the 2004–05 lockout season with the Wolves, earning AHL Second All-Star Team recognition and being a 2005 Calder Cup finalist. He started the 2005–06 season as the Thrashers' starting goalie but suffered a serious groin injury on opening night after a collision with Nathan Horton, sidelining him for the first half of the season. He was injured again on April 6, 2006, when Chris Dingman collided with him, and Lehtonen sprained his ankle trying to get to his feet. In the 2006–07 season, he broke the Thrashers' shutout streak record (167 minutes, 56 seconds) and became the franchise leader for wins by a goaltender with 49. He was the starting goaltender for the Thrashers in their first Stanley Cup playoff game on April 12, 2007, losing both games he played. After a rough start to the 2007–08 season, he suffered another groin injury on October 18, 2007, missing 16 games. He re-signed with Atlanta for the 2008–09 season and made a career-high 49 saves against the Washington Capitals on March 16, 2009.

On February 9, 2010, Lehtonen was traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Ivan Vishnevskiy and a fourth-round draft pick. He concluded his Thrashers tenure as franchise leader in games played (204), goals-against average (2.87), save percentage (.912), wins (94) and shutouts (14). He spent the remainder of the 2009–10 season backing up Marty Turco. Prior to the 2010–11 season, the Stars signed him to a three-year, $10.65 million extension. In his first full season in Dallas, he compiled a 34–24–11 record with a 2.55 GAA in 69 games, leading the league in wins within his first twelve starts. The Stars narrowly missed the 2011 playoffs. In the 2011–12 season, he posted a 32–22–4 record with four shutouts. On September 4, 2012, he signed a five-year, $29.5 million contract with a no-trade clause. Early in the 2012–13 season, he was considered a potential Vezina Trophy candidate before suffering a lower-body injury on February 15, 2013, and another injury on April 9. He led the NHL in minutes played during the 2013–14 season and made the playoffs with the Stars for the first time in 2014, earning his first career playoff shutout in Game 1. By the 2014–15 season, his numbers began to falter. Prior to the 2015–16 season, the Stars acquired fellow Finnish goaltender Antti Niemi to compete with Lehtonen; they alternated regularly the next two seasons. In the 2016 playoffs, Lehtonen established himself as the primary goalie, earning his second career playoff shutout and his first career playoff series win. However, in Game 7 of the second round, he was pulled after giving up three goals in the first period as the Stars lost 6–1. He finished the 2016–17 season with a 22–25–7 record.

Reader's Guide

Kari Lehtonen's significance lies in his status as the highest-drafted European goaltender in NHL history, selected second overall in the 2002 draft. He was also tied with Patrik Laine, Alexander Barkov and Kaapo Kakko for the highest-drafted Finnish player. Over 14 NHL seasons, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers and Dallas Stars, setting franchise records for the Thrashers in games played (204), goals-against average (2.87), save percentage (.912), wins (94) and shutouts (14). His career included multiple injuries, particularly groin and lower-body issues, which affected his consistency. He was a Vezina Trophy candidate early in the 2012–13 season before injuries interrupted his play. Lehtonen led the NHL in minutes played during the 2013–14 season and helped the Stars reach the playoffs in 2014, earning his first career playoff shutout. He later shared goaltending duties with Antti Niemi and secured his first playoff series win in 2016. His legacy includes being a pioneering Finnish goaltender in the NHL and a key figure for both franchises during his tenure.

Did You Know?

• Lehtonen won the Urpo Ylönen trophy as the best goalie in the Finnish SM-liiga in back-to-back seasons (2001–02 and 2002–03).
• He set the Atlanta Thrashers franchise record for wins by a goaltender with 49 on February 8, 2007.