Justus Annunen
Finnish goaltender known as "Big Juice" for the Nashville Predators.
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Justus Hermanni Annunen (born 11 March 2000), known as "Juice" or "Big Juice," is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Nashville Predators in the NHL. The Colorado Avalanche picked him in the third round, 64th overall, at the 2018 NHL entry draft.
Finland
Annunen began playing at age 14 with Kiekko-Laser at the under-18 junior level in 2014. At 16, he joined Oulun Kärpät and led their under-18 team in 2016–17 with 30 appearances.
The next season, he mostly played in the Nuorten SM-liiga, posting a 2.21 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. He made his professional and Liiga debut with Kärpät on 8 March 2018, allowing four goals on 33 shots in a shutout loss to HPK. He then returned to the junior league, where he was named best goalie, a first-team all-star, and won a silver medal as the club finished second.
Ranked the fourth international goalie by NHL Central Scouting Bureau, Annunen became the third keeper taken in the 2018 draft. To develop, Kärpät loaned him to Mestis club Kokkolan Hermes for the 2018–19 season.
In 22 games with Hermes, he went 12–7–2 with a 2.77 GAA and .891 save percentage. He returned to Kärpät for one regular-season appearance on 14 March 2019, an overtime loss. In the playoffs, he joined Kärpät’s junior team, posting a 1.50 GAA and .930 save percentage in six games to help win the Jr. A SM-liiga championship.
In 2019–20, Annunen backed up Patrik Rybár in the Liiga. He earned his first Liiga win on 12 September 2019 against KalPa. On 16 September, he signed a two-year contract extension.
From 21 September to 23 October, he recorded four straight shutouts, setting a league record for the longest single-season shutout streak (302 minutes, five seconds). Splitting duties with Rybár, he finished 15–5–3 in 23 games, leading all goalies in save percentage (.929) and GAA (1.77). The season ended early due to COVID-19, and he placed third in voting for the Urpo Ylönen trophy as the league’s best goalie.
Colorado Avalanche
On 30 April 2020, the Colorado Avalanche signed Annunen to a three-year entry-level contract. He stayed with Oulun Kärpät for 2020–21, playing a career-high 24 games with seven wins, a 2.43 GAA, and .880 save percentage. He lost both playoff games as Kärpät fell to HIFK in the quarterfinals. On 6 May 2021, the Avalanche sent him to their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, for the rest of the season.
Lore & Background
Annunen began his career in Finland, playing for Kiekko-Laser at the under-18 level as a 14-year-old. He later joined Oulun Kärpät, where he led the under-18 team in 2016–17 and made his Liiga debut on 8 March 2018. In the 2019–20 season, he set a Liiga record with four consecutive shutouts, a streak lasting 302 minutes and five seconds, and finished third in voting for the Urpo Ylönen trophy as the league's best goaltender. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche on 30 April 2020 and began his North American career with the AHL's Colorado Eagles in 2021.
Annunen made his NHL debut on 4 December 2021 in relief for the Avalanche, allowing two goals on 19 shots in a 6–5 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. He earned his first NHL win two days later against the Philadelphia Flyers. During the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, he dressed for two games in the Western Conference Finals but did not play; he received a Stanley Cup ring but his name was not put on the Cup. In the 2024–25 season, he solidified his role as backup to Alexandar Georgiev with the Avalanche before being traded to the Nashville Predators on 30 November 2024 alongside a sixth-round pick in exchange for Scott Wedgewood.
Upon joining the Predators, Annunen's nickname "Juice" conflicted with that of starting goaltender Juuse Saros, who also used the same nickname. The issue was resolved by giving Annunen the moniker "Big Juice," referencing the five-inch height difference between the two. Internationally, Annunen helped Finland win a gold medal at the 2018 IIHF World U18 Championships and a gold medal at the 2026 World Championship, where he posted a 7–1–0 record with a 1.47 goals-against average and .933 save percentage.
Reader's Guide
Justus Annunen's career illustrates the path of a Finnish goaltender who developed through the Liiga system, set a national record for consecutive shutouts, and transitioned to the NHL. His 2019–20 season with Oulun Kärpät, where he led all Liiga goaltenders in save percentage (.929) and goals-against average (1.77), marked him as a top prospect.
Though he won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, his name was not engraved on the trophy because he did not dress for the finals. His trade to the Nashville Predators in November 2024 created a unique situation where both goaltenders shared the same nickname, resolved by distinguishing Annunen as "Big Juice." Internationally, Annunen's performance at the 2026 World Championship—where he backstopped Finland to a gold medal with a 7–1–0 record, 1.47 GAA, and .933 save percentage—cemented his reputation as a reliable goaltender on the world stage. His career continues with the Predators as a backup to Juuse Saros.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Gold 2018 IIHF World U18 Championships
- Gold 2026 IIHF World Championship
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Finland | U17 | 7th | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 176 | 9 | 0 | 3.05 | .904 |
| 2017 | Finland | IH18 | 6th | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 174 | 9 | 0 | 3.10 | .871 |
| 2018 | Finland | U18 | Gold | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 360 | 12 | 1 | 2.00 | .914 |
| 2020 | Finland | WJC | 4th | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 362 | 16 | 1 | 2.65 | .916 |
| 2026 | Finland | WC | Gold | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 490 | 12 | 1 | 1.47 | .934 |
| Junior totals | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 1,072 | 46 | 2 | 2.57 | .911 | |||
| Senior totals | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 490 | 12 | 1 | 1.47 | .934 | |||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Jr. A | ||
| Jorma Valtonen Award | 2018 | |
| First All-Star Team | 2018 | |
| Champion | 2019 | |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Justus Annunen (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Justus Annunen (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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