Kari Lehtonen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kari Lehtonen |
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Lehtonen with the Dallas Stars in October 2014
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| Born | November 16, 1983 Helsinki, Finland |
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| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Jokerit Atlanta Thrashers Dallas Stars |
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| National team |  Finland |
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| NHL Draft | 2nd overall, 2002 Atlanta Thrashers |
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| Playing career | 1999–2018 | ||
Kari Lehtonen (born November 16, 1983) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). His teams were the Atlanta Thrashers and the Dallas Stars. Kari was picked second overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Thrashers. This made him the highest-drafted European goalie ever. He also tied with other great players like Patrik Laine as the highest-drafted Finnish player in NHL history.
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Kari Lehtonen's Early Life
Kari Lehtonen was born on November 16, 1983, in Helsinki, Finland. His parents are Martti and Marja Lehtonen. He has a sister named Kirsi and an older brother named Kimmo. Kari's dad owns a tire shop, and his mom is a nurse. Kari became interested in hockey when he was five years old. He would go with his brother to team practices. He started playing as a goalie at age seven. A special goalie coach helped him learn the position.
Kari Lehtonen's Hockey Career
Starting Out in Hockey
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Kari Lehtonen was drafted second overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. This happened after he had an amazing 2001–02 season in the Finnish SM-liiga. He became the highest-drafted European goalie. Lehtonen was first the backup goalie for Jokerit. But he soon became the main goalie. He won the Urpo Ylönen trophy for the best goalie of the season. He also won the league's playoff MVP award, the Jari Kurri trophy. Lehtonen stayed with Jokerit for one more season. Then he moved to North America. He won the Urpo Ylönen trophy again in the 2002–03 season.
Playing for the Atlanta Thrashers
During the 2003–04 NHL season, Lehtonen mostly played for the Chicago Wolves. This team was linked to the Thrashers in the American Hockey League (AHL). But he was called up to play for the Thrashers a few times. He played four games and won all of them. He also had one shutout, which means he didn't let the other team score any goals. In those four games, he had a .953 save percentage and a 1.25 goals against average (GAA). He got his first NHL shutout on March 27, 2004, against the Florida Panthers. He made 30 saves in that game.
Lehtonen spent the 2004–05 NHL lockout season with the Wolves. He was getting used to playing hockey in North America. He was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team that season. He also helped the Wolves reach the 2005 Calder Cup finals. After playing 57 games for the Wolves, he won 38 of them. He had a .929 save percentage and a 2.27 GAA. The Thrashers then called him up. Lehtonen started the 2005–06 NHL season as Atlanta's main goalie. However, he had trouble staying healthy that season. On the first night of the 2005–06 season, Lehtonen got a serious groin injury. This happened when Florida Panthers player Nathan Horton crashed into him. The injury kept him from playing for the first half of the season. Lehtonen was hurt again on April 6, 2006. Tampa Bay Lightning player Chris Dingman collided with him. Lehtonen tried to stand up but sprained his ankle.
Early in the 2006–07 NHL season, Lehtonen broke a record for the Atlanta Thrashers. He had the longest shutout streak, which was 167 minutes and 56 seconds. This record was previously held by Michael Garnett. The streak ended when P.J. Axelsson of the Boston Bruins scored a goal. Kari also set new personal bests in many areas that season. AirTran Airways, an airline, signed Lehtonen to promote their company for the 2006–07 season. On February 8, 2007, Lehtonen became the Thrashers' leader in wins for a goalie with 49 wins. He passed Pasi Nurminen's record of 48. On April 12, 2007, Lehtonen was the starting goalie for the Thrashers in their first ever Stanley Cup playoff game. He played two games in the playoffs and lost both. He let in four goals in the first game and seven goals on 35 shots in the second.
After a difficult start to the 2007–08 NHL season, Lehtonen got another groin injury on October 18, 2007. He missed 16 games before coming back on December 5, 2007. He finished the season with a good save percentage of .916 and four shutouts. The Thrashers did not make it to the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs.
In 2009, Lehtonen signed a new one-year, $3 million deal with the Atlanta Thrashers. This was after he had a record of 19 wins, 22 losses, and 3 overtime losses. He also had three shutouts, a 3.06 goals-against average, and a .911 save percentage in 46 games during the 2008–09 NHL season.
Moving to the Dallas Stars
Lehtonen rejoined the Thrashers on February 7, 2010. He had been playing with the Chicago Wolves to get back into shape. However, on February 9, Lehtonen was traded to the Dallas Stars. In return, the Thrashers received Ivan Vishnevskiy and a fourth-round draft pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft (Ivan Telegin). He spent the rest of that season as the backup goalie to Marty Turco. He won six of the twelve games he played with the Stars.
