Miikka Kiprusoff

Lore & Background

Kiprusoff began his professional career with TPS in Finland in 1994, leading them to the SM-liiga championship in 1999 and earning the Urpo Ylönen trophy as best goaltender and the Jari Kurri trophy as best player of the playoffs. He moved to North America in 1999, played two All-Star seasons in the AHL, and made his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks in 2001, serving primarily as a backup. After a trade to the Calgary Flames in November 2003, he became the starter and set a modern NHL record-low goals against average of 1.69, helping the Flames reach the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. He won the Vezina and Jennings trophies in 2006, was named a first team all-star, and played in his first NHL All-Star Game in 2007. He holds the Flames franchise records for wins and shutouts.

Reader's Guide

Kiprusoff's significance lies in his transformative impact on the Calgary Flames after being acquired for a second-round draft pick in 2003. He immediately stabilized the team's goaltending, leading them to the playoffs for the first time in eight years and within one win of the Stanley Cup in 2004. His modern NHL record 1.69 goals against average that season remains a benchmark. In 2006, he won both the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender and the William M. Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed, while also being a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy as most valuable player. He was a three-time Vezina finalist and set franchise records for wins and shutouts. His career included over 300 wins after turning 27, and he represented Finland internationally, earning silver medals at the 1999 and 2001 World Championships, a surprise silver at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and a bronze at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Did You Know?

• He won the Vezina Trophy and the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2006.
• He is the Calgary Flames franchise record holder in both wins and shutouts.
• He became the first Finnish-born goaltender to win an NHL playoff game, in 2001.