Well, it is finally happening. The long-overdue day is coming on Saturday, March 2, when Miikka Kiprusoff‘s jersey will finally be raised to the rafters to join his teammate, Jarome Iginla. Kiprusoff is a legend not only in Calgary Flames history, but also in NHL history. He left a mark on the franchise and the city, and it’s time he finally gets his flowers. With Kiprusoff finally back in Calgary, let’s take a look back at his career, along with some of his greatest moments.
Traded from San Jose to Calgary
Kiprusoff started his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks as a backup goaltender from 2000 to 2003, with a couple stops in the American Hockey League along the way. He was playing behind Evgeni Nabokov and ultimately lost his backup role to Vesa Toskala.
Then, on November 16, 2003, the Flames traded a second-round pick—which ended up becoming Marc-Edouard Vlasic—for Kiprusoff. After he touched down in Calgary, he played 38 games for the Flames that season, putting up a very impressive 24 wins, 1.70 GAA, and 0.933 save percentage. Not bad at all for a third-string goaltender.
That same season—as Flames fans know all too well—the Flames went on a magical run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Much of that run is due to Kiprusoff’s incredible play, where he put up a 1.85 GAA, a 0.928 save %, and five shutouts. Kiprusoff went from a third-string goalie in San Jose to putting up incredible numbers as a starting goalie for a team in the NHL finals. There is no doubt that it was in, but it still leaves a sour taste in many Flames fans’ mouths, knowing that Kipper was just one win away from adding a Stanley Cup to his resume.
After the trade, Kiprusoff was the clear starting goalie for the Flames. He was relied on very heavily by the team, as he played 70 games or more in every season from 2005–06 to 2011–12. Despite the incredibly heavy workload during those seven years, Kiprusoff was able to record 273 wins and an average save % of 0.913.
He ended his career as a winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy and Vezina Trophy in 2006. He is the franchise leader in games played by a goaltender (576), goals against average (2.46), wins (305), and shutouts (41). He is, without a doubt, the best Flames goaltender of all time.
Some of Kipper’s best moments
Kipper Kid
Who can forget about this moment? During a game in 2011, the Kipper kid was born. He stood behind Kiprusoff’s net and mimicked every move that Kiprusoff made. And I mean every single move. He had a painted-on beard, was dressed in full goalie gear, sipped water only when Kipper did, and had the same pads and mask as Kiprusoff.
“The Scorpion” save
One of the best saves in Kiprusoff’s career was labelled “The Scorpion.” This save happened 12 years ago, and I still have no clue how he managed to make the save that he did. He had eyes in the back of his head. The NHL scriptwriters did wonderful work with this one, as Kiprusoff made the save against the team that had him as their third goaltending option and ultimately traded him.
Spectacular heel save
Another spectacular save from Kiprusoff against his former team where he shows he has eyes on the back of his head. The puck seems to be headed to a wide-open net, but a sprawling Kiprusoff kicks the puck away mid-air with the back of his heel.
Kipper vs Vokoun
In 2004, the Flames were playing the Nashville Predators, and the game became very chippy and heated near the end. The Flames were about to lose 2–1, and once the final horn blew, a line brawl started. All of a sudden, the fans were treated to a goalie fight where Kiprusoff and Tomas Vokoun squared off at centre ice.
Kipper’s incredible stick save
Kiprusoff made his fair share of desperation saves during his time with the Flames. We saw how good he was at making saves with his heel, but what about with his stick? With this save on Kyle Wellwood, Kiprusoff was outside of the crease—past the post—yet still managed to dive over to the other side of the net to stop Wellwood from scoring on a wide-open net.
The Saddledome says farewell to Kipper
In what ended up being Kiprusoff’s last game in the Saddledome, Flames fans made sure to give him the send-off that he deserved. All fans were on their feet, giving continuous applause and chanting “Kipper.” It was a special moment, and fans will be able to create another one of these special moments for Kiprusoff come March 2.
Kipper’s number 34 heads to the rafters
Officially, after March 2, no Flames player will be able to wear the number 34 on the back of their jersey. He is the reason why so many kids fell in love with hockey and will forever be a big part of the history of the Calgary Flames. Kiprusoff was—and still is—a legend in Calgary, and it will be a special moment to celebrate the best goalie in Calgary Flames history.
What moments in Kipper’s career did we miss? Let us know!
