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 Men's ice hockey World Championships Silver 2014 Belarus

Pekka Rinne (born November 3, 1982) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender. A goaltender is the player who tries to stop the puck from going into the net. The Nashville Predators picked him in the 2004 NHL draft. Rinne became their main goalie during the 2008–09 season. He quickly became known as one of the best goalies in the NHL.

In the 2017–18 season, he won the Vezina Trophy. This award goes to the NHL's best goaltender. He was a finalist for this award four times. Rinne helped the Predators reach their first Stanley Cup Finals in 2017. They lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Pekka Rinne holds the record for most wins and shutouts for the Nashville Predators. A shutout means the goalie didn't let any goals in during a game. 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 one of only 17 NHL goalies to ever score a goal in a game!

In March 2023, the Predators honored Rinne with a large bronze statue. It stands in front of their arena in Nashville. The statue shows him in his goalie gear, holding his stick. It celebrates his amazing career with the team and his impact on the city.

Pekka Rinne's Hockey Journey

Starting in Finland

Pekka Rinne began his professional career in Finland. He played his first game in the top Finnish league, called SM-liiga, during the 2002–03 season. In the next season, 2003–04, he played 14 games. He was mostly the backup goalie for Niklas Bäckström.

At the end of that season, his team, Oulun Kärpät, won the SM-liiga championship. Rinne played two playoff games and didn't let in any goals. He also played eight games for another team, Kajaanin Hokki, as a loan player. In the 2004–05 season, Rinne played 10 games for Kärpät. He still wasn't the main goalie because Niklas Bäckström was so good. After this season, the Nashville Predators offered him a contract, and he accepted.

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 Rinne as the 258th player in the 2004 NHL draft. He signed with them on August 23, 2005. He started his North American career with the Milwaukee Admirals. This team was the Predators' minor league affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). Rinne was supposed to be the backup goalie there. But he soon became the starter because the other goalie wasn't playing well.

In the summer of 2006, Rinne had an accident. He dislocated his shoulder and needed surgery. This meant he missed the first four months of the season. Rinne played two NHL games for Nashville in the 2005–06 season. He won one game and lost one.

After the 2007–08 season, the Predators traded their starting goalie, Chris Mason. Rinne was then called up to be the backup goalie 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 2007–08 season.

On December 1, 2008, Rinne achieved his first NHL shutout. He was only the second Predators rookie goalie to do so. In February 2009, Rinne had a fantastic month. He won 9 out of 12 games. He was named the NHL Rookie of the Month. On March 14, Rinne set a Predators team record with his seventh shutout of the season. He also played for Finland in the 2009 IIHF World Championship. He started that tournament with a shutout too.

Becoming a Star Goalie (2010–2018)

At the start of the 2010–11 season, Rinne got injured. He returned in December and played some of his best hockey. He was named one of the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy. This award goes 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 helped the Predators win their first ever Stanley Cup playoff series in 2011. They beat the Anaheim Ducks.

On October 29, 2011, Rinne set a new Predators record with his 22nd career shutout. On his 29th birthday, November 3, 2011, he signed a big seven-year contract. This was the largest contract in Predators history at the time. That same night, he had a 35-save shutout against the Phoenix Coyotes. In 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. For the second year in a row, he was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. He also helped the Predators win their first-round playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings.

On September 25, 2012, Rinne joined a team in Belarus, Dinamo Minsk, because of an NHL lockout. He returned to the Predators in January 2013 when the lockout ended.

In May 2013, Rinne had hip surgery. The hip later got infected in October 2013. This 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. On March 16, 2017, Rinne played his 500th NHL game. In the 2017 playoffs, he had two shutouts in the first two games. On May 22, Rinne led the Predators to the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals by beating the Anaheim Ducks. However, the Predators lost the Stanley Cup 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 goaltenders in the NHL. On February 22, 2018, Rinne got his 300th career NHL win. He was the 34th goalie in NHL history to reach this milestone. On April 17, Rinne was named a Vezina Trophy finalist again, and he won the award on June 20, 2018!

Final Seasons and Retirement (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 made history. He became the 12th goalie in NHL history to score a goal! He shot the puck into an empty net from behind his own goal line. This happened against the Chicago Blackhawks with less than 22 seconds left in the game.

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, putting him 19th all-time on that list too.

On July 13, 2021, Pekka Rinne announced he was retiring from professional hockey. The Predators also announced that his number 35 jersey would be retired on February 24, 2022. He was the first player in team history to receive this honor.

Playing for His Youth Team (2025)

After almost four years away from the sport, Rinne signed a one-game contract with Kiekko-Ketut. This was his youth team in Finland's III-divisioona league. Rinne played on February 15, 2025. This was his first hockey game at any level since retiring from the NHL. Before the game, Kiekko-Ketut retired his number 35 jersey. Rinne stopped 44 out of 46 shots in a 7–2 victory.

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 at the 2014 IIHF World Championship. He was also chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Finland won the silver medal that year. Rinne also played in the 2015 IIHF World Championship the next year. He was named the tournament's best goaltender. He set a new record for minutes played without letting in a goal in an International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) tournament.

In March 2016, Rinne was chosen for Finland's team for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Coaching and Scouting

In the 2022–23 season, Rinne worked as the goaltender coach for the Finnish under-20 national team. In June 2023, the Nashville Predators hired Rinne. He now works as a European scout and a goaltender 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 Life Off the Ice

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 another famous goalie, John Vanbiesbrouck.

Rinne was engaged to Kirsi Lehtosaari in April 2013. She was a contestant on a TV show called The Voice of Finland. They later ended their engagement around July 2015. Rinne has one son, Paulus, with his fiancée, Erika.

Awards and Honors

NHL Awards

International Awards

SM-Liiga Awards