Miikka Kiprusoff facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Miikka Kiprusoff
Kiprusoff with the Calgary Flames in December 2007
Born	(1976-10-26) October 26, 1976 (age 48) Turku, Finland
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	TPS AIK San Jose Sharks Calgary Flames Timrå IK
National team	Finland
NHL Draft	116th overall, 1995 San Jose Sharks
Playing career	1994–2013
Medal record Representing  Finland Men's ice hockey Olympic Games Bronze 2010 Vancouver World Championship Silver 1999 Norway Silver 2001 Germany World Cup of Hockey Silver 2004 Toronto

Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff (born October 26, 1976), often called "Kipper", is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames from 2000 to 2013. The Sharks picked him in the fifth round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He also played professionally in Finland for TPS and in Sweden for AIK IF and Timrå IK.

Kiprusoff played for Finland many times. He won silver medals at the Ice Hockey World Championships in 1999 and 2001. He also helped Finland get a surprising second place at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. In 2010, he helped the Finnish national team win a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics.

Kiprusoff started his professional career with TPS in 1994. He was named the best goaltender and best player in the playoffs in 1999. That year, he led TPS to win the Finnish championship. He moved to North America in 1999. After two great seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL), he made his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks. He was mostly a backup goalie there. In the 2003–04 season, he was traded to the Calgary Flames. This trade gave him a chance to be a starting goalie. He set a modern NHL record for the lowest goals against average (GAA) at 1.69. He helped the Flames reach the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. In 2006, he won the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender in the NHL. He also won the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the league. He played in his first NHL All-Star Game in 2007. He holds the Flames' team records for most wins and shutouts.

Playing Career

Early Years in Europe

Kiprusoff started playing for his hometown team, TPS, in Finland. He played two seasons in their junior league from 1993 to 1995. The San Jose Sharks then drafted him in 1995. He made his professional debut in the 1994–95 season, winning three of four games for TPS.

After playing 12 games for TPS in 1995–96, he moved to AIK IF in Sweden. He played two seasons there as their main goalie. He returned to TPS for the 1998–99 season. That year, he was outstanding in the Finnish SM-liiga. He finished the season with a record of 26 wins, 6 losses, and 6 ties. His goals against average was 1.85. He led TPS to win the Finnish championship. Because of his great play, he won the Urpo Ylönen trophy as the best goaltender. He also won the Jari Kurri trophy as the best player in the playoffs.

Time with the San Jose Sharks (2000–2003)

Kiprusoff in net for the Kentucky Thoroughblades at the beginning of his career

In 1999, Kiprusoff moved to North America. He joined the Kentucky Thoroughblades, which was the Sharks' minor league team in the AHL. He had a 2.48 GAA, which was fourth best in the league. He was the starting goalie for team PlanetUSA at the 2000 AHL All-Star Game. He helped Kentucky win its first division title.

He started the 2000–01 season with Kentucky again. He had 19 wins, 9 losses, and 6 ties in 39 games. He also had two shutouts. He played in his second AHL All-Star Game. On March 5, 2001, he was called up to the San Jose Sharks. He got his first NHL win on March 29, 2001. It was a 7–4 victory over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He came into the game to replace the starting goalie. He made his first NHL start on April 8, also against Anaheim, and won again.

During the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Sharks' main goalie got sick. Kiprusoff started Game 4 against the St. Louis Blues. He made 39 saves in a 3–2 win. This made him the first Finnish-born goalie to win an NHL playoff game. He had a tough start to the 2001–02 season. He was sent to the Cleveland Barons for a short time to get more playing time. He won all four games he played in Cleveland. He finished the season with 7 wins, 6 losses, and 3 ties for the Sharks. He got his first NHL shutout on January 5, 2002, in a 6–0 win over the Florida Panthers.

For the 2002–03 season, the Sharks' main goalie did not have a contract at first. This gave Kiprusoff a chance to be the starter. But he struggled, losing his first three games. His season ended early because of a knee injury. The Sharks still offered him a new contract for the next year.

At the start of the 2003–04 season, Kiprusoff was competing for a backup spot. He became frustrated because he wasn't playing. On November 16, 2003, he was traded to the Calgary Flames. This happened after the Flames' starting goalie got injured.

Success with the Calgary Flames (2003–2013)

Kiprusoff in September 2005.

The trade to Calgary was a big success for the Flames. Kiprusoff made 22 saves in his first game with Calgary. It was a 2–1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on November 20. He won 12 of 17 games between November and December. In 11 of those games, he allowed one goal or less. He was named the defensive player of the month for December. However, he sprained his knee at the end of the month and missed four weeks.

