Pekka Rinne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pekka Rinne
Rinne with the Nashville Predators in February 2010
Born	(1982-11-03) 3 November 1982 (age 42) Kempele, Finland
Height	198 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Weight	98 kg (216 lb; 15 st 6 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Oulun Kärpät Nashville Predators Dinamo Minsk
National team	Finland
NHL Draft	258th overall, 2004 Nashville Predators
Playing career	2002–2021
Medal record Representing  Finland Ice hockey World Championships Silver 2014 Belarus

Pekka Rinne (born November 3, 1982) is a Finnish former professional hockey goaltender. He was chosen by the Nashville Predators in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Rinne became the Predators' main goalie during the 2008–09 season. He quickly became known as one of the best goalies in the NHL.

Pekka Rinne won the Vezina Trophy in the 2017–18 season, which is given to the NHL's best goaltender. He was also a finalist for this award four times. In 2017, Rinne helped the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time ever. They lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Rinne holds the record for the most wins and shutouts for the Nashville Predators. He was also chosen for the NHL All-Star Game four times. He has the most NHL wins of any Finnish-born goaltender. Rinne is also one of only 15 NHL goalies to score a goal in a game!

In March 2023, the Predators honored Rinne by putting up a large bronze statue of him. The statue, which is almost 12 feet tall, stands in front of the Predators' Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. It celebrates his amazing career with the team and his impact on the city.

Pekka Rinne's Hockey Journey

Starting in Finland: Oulun Kärpät

Pekka Rinne began his professional hockey career in Finland. He played his first game in the top Finnish league, called SM-liiga, with Oulun Kärpät during the 2002–03 season. The next season, he played 14 games. He was mainly the backup goalie to Niklas Bäckström.

At the end of the 2003–04 season, Kärpät won the SM-liiga championship. Rinne played in two playoff games and didn't let any goals in! He also played eight games for the Kajaanin Hokki team in a lower league called Mestis.

In the 2004–05 season, Rinne played 10 games for Kärpät. He still couldn't become the main goalie because Niklas Bäckström was playing so well. After this season, the Nashville Predators, who had drafted Rinne, offered him a contract to play in North America. Rinne accepted the offer.

Joining the Nashville Predators

Early Years in Nashville (2005–2010)

Rinne with the Nashville Predators in December 2005. He played his first two NHL games during the 2005–06 season.

The Nashville Predators picked Pekka Rinne as the 258th player in the 2004 NHL Draft. He signed with the team on August 23, 2005. He started his North American career with the Milwaukee Admirals, which is the Predators' minor league team in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Rinne was supposed to be the backup goalie for the Admirals. But he soon became the main goalie because the other player wasn't performing well. In the summer of 2006, Rinne had an accident where he dislocated his shoulder. He needed surgery and missed the first four months of the season.

Rinne played two NHL games for Nashville during the 2005–06 season. He won one game and lost one.

After another goalie, Dan Ellis, played very well in the 2007–08 season, the Predators traded their main goalie, Chris Mason. Rinne was then called up to be Ellis's backup for the 2008–09 season.

Rinne with the Milwaukee Admirals in February 2008. He served as the Predators' back-up goaltender in the latter half of the 2007–08 season.

On December 1, 2008, Rinne achieved his first shutout in the NHL. A shutout means the goalie doesn't let any goals into the net during the entire game. He was only the second rookie goalie for the Predators to do this. In February 2009, Rinne had a fantastic month, winning 9 out of 12 games. He was named the NHL Rookie of the Month. On March 14, Rinne set a new Predators record with his seventh shutout of the season.

Rinne also played for the Finnish national team in the 2009 IIHF World Championship. He started the tournament with a shutout in his first game for Finland.

Becoming a Star Goalie (2010–2018)

In the first game of the 2010–11 season, Rinne got injured after colliding with an opposing player. He missed some games but returned later in December. After coming back, Rinne played some of the best hockey of his career.

At the end of the season, Rinne received many awards. He was one of three finalists for the Vezina Trophy, which is given to the NHL's best goalie. He also finished fourth in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is for the league's most valuable player. Rinne was named to the NHL's second All-Star team.

Rinne helped the Predators win their first ever Stanley Cup playoff series in 2011. They beat the Anaheim Ducks but then lost to the Vancouver Canucks in the second round.