Before the 2010–11 NHL season began, the Stars signed Lehtonen to a three-year contract worth $10.65 million. In his first full season in Dallas, Lehtonen had 34 wins, 24 losses, and 11 overtime losses in 69 games. His goals-against average was 2.55. He led the league in wins within his first twelve starts, with an 11–1–0 record. This made him a possible candidate for the Vezina Trophy, an award for the best goalie. Lehtonen got his 17th career shutout against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This helped the team get closer to a playoff spot. Lehtonen and the Stars just barely missed the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. They lost to the Minnesota Wild on the last day of the season. They finished only two points behind the Chicago Blackhawks for the last playoff spot. In the 2011–12 NHL season, Lehtonen had 32 wins, 22 losses, and 4 overtime losses. He also had 4 shutouts, a 2.33 goals against average, and a .922 save percentage.
On September 4, 2012, Lehtonen signed a five-year contract worth $29.5 million. This contract included a no-trade clause. Early in the 2012–13 NHL season, Lehtonen was seen as a possible Vezina Trophy candidate. He had a .934 save percentage, which was third best in the league at that time. His goals against average was 2.12. He had 7 wins, 2 losses, and 1 overtime loss that season. But he suffered a lower-body injury against the Vancouver Canucks on February 15, 2013. He returned to the team on February 27. However, he was injured again on April 9, against the Los Angeles Kings.
Lehtonen played the most minutes of any goalie in the NHL during the 2013–14 NHL season. He left a game against the Minnesota Wild in March 2014 after getting a head injury. He made the playoffs with the Stars for the first time in 2014. The team finished as the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference. They were defeated in six games by the top-seeded Anaheim Ducks. He earned his first career shutout in the playoffs in Game 1, making 37 saves.
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By the 2014–15 NHL season, Lehtonen's performance started to drop. During a game against the Florida Panthers on March 5, 2015, he let in three goals on eleven shots and was taken out of the game. However, he did get a 27-save shutout against the Los Angeles Kings in November 2014. He made an amazing glove save by diving across the net to stop Jarret Stoll's shot. He finished that season with 34 wins, 17 losses, and 10 overtime losses. His goals against average was 2.94 and his save percentage was .903. The next season, Lehtonen continued to have some struggles. Before the 2015–16 Dallas Stars season, the Stars got another Finnish goalie, Antti Niemi, from the San Jose Sharks. Niemi was brought in to compete with Lehtonen. They took turns playing regularly for the next two seasons. Kari finished that season with 25 wins, 10 losses, and 2 overtime losses. His goals against average was 2.76 and his save percentage was .906. In the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs, Lehtonen became the main goalie. He earned his second career shutout in the playoffs in Game 1 against the Minnesota Wild. The Stars went on to beat the Wild in a six-game series, winning Game 6 with a score of 5–4. This gave Lehtonen his first career playoff series win. However, in Game 7 of the second round, he was taken out of the game after giving up three goals in the first period. The Stars' season ended with a 6–1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, losing the series 4–3.
Lehtonen finished the 2016–17 NHL season with 22 wins, 25 losses, and 7 overtime losses. His goals against average was 2.85 and his save percentage was .902. Lehtonen and the Stars ended the Washington Capitals' home win streak at 15 games. He made 42 saves in that game. He earned his 30th career shutout in a 1–0 win against the San Jose Sharks. The Stars did not make the 2017 NHL playoffs.
After the 2016–17 NHL season, the Dallas Stars signed Ben Bishop as their new main goalie. Lehtonen became the team's backup goalie. He earned his 300th win on December 13, 2017, in a game against the New York Islanders. He made 32 saves to help his team win 5–2. Bishop and Lehtonen became a strong goalie team. By February 2018, they were fifth in goals against average in the NHL. In March 2018, Lehtonen became the team's starting goalie again. This happened after Bishop got a knee injury and couldn't play. Up until that point, Kari had 12 wins, 10 losses, and 3 overtime losses. His GAA was 2.46 and his save percentage was .913. However, with the NHL playoffs on the line, he had 5 wins, 9 losses, and 2 overtime losses. The team did not make the playoffs. Lehtonen finished the 2017–18 NHL season with 15 wins, 14 losses, and 3 overtime losses. His goals against average was 2.56 and his save percentage was .912. He played his last game with the Dallas Stars on April 7, 2018, against the Los Angeles Kings. He got a win and made 34 saves. He became a free agent in the summer of 2018. Lehtonen was not signed by any team before the 2018–19 NHL season started. Even though he never officially announced his retirement, he went one year without playing. He then decided to "close that door" on hockey.
