| Born: | October 26, 1976 | Draft: | 1995 Sharks #116 Overall |
| Hometown: | Turku, Finland | Position: | Goaltender |
| Known For: | Nicknamed “Kipper” | Catches: | Left |
| National Team: | Finland |
Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈmiːkːɑ ˈsɑkɑri ˈkiprusofː]; born October 26, 1976), nicknamed Kipper, is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks during his National Hockey League (NHL) career. He was selected in the fifth round, 116th overall, by the Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, and has also played professionally for TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga, as well as for both AIK IF and Timrå IK of the Swedish Elitserien.
Kiprusoff represented Finland several times on the international stage, earning silver medals at the Ice Hockey World 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 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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 then moved to North America in 1999, and after two All-Star seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL), made his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks, where he served primarily as the team’s backup.
A trade to the Calgary Flames in 2003–04 brought Kiprusoff into a starting role, and he set a modern NHL record for lowest goals against average (GAA) 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 both wins and shutouts.
Miikka Kiprusoff Statistics
Deeper Dive
- The Calgary Flames Should Honour Miikka Kiprusoff Already
- One for the Ages: Miikka Kiprusoff’s 2005-06 Season
- Flames Suffered Through 13 Goalies Between Kiprusoff and Markstrom
- 3 Best Calgary Flames to Never Win a Stanley Cup
- Calgary Flames Best Goalies
Achievements
- Holds the Flames‘ franchise record in wins (305) and shutouts (41)
- Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame (Jääkiekkoleijona) (2016)
- Olympic Bronze Medal (2010)
- NHL All-Star Game (2007)
- Vezina Trophy (2006)
- NHL First All-Star Team (2006)
- William M. Jennings Trophy (2006)
- World Cup Runner Up (2005)
- Finnish Player of the Year (2004)
- 2x AHL All-Star Game (2000, 2001)
- 2x World Championship Silver Medalist (1999, 2001)
- SM-liiga All-Star Team (1999)
- SM-liiga Best Goaltender (Urpo Ylönen Award) (1999)
- SM-liiga Best Player in Playoffs (Jari Kurri Award) (1999)
- 2x SM-liiga Champion (1995, 1999)
- SM-liiga Silver Medal (1996)
- U18 EJC Second All-Star Team (1994)
- U20 SM-liiga Silver Medal (1994)