Antti Niemi

Lore & Background

Niemi played junior-level hockey for Kiekko-Vantaa from 1998 until 2005, where he also worked part-time as a Zamboni driver and later had his number retired. He turned pro with the Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga in 2005, playing three seasons with the team. In November 2007, Niemi debuted for the Finnish national team. He then signed with the Chicago Blackhawks as an undrafted free agent on 5 May 2008. He made his NHL debut on 27 February 2009, playing one period in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Niemi recorded his first NHL start and win on 1 March 2009, a 4–2 victory versus the Los Angeles Kings. He won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010. After filing for arbitration and being awarded $2.75 million, Chicago walked away from the deal on 2 August due to salary cap restraints. On 2 September 2010, Niemi signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the San Jose Sharks. On 1 March 2011, he signed a four-year contract extension with San Jose worth $15.2 million. On 27 June 2015, his rights were traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for the 193rd pick in the 2015 draft. The Stars signed him on a three-year deal worth $13.5 million on 29 June 2015. He played for the Stars from 2015–16 through 2016–17. On 26 June 2017, he was placed on waivers to be bought out. On 1 July 2017, he signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was claimed off waivers by the Florida Panthers on 24 October 2017, and then by the Montreal Canadiens on 14 November 2017. He ended his 11-year NHL career by signing a one-year contract with Jokerit of the KHL on 5 June 2019.

In Their Own Story

The building was shaking. You could feel it in the soles of your skates before you heard it—a low, building rumble from the upper deck that turned into a roar when the puck finally dropped. Niemi was already in his stance, knees bent, stick laid flat on the ice, eyes tracking the forecheck like a hawk tracking a field mouse. The opposing winger wound up for a slap shot from the circle. The stick cracked. The puck screamed toward the five-hole. Niemi didn't flinch. He just… opened his glove. The puck kissed the leather and died. He didn't even look up. He just set his stick down, took a breath, and waited for the next one. The arena was so loud you could feel it in your teeth, but in that crease, in that two-second window, the only sound was the soft scrape of his skates on the ice as he reset. That was Antti Niemi. That was the 2014 Dallas Stars. Quiet hands, loud room, and a refusal to blink.

Reader's Guide

Niemi is a former NHL goaltender known for being the first Finnish-born goalie to win the Stanley Cup, achieving that with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010. He also played for the San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, and Montreal Canadiens. His career included a Vezina Trophy nomination in 2013 and a franchise record for most saves in a regular season home game with the Canadiens (52 saves on 15 January 2019).

Did You Know?

• Niemi worked part-time as a Zamboni driver during his junior hockey years with Kiekko-Vantaa.
• He recorded his first NHL shutout on 3 October 2009 against the Florida Panthers in Helsinki, Finland.
• Niemi was the first Blackhawks goaltender since Ed Belfour in 1996 to record a post-season shutout.
• He won a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics with Finland, though he did not see any ice time.
• Niemi's nickname with the San Jose Sharks was 'Nemo'.