Playing for Finland (International Play)
Lehtonen has played for Finland's youth and national teams many times. He won a gold medal with Finland at the 2000 IIHF World U18 Championships. He had 5 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie in that tournament. His goals-against average was 1.76 and his save percentage was .963. He also played in the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2001, as a backup to Ari Ahonen. In 2002, he led the team to a bronze medal. He was named the best goalie in that tournament. He represented Finland at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where they finished second. He played at the 2007 IIHF World Championship tournament, where the team won a silver medal. He was named the Top Goaltender of that tournament. He also played in the 2012 IIHF World Championship tournament, but he got injured during a game. He won a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. He played in two games, winning one in the first round and losing one in the semi-finals. He finished with 1 win and 1 loss. His goals-against average was 1.51 and his save percentage was .935.
Kari Lehtonen's Playing Style
Lehtonen was a tall goalie who used his size well. He covered a lot of the net and had very quick reflexes. He was calm and cool under pressure. He could guess what plays were coming and had excellent timing. Hockey scouts described him as a tall goalie with impressive quickness and great reflexes. Lehtonen's childhood hero was the famous Finnish goalie Jarmo Myllys. He also looked up to Patrick Roy, admiring his playing style.
Kari Lehtonen's Personal Life
On July 2, 2011, Kari married his longtime girlfriend Abbe Schutter. They had a private ceremony in Florida. Kari met Abbe when he was playing in Atlanta. Kari and Abbe had their first child, a son, in September 2012. They welcomed their second son in November 2017. Since 2018, Lehtonen has been coaching his son's youth hockey team.
He spent a few years as a guest instructor at a summer hockey program run by Jarmo Myllys. Before coming to the United States, he practiced his English. He got help from former New York Rangers goalie Jamie Ram. He also watched TV shows like The Simpsons and American Idol.
Lehtonen was in many commercials for PM Standley Motorcars. These were part of a video series called Cars with Kari.
Awards and Honours
 Lehtonen at the 2007 IIHF World Championship |
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| Medal record | ||
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| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Representing Finland |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 2014 Sochi | |
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 2007 Russia | |
| World Cup | ||
| Silver | 2004 World Cup of Hockey | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Silver | 2001 Russia | |
| Bronze | 2002 Czech Republic | |
| Bronze | 2003 Canada | |
| IIHF World U18 Championship | ||
| Gold | 2000 Switzerland | |
| Silver | 2001 Finland | |
- Urpo Ylönen trophy for best SM-liiga goaltender — 2002 and 2003
- Jari Kurri trophy for best player during the playoffs — 2002
- SM-liiga champion 2002
- 2004 World Cup of Hockey (runner-up)
- Silver Medal in the 2007 IIHF World Championship
- Best Goaltender in the 2007 IIHF World Championship
- Bronze Medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics
Records Kari Lehtonen Holds
- Atlanta Thrashers team leader for games played by a goalie (204).
- Atlanta Thrashers team leader for wins (94).
- Atlanta Thrashers team leader for shutouts (14).
- Atlanta Thrashers team leader for games played by a goalie in one season (68).
- Atlanta Thrashers team leader for saves in one season (1,892).
- Atlanta Thrashers team leader for shutouts in one season (4).
- Atlanta Thrashers team leader for starts in one season (66).
- Atlanta Thrashers team leader for minutes played in one season (3,934).
- Dallas Stars team leader for points in a season as a goalie (6).
- Dallas Stars team leader for most career points as a goalie (23).
- Dallas Stars team leader for assists as a goalie (28).
- Dallas Stars team leader for most saves as a goalie (11,455).
Kari Lehtonen's Goalie Masks
Kari Lehtonen was known for his cool goalie masks.
- When he played for the AHL's Chicago Wolves, his mask had the Hamburglar on it. He got this nickname because he loved McDonald's hamburgers after moving from Finland.
- He had a picture of rapper Lil Jon on his mask, who was a big Thrashers fan.
- In the past, Lehtonen wore helmets with characters like Yuna and Rikku from the video game Final Fantasy X-2. He also had Uma Thurman and Lucy Liu's characters from Kill Bill on his masks. Kari said, "I've never played it, but I saw a couple of commercials about the game and just thought it looked awesome."
- He also had a mask made with Optimus Prime from Transformers. He only wore this one in warm-ups, not in a game.
- He wore a mask that showed Heath Ledger's Joker character from The Dark Knight. It also had a cool ATL design on the other side.
- His first mask for the Dallas Stars showed Clint Eastwood's character from the movie The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
- His second mask for the Stars featured Chuck Norris.
- His old mask for Dallas Stars had characters and scenes from the movie Tombstone.
- For the 2013-14 NHL season, his mask was designed by his former teammate Joni Hallikainen. This mask had longhorns turning into two points of a star. It also had car tire marks because Lehtonen loves cars.
- For the 2014 Winter Olympics, his mask had the word "Suomi" (which means Finland) on both sides. It also had some snowflakes.
