CALGARY — Miikka Kiprusoff was never one to chase the spotlight during his tenure with the Calgary Flames, even going so far as to sneak out of the Saddledome with the help of equipment manager Mark DePasquale to get out of speaking to the media after games.
When Kiprusoff met the media on Friday afternoon, one day ahead of his jersey retirement ceremony, he admitted it felt “weird” having an entire weekend of festivities dedicated to him. He was anxious about speaking in front of crowds, particularly in front of a Saddledome crowd ready to celebrate his legacy, and didn’t want to let the emotions get the best of him.
“I’ll try not to cry,” Kiprusoff said on Friday following a celebratory luncheon with fans and former teammates. “But we’ll see.”
Kiprusoff did his best to not let tears flow, but he admitted he was nervous on Saturday night as his No. 34 rose to the Saddledome rafters. And he hoped nobody noticed. The Flames franchise and fanbase will forgive him, considering what he meant to the team throughout his nine seasons with the Flames. Kiprusoff is now the fourth player in team history to have his jersey number retired, joining Lanny McDonald, Jarome Iginla and fellow goaltender Mike Vernon.
To rafters, where it belongs. pic.twitter.com/JUblJXRvQM
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 3, 2024
“This is such a huge honour and it’s not lost on me how unique and special this is,” Kiprusoff said.
A handful of Flames legends, former teammates, coaches and staff were on hand to celebrate Kiprusoff, including former teammate and current GM Craig Conroy, former head coach Darryl Sutter, and franchise talisman Iginla whose No. 12 jersey was retired five years ago to the day Saturday. Former backup goaltender Jamie McLennan read a speech commemorating Kiprusoff, telling stories and inciting laughs from the crowd. A video tribute was also played, showing off Kiprusoff’s highlights while being narrated by longtime Flames radio voice Pete Maher.
Finally, while being joined by his family, Kiprusoff watched his No. 34 raised to the Saddledome ceiling. He admitted he tried not to think too much as his number was being immortalized.
“My head was empty,” Kiprusoff said after the ceremony. “I was just enjoying the moment, watching it, listening to the fans.”
Earlier in the day on social media, Kiprusoff received tributes from Finnish hockey stars, present-day and from yesteryear, ahead of his special day. Kiprusoff is now the second Finnish goalie to have his number retired behind Nashville Predators goaltending legend Pekka Rinne.
“It means a lot,” Kiprusoff said. “For me, it’s the biggest honour you can get as a player. I’m so thankful for that.”
Following the ceremony, the Calgary Flames took the ice for pregame warmup ahead of their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Flames players donned jerseys with No. 34 and “Kiprusoff” on the back in honour of their goaltender.
Kiprusoff is the franchise leader in games played (576), wins (305), save percentage (.913), goals-against average (2.46) and shutouts (41) by a goaltender. Kiprusoff won the Vezina and Jennings trophies and was nominated for the Hart Trophy following the 2005-06 season. He played through seven consecutive seasons with over 70 games played or more. He made highlight-reel saves that saw him flash the leather of his glove, make desperate stick swipes or even scorpion kick stops. They were all part of his lore, staking his claim as one of the best goaltenders of the 2000s.
The Finnish star was a relative unknown to Flames fans when he was acquired from the San Jose Sharks on Nov. 16, 2003, in exchange for a second-round draft choice. Kiprusoff played behind Sharks goaltenders Evgeni Nabokov and Vesa Toskala. Kiprusoff knew there wouldn’t be much playing time to come behind both goaltenders and he welcomed a change of scenery. When he made his debut for Calgary on Nov. 20, 2003, donning a mostly plain white mask, he made his presence known to Flames fans with 22 saves in a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. It was the first win of many during his time in Flames colours.
Kiprusoff would then play 38 games for the Flames during the 2003-04 season, posting a 24-10-4 record with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage en route to help the Flames make the playoffs. The Finnish star then played an instrumental role in the Flames’ 2004 playoff run that left them one win shy of the Stanley Cup against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Required reading
(Top photo of Miikka Kiprusoff: Derek Leung / Getty Images)
