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) is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. People often called him "Kipper". He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames. His career in the NHL lasted 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 to second place in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. In 2010, he helped the Finnish team win a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics.

Miikka Kiprusoff started his professional career with TPS in 1994. In 1999, he was named the best goaltender and best player in the playoffs. He led TPS to win the Finnish championship that year. He moved to North America in 1999. After playing well in the American Hockey League (AHL), he joined the San Jose Sharks. There, he was mostly a backup goalie.

In 2003, he was traded to the Calgary Flames. This trade gave him a chance to be a starting goalie. In the 2003–04 season, he set an 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 goalie in the NHL. He also won the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals. He played in his first NHL All-Star Game in 2007. He holds the Flames' records for most wins and shutouts.

Playing Career

Early Years in Europe

Miikka 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 chose him in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He played his first professional game in 1994–95. He won three out of four games for TPS that season.

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. Then, he went back to TPS in 1998–99. He had a great season in the Finnish league (SM-liiga). He finished 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 awards for best goaltender and 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. He had a 2.48 GAA, which was fourth best in the league. He was the starting goalie for the 2000 AHL All-Star Game. He helped Kentucky win its first division title.

He started the 2000–01 season with Kentucky. He had 19 wins, 9 losses, and 6 ties in 39 games. He was called up to the San Jose Sharks on March 5, 2001. He got his first NHL win on March 29. It was a 7–4 victory against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He made his first NHL start on April 8, also against Anaheim, and won again.

During the 2001 playoffs, Kiprusoff had to play in Game 4. The Sharks' main goalie was sick. In only his second NHL start, Kiprusoff made 39 saves to win 3–2. He became the first Finnish goalie to win an NHL playoff game. He had a tough start to the 2001–02 season. He was sent to the minor leagues for a short time. 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.

For the 2002–03 season, Kiprusoff had a chance to be the main goalie. But he struggled, losing his first three games. This made the Sharks sign their old goalie again. Kiprusoff continued to struggle as a backup. He won only 5 of 22 games before a knee injury ended his season.

He started the 2003–04 season as the third-string goalie. He was not playing any games and became frustrated. On November 16, 2003, he was traded to the Calgary Flames. This happened because the Flames' starting goalie was injured.

Years with the Calgary Flames (2003–2013)

Kiprusoff in September 2005.

The trade was great for the Flames right away. Kiprusoff made 22 saves in his first game with Calgary, winning 2–1. 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 League's defensive player of the month for December. But he hurt 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 clinched a playoff spot for the Flames. Fans in Calgary gave Kiprusoff a standing ovation. He finished the regular season with a modern NHL record for the lowest GAA at 1.69.

His amazing play continued in the playoffs. He won 15 games and had 5 shutouts. He led the Flames almost to a Stanley Cup championship. He was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, given to the best goalie. He signed a new contract for $2.95 million, which was almost four times his old salary.

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

The 2004–05 NHL season was canceled. Kiprusoff chose to play in Sweden for Timrå IK. He played 41 games and had a 2.14 GAA. When the NHL started again in 2005–06, he was still a top goalie for Calgary. He broke a team record with his 40th win of the season. He was considered one of the best goalies in the league. He finished the season with 42 wins and a team-record 10 shutouts. He won the Vezina Trophy and the William M. Jennings Trophy. He was also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy, for the most valuable player.

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 set a new Flames record with his 21st shutout for the team. In the 2007 playoffs, he played incredibly well. He kept the Flames in games against the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings. He helped them win two games to tie the series. But the Flames lost the series 4–2. Kiprusoff was nominated for the Vezina Trophy again.

The Flames hired a new coach, Mike Keenan, in 2007–08. Some people thought Kiprusoff might leave Calgary. But he signed a six-year contract worth $35 million. He had some struggles that season, but his play got better. He finished third in the NHL with 39 wins.

For the 2008–09 season, Kiprusoff worked hard to get in better shape. But he still struggled at times. People wondered if playing so many games was making him tired. 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 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 wanted to play better. In February, he won his 250th game as a Flame. A few nights later, he became the first goalie in NHL history to get a shutout in an outdoor game. This was at the 2011 Heritage Classic. In March, he became the first goalie in 25 years to stop two penalty shots in one game.

On February 8, 2012, Kiprusoff got his 300th career win. He reached this milestone against his old team, the San Jose Sharks. A knee injury kept him out for a month in the 2012–13 season. But he won his 300th game as a Flame in his return.

In 2013, the Toronto Maple Leafs tried to get Kiprusoff. But he decided not to join them. Many thought he wanted to retire. In June, news came out that he told the Finnish national team he was ending his career. The Flames officially announced his retirement on September 9, 2013. He finished his career as the Flames' leader in wins (305), shutouts (41), and games played by a goalie (576).

The Flames retired Kiprusoff's jersey number 34 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 three games at the European Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He also played in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in 1995 and 1996.

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 in the final. He played again in the 2001 tournament, and Finland lost in the final again.

Kiprusoff was asked to play for Finland at the 2002 Winter Olympics. But he said no because he wanted to focus on his NHL career. He was the starting goalie for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He had a shutout against the Czech Republic. He led the Finnish team to the championship game against Canada. Even though he made 30 saves, Canada won 3–2.

Kiprusoff again said no to playing at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He said he needed to rest a hip injury. This caused some talk in Finland, because he didn't miss any games with the Flames. When asked to play at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Kiprusoff agreed. He said he would join if he was healthy and was the starting goalie. He was named the starter. He allowed only four goals in his first four games. This led Finland to the semifinal game against the United States. The Americans scored four quick goals against him, and he was replaced. But he returned for the bronze medal game and led Finland to a 5–3 victory.

Personal Life

Miikka Kiprusoff's grandfather was from Russia. Miikka and his wife, Seidi, have two sons, Aaro and Oskar. They live in Helsinki, Finland. His older brother, Marko, was also a hockey player. Marko played as a defenceman and also played in the NHL.

Kiprusoff is a spokesperson for the Rainbow Society of Alberta. This group helps grant wishes for children with serious health conditions. He used to donate $10 for every save he made in an NHL game. In 2009–10, this added up to $18,720.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

All-Star Games

Awards and Honours

See also

• List of Olympic medalist families