Miikka Kiprusoff

Miikka Kiprusoff

Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff (; born October 26, 1976) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the fifth round, 116th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He has also played for TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga as well as AIK and Timrå IK of the Swedish Elitserien. He has represented Finland several times on the international stage, earning silver medals at the World Ice Hockey Championships in 1999 and 2001, as well as leading the Finns to a surprise second place finish at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He also helped the Finnish national hockey team win the bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Kiprusoff began his professional career with TPS in 1994, and was named the best goaltender and best player of the playoffs in 1999 as he led them to the SM-liiga championship. He moved to North America in 1999, and after two all-star seasons in the American Hockey League, made his NHL debut with the Sharks where he served primarily as a backup. A trade to Calgary in 2003–04 brought Kiprusoff into a starting role and he set a modern NHL record for lowest goals against average at 1.69 as he helped the Flames reach the 2004 Stanley Cup Final. He won the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender in the NHL in 2006 along with the William M. Jennings Trophy for giving up the fewest goals in the league. He played in his first NHL All-Star Game in 2007 and is the Flames franchise record holder in shutouts.