On October 29, 2011, Rinne set a new Predators record for career shutouts with 22. On his 29th birthday, November 3, 2011, he signed a big seven-year contract with the Predators. That same night, Rinne had a 35-save shutout against the Phoenix Coyotes.

During the 2011–12 season, Rinne set another team record with 11 wins in a row. He led the NHL in wins, saves, and games played that year. On April 25, 2012, Rinne was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy again. He also helped the Predators win their first-round playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings. However, they lost in the second round to the Phoenix Coyotes.

In September 2012, Rinne played for a team in Belarus, HC Dinamo Minsk, during an NHL lockout. He returned to the Predators in January 2013 when the NHL season started again.

In May 2013, Rinne had hip surgery. The hip later became infected, which kept him off the ice for the rest of the year. He returned to play on March 5, 2014.

Rinne with Nashville in May 2011.

On March 14, 2015, Rinne became one of the fastest goalies to reach 30 wins in a season. He was also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy again in 2015, but he didn't win it that year.

On March 16, 2017, Rinne played his 500th NHL game. In the first two games of the 2017 playoffs, Rinne recorded two shutouts. On May 22, Rinne led the Predators to their first ever Stanley Cup Finals by beating the Anaheim Ducks. The Predators eventually lost the Finals to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On November 24, 2017, Rinne recorded his 45th career shutout. This made him the all-time leader among Finnish-born goalies in the NHL. On February 22, 2018, Rinne earned his 300th career NHL win. He was the 34th goalie in NHL history to reach this milestone. On April 17, Rinne was named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy again, and this time, he won it on June 20!

Final Seasons (2018–2021)

On November 3, 2018, Rinne signed a new two-year contract with Nashville. On that same night, he had a 26-save shutout against the Boston Bruins.

On January 9, 2020, Rinne did something very rare: he scored a goal! He shot the puck into an empty net from behind his own goal line against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was only the 12th goalie in NHL history to score a goal.

On May 10, 2021, in the last game of the 2020–21 season, Rinne had a 30-save shutout. This was his 369th career win, tying him for 19th all-time. It was also his 60th career shutout, also placing him 19th all-time.

On July 13, 2021, Pekka Rinne announced he was retiring from professional hockey. The Predators also announced that his jersey number, 35, would be retired on February 24, 2022. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again, a huge honor!

Playing for Finland

Rinne with the Finnish national hockey team during the 2015 IIHF World Championship

In May 2014, Rinne was named to the All-Star team and chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the 2014 IIHF World Championship. His team, Finland, won the silver medal.

Rinne also played in the 2015 IIHF World Championship the next year. He was named the tournament's best goaltender. He even set a new record for the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for playing the most minutes without letting in a single goal!

In March 2016, Rinne was chosen to play for Finland in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Coaching and Scouting

After retiring as a player, Pekka Rinne started a new chapter in his hockey career. In the 2022–2023 season, he was the goalie coach for the Finnish under-20 national ice hockey team. In June 2023, the Nashville Predators hired Rinne again. He now works as a European scout and a goalie development coach for the team.

Pekka Rinne's Playing Style

Rinne used a popular goaltending style called the "butterfly style." This means he would drop to his knees early to block low shots with his leg pads. At 6 feet 5 inches tall, Rinne was one of the tallest goalies in the league. This gave him a huge reach with his stick and leg pads. Even though he was tall, he had great footwork and a strong glove hand.

Pekka Rinne's Personal Life

Rinne in 2008

Pekka Rinne's parents are Jukka and Helena Rinne. He has two sisters, Anna and Päivi. When he was a child, Rinne looked up to the famous goalie John Vanbiesbrouck.

Rinne was engaged to Kirsi Lehtosaari, a singer from The Voice of Finland, in April 2013. They later called off their engagement around July 2015.

Pekka Rinne has one son, Paulus, with his fiancée, Erika.

Career Highlights and Awards

Pekka Rinne won many awards and achieved great things throughout his career.

NHL Awards

International Awards

Award	Year(s) awarded
Oddset Hockey Games Winner	2014
World Championship All-Star Team	2014
World Championship Most Valuable Player	2014
World Championship Best Goaltender	2015
Finnish Player of the Year	2017
IIHF All-Time Finland Team	2020

SM-Liiga (Finnish League) Awards

Award	Year(s) awarded
Runners-up	2003
Kanada-malja (Finnish Ice Hockey Championship)	2004, 2005