Antti Niemi (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
Antti Niemi (ˈɑntːi ˈniemi; born August 29, 1983) is a Finnish
professional ice hockey
goaltender
who is currently playing with the San Jose Sharks
of the National Hockey League
. During the 2009–10 NHL season
as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks
, he became the first Finnish goaltender to win the Stanley Cup
.
hockey for Kiekko-Vantaa from 1998 until 2005, where he also worked part-time as a Zamboni
driver. He turned pro with the Pelicans
of the Finnish SM-liiga
in 2005. Niemi played three seasons with the Pelicans, until he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks
of the National Hockey League
as an undrafted free agent
in 2008. Assigned to Chicago's minor league affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs
, Niemi spent the majority of the 2008–09 season
in the American Hockey League
(AHL). In February 2009, he was called up to the Blackhawks as an injury replacement. He made his NHL debut on February 27, playing one period in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins
. Niemi recorded his first NHL start and win several days later on March 1, a 4–2 victory versus the Los Angeles Kings
.
The following season, Niemi made the Blackhawks lineup out of training camp. Niemi started the second game of a back-to-back season opener against the Florida Panthers
in Helsinki
. He stopped all 23 shots he faced against the Panthers earning his first NHL shutout in his native Finland on October 3, 2009. After a very respectable record of 26-7-4 during the regular season, Niemi was made the Blackhawks starting goaltender for the playoffs near the end of the 2009–10
NHL regular season and prior to the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs
, replacing Cristobal Huet
. During Game 2, Niemi recorded a shutout victory against the Nashville Predators
at United Center
, making him the first Blackhawks goaltender since Ed Belfour
in 1996
to record a postseason shutout. On April 22, 2010, Niemi stopped 33 shots to record his second shutout of the postseason, making him the first Chicago goaltender since Tony Esposito
in 1974
to record two shutouts in one playoff series.
On May 16, 2010, Niemi made 44 saves in a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks
in Game 1 of the Western Conference
Finals. Chicago ended up sweeping the series against San Jose in four games.
In only his second Stanley Cup finals
game, Niemi made 32 saves, earning the Player of the Game honor from the National Hockey League. On June 9, 2010, Niemi led the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup
championship with a 4-3 overtime
win over the Philadelphia Flyers
. Niemi was the third Finnish goalie to make it to the Stanley Cup finals and the first ever to win the Cup.
Niemi filed for arbitration during the offseason, and was eventually awarded $2.75 million. Chicago officially walked away from the deal on August 2 because of salary cap restraints, and signed veteran goaltender Marty Turco
from the Dallas Stars
for $1.3 million.
On September 2, 2010, Niemi officially signed a 1-year, $2 million dollar contract with the San Jose Sharks
. He made 30 saves in his first regular season victory with the Sharks, a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets
. After a poor start to the season, Niemi was platooned with fellow Finnish netminder Antero Niittymäki
, but strong play in the month of February which saw him go 14-2-1 with a 1.91 GAA and .924 save percentage, cemented him as the Sharks' starting goaltender. On March 1, 2011, Niemi signed a four-year contract extension with San Jose worth $15.2 million.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
who is currently playing with the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. During the 2009–10 NHL season
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, he became the first Finnish goaltender to win the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
.
Playing career
Niemi played junior-levelJunior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
hockey for Kiekko-Vantaa from 1998 until 2005, where he also worked part-time as a Zamboni
Ice resurfacer
An ice resurfacer is a truck-like vehicle or smaller device used to clean and smooth the surface of an ice rink. The first ice resurfacer was developed by Frank J. Zamboni in 1949 in the city of Paramount, California...
driver. He turned pro with the Pelicans
Pelicans (ice hockey)
Pelicans is an ice hockey team playing in the SM-liiga, and formed in 1996. They play in the city of Lahti, Finland at Isku Arena. The team is partially owned by retired NHL goaltender Pasi Nurminen.-Notable players:* Sean Avery* Jason Bonsignore...
of the Finnish SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
in 2005. Niemi played three seasons with the Pelicans, until he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
as an undrafted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 2008. Assigned to Chicago's minor league affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs
Rockford IceHogs
This article is about the former UHL franchise. For the current American Hockey League franchise, see Rockford IceHogs.The Rockford IceHogs were a professional ice hockey team in Rockford, Illinois USA. They were a member of the United Hockey League from 1999 to 2007. The IceHogs played their home...