Kiprusoff played very well when he returned. He helped the Flames reach the playoffs for the first time in eight years. A 1–0 win over the Phoenix Coyotes secured their playoff spot. The Calgary fans gave Kiprusoff a standing ovation. He finished the regular season with a modern NHL record-low GAA of 1.69. His amazing play continued in the playoffs. He won 15 games, with five shutouts. He led the Flames to within one win of the Stanley Cup championship. He was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given to the best goalie. He signed a new contract for the next season, which was a big pay raise.

The 2004–05 NHL lockout cancelled the season. Kiprusoff chose to play in Sweden for Timrå IK. When NHL play started again in 2005–06, he remained a top goalie for Calgary. He broke Mike Vernon's team record with his 40th win of the season. He was seen as the best goalie in the league. He finished the season with 42 wins, 20 losses, and 11 overtime losses. He also set a team record with 10 shutouts. He was named a first team all-star and won the Vezina Trophy. He also won the William M. Jennings Trophy for being on the team that allowed the fewest goals. He was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player.

Kiprusoff making a save against the San Jose Sharks in April 2007.

Kiprusoff had a slow start to the 2006–07 season. But he finished with 40 wins and played in his first All-Star Game. He recorded his 21st shutout as a Flame, breaking Dan Bouchard's team record. Kiprusoff was outstanding in the 2007 playoffs. He kept the Flames close to the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings. He helped them win Games 3 and 4 to tie the series. The Flames lost the series 4–2. Kiprusoff was nominated for the Vezina Trophy for the third time.

In 2007–08, the Flames hired a new coach. There was talk that Kiprusoff might leave Calgary. But he signed a six-year contract extension. He struggled at times that season. However, his play improved, and he finished third in the NHL with 39 wins.

For the 2008–09 season, Kiprusoff worked hard to get in better shape. He won his 200th career game on March 18, 2009. He led the league with 45 wins that season.

A new coach, Brent Sutter, promised Kiprusoff would play fewer games in 2009–10. Kiprusoff also hired a personal trainer. His hard work paid off early in the season. He lost only three of his first 17 games. He finished in the top ten in the league for wins, save percentage, and GAA.

Kiprusoff and the Flames struggled early in the 2010–11 season. Fans sometimes booed him. He admitted he was struggling and worked to improve. His play got better in February. He won his 250th game as a Flame on February 14. Six nights later, he became the first goalie in NHL history to get a shutout in an outdoor game. This was a 4–0 win over the Montreal Canadiens at the 2011 Heritage Classic. On March 4, he became the first goalie in 25 years to stop two penalty shots in one game.

On February 8, 2012, Kiprusoff became the 27th goalie to reach 300 career wins. He did this with a 4–3 win over his old team, the San Jose Sharks. A knee injury kept Kiprusoff out for a month in the 2012–13 season. But he won his 300th game as a Flame in his return. This was a 4–1 win over the Sharks on March 6, 2013.

At the 2013 NHL trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs tried to get Kiprusoff. But he chose not to allow the trade. Many thought he planned to retire. He officially announced his retirement on September 9, 2013. He ended his career as the Flames' team leader in wins (305), shutouts (41), and games played by a goalie (576).

The Flames retired Kiprusoff's number 34 jersey on March 2, 2024. He is the fourth Flames player to receive this honor.

International Play

Kiprusoff backstopped Finland to a bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics

Kiprusoff first played for the Finnish junior team in 1994. He played in the European Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He also played in the 1995 and 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

He first played for the senior team at the 1999 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. He had a 1.16 GAA in four games, but Finland lost the final in overtime. He joined the team again for the 2001 tournament, where they also lost the final in overtime.

Kiprusoff was asked to play for Finland at the 2002 Winter Olympics. But he said no because he wanted to focus on his professional career in North America. Kiprusoff was the starting goalie for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He got a shutout against the Czech Republic. He had four wins and one tie, including another shutout. He led the Finnish team to the championship game against Canada. Canada won 3–2, even though Kiprusoff made 30 saves.

Kiprusoff again declined an invitation to play at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He said he needed to rest a hip injury. Some people in Finland questioned this because he didn't miss any games with the Flames. His teammate Teemu Selänne wondered why Kiprusoff didn't want to play for the national team.

When asked to play for Finland at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Kiprusoff agreed. He said he would join if he felt healthy and was named the starting goalie. He was named the starter and allowed only four goals in his first four games. This led Finland to a semifinal game against the United States. The Americans scored four goals on only seven shots early in the game. Kiprusoff was replaced by another goalie. However, he returned for the bronze medal game. He led Finland to a 5–3 victory.

Personal Life

Kiprusoff's grandfather was of Russian descent. Miikka and his wife, Seidi, have two sons named Aaro and Oskar. They live in Helsinki, Finland. His older brother, Marko, was also a hockey player. He was a defenceman and played for TPS and briefly in the NHL. Kiprusoff supports the Rainbow Society of Alberta. This group helps grant wishes for children with serious health conditions. He used to donate $10 for each save he made in an NHL game.

Awards and Honours

See also

• List of Olympic medalist families