Livescore
The NHL announced the Calgary Flames Quarter-Century team on Jan. 11, featuring several memorable names in franchise history.
Today, we want to examine Miikka Kiprusoff’s tenure with the club and his credentials for the Flames’ first team.
Initially drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the fifth round (116th overall) at the 1995 Draft, Kiprusoff played only 47 games with the organization between 2000-01 and 2002-03 before the Flames acquired him in a trade on Nov. 16, 2003, for a second-round draft pick.
Interestingly, the Sharks used that pick to select Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who is still playing with the organization and is now in his 19th season.
Meanwhile, Kiprusoff became the last goalie to lead Calgary to the Stanley Cup Final and win the Vezina Trophy en route to becoming the greatest statistical goalie in franchise history.
Upon his arrival, Kiprusoff played only 38 games in 2003-04, as the 27-year-old shared the crease with Jamie McLennan, Roman Turek, and Dany Sabourin.
However, he took over in the playoffs, skating in 26 games, producing a 15-11 record with five shutouts, a .928 SV%, and 1.85 GAA, carrying the Flames to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
After that heartbreaking loss, Kiprusoff would play at least 70 games a season for the next seven years, winning at least 35 games and setting a franchise record of 45 victories in 2008-09.
As of 2024, Kiprusoff remains the only goalie in Calgary history to win at least 40 games. He achieved the feat on three occasions, including 2008-09, when he became the first to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie.
Kiprusoff spent nine seasons with the Flames. Considering that he would go on to become the top goalie in so many statistical categories, here’s a breakdown of his numbers:
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Games Played: 576 (1st)
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Wins: 305 (1st)
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Losses: 192 (1st)
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OT Losses: 64 (1st)
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Shots Faced: 10,018 (1st)
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Saves: 14,631 (1st)
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Goals Against: 1,387 (2nd)
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Save Percentage: .913 SV% (1st min. 100 games)
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Goals Against Average: 2.46 (1st min. 100 games)
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Shutouts: 42 (1st)
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Assists: 10 (5th)
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Penalty Minutes: 43 (4th)
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Awards: William M. Jennings Trophy (2006), Vezina Trophy (2009)
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All-Star Games: 2007
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Honors: NHL All-Star – 1st Team (2006)
Kiprusoff played only 24 games for the Flames during the shortened 2012-13 season, sharing the duties with Leland Irving, Joey MacDonald, and Daniel Taylor. After turning down a chance to represent Finland at the 2014 Olympics, Kiprusoff announced his retirement on Sept. 9, 2013.
Over a decade later, on Mar. 2, 2024, Calgary retired Kiprusoff’s No. 34, becoming the only goalie after Hockey Hall of Famer Mike Vernon to receive the honor.
Related: Flames Quarter-Century First Team: Robyn Regehr
Related: Flames Quarter-Century First Team: Mark Giordano
Related: Flames Quarter-Century First Team: Matthew Tkachuk
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