, Niemi spent the majority of the 2008–09 season
2008–09 AHL season
The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:...
in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL). In February 2009, he was called up to the Blackhawks as an injury replacement. He made his NHL debut on February 27, playing one period in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. Niemi recorded his first NHL start and win several days later on March 1, a 4–2 victory versus the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
The following season, Niemi made the Blackhawks lineup out of training camp. Niemi started the second game of a back-to-back season opener against the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. He stopped all 23 shots he faced against the Panthers earning his first NHL shutout in his native Finland on October 3, 2009. After a very respectable record of 26-7-4 during the regular season, Niemi was made the Blackhawks starting goaltender for the playoffs near the end of the 2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
NHL regular season and prior to the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs
2010 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 14, 2010, after the 2009–10 NHL regular season. The Finals ended on June 9, 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961...
, replacing Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet is a French professional ice hockey goaltender playing for Fribourg-Gottéron of the Swiss National League A, on loan from the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. He developed his goaltending skills in Grenoble with Les Brûleurs de Loups. He has also played with the...
. During Game 2, Niemi recorded a shutout victory against the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
at United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
, making him the first Blackhawks goaltender since Ed Belfour
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...
in 1996
1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1996. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a...
to record a postseason shutout. On April 22, 2010, Niemi stopped 33 shots to record his second shutout of the postseason, making him the first Chicago goaltender since Tony Esposito
Tony Esposito
For the Italian musician, please see Tony Esposito .Anthony James "Tony O" Esposito is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey goaltender, who played in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks. He was one of the pioneers of the now popular butterfly style....
in 1974
1973-74 NHL season
-NHL awards:A new award, the Jack Adams for the best coach, was introduced for this season. The first winner was Fred Shero of the Philadelphia Flyers.-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:...
to record two shutouts in one playoff series.
On May 16, 2010, Niemi made 44 saves in a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in Game 1 of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
Finals. Chicago ended up sweeping the series against San Jose in four games.
In only his second Stanley Cup finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
game, Niemi made 32 saves, earning the Player of the Game honor from the National Hockey League. On June 9, 2010, Niemi led the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship with a 4-3 overtime
Overtime (ice hockey)
Overtime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...
win over the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Niemi was the third Finnish goalie to make it to the Stanley Cup finals and the first ever to win the Cup.
Niemi filed for arbitration during the offseason, and was eventually awarded $2.75 million. Chicago officially walked away from the deal on August 2 because of salary cap restraints, and signed veteran goaltender Marty Turco
Marty Turco
Marty Turco is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He has played professionally with the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. Because of his puckhandling prowess, Canadian hockey personality Don Cherry named Turco: "the smartest goalie in the...
from the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
for $1.3 million.
On September 2, 2010, Niemi officially signed a 1-year, $2 million dollar contract with the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He made 30 saves in his first regular season victory with the Sharks, a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. After a poor start to the season, Niemi was platooned with fellow Finnish netminder Antero Niittymäki
Antero Niittymäki
Antero Pertti Elias Niittymäki is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a member of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. He has previously played for the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning, as well as in the SM-liiga and the American Hockey League...
, but strong play in the month of February which saw him go 14-2-1 with a 1.91 GAA and .924 save percentage, cemented him as the Sharks' starting goaltender. On March 1, 2011, Niemi signed a four-year contract extension with San Jose worth $15.2 million.
Regular season
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
| 2005–06 | Pelicans Pelicans (ice hockey) Pelicans is an ice hockey team playing in the SM-liiga, and formed in 1996. They play in the city of Lahti, Finland at Isku Arena. The team is partially owned by retired NHL goaltender Pasi Nurminen.-Notable players:* Sean Avery* Jason Bonsignore... |
SM-liiga SM-liiga The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice... |
40 | 12 | 17 | 8 | — | 2263 | 103 | 3 | 2.73 | .916 |
| 2006–07 | Pelicans | SM-liiga | 48 | 18 | 21 | 7 | — | 2780 | 119 | 3 | 2.57 | .918 |
| 2007–08 | Pelicans | SM-liiga | 49 | 26 | 14 | 6 | — | 2791 | 109 | 4 | 2.35 | .926 |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
3 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 141 | 8 | 0 | 3.40 | .864 |
| 2008–09 2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:... |
Rockford IceHogs Rockford IceHogs This article is about the former UHL franchise. For the current American Hockey League franchise, see Rockford IceHogs.The Rockford IceHogs were a professional ice hockey team in Rockford, Illinois USA. They were a member of the United Hockey League from 1999 to 2007. The IceHogs played their home... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
38 | 18 | 14 | 3 | — | 2095 | 85 | 2 | 2.43 | .910 |
| 2009–10 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 39 | 26 | 7 | — | 4 | 2190 | 82 | 7 | 2.25 | .912 |
| 2010–11 | San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 60 | 35 | 18 | — | 6 | 3524 | 140 | 6 | 2.38 | .920 |
| NHL totals | 102 | 62 | 26 | — | 11 | 5856 | 230 | 13 | 2.36 | .916 | ||
| AHL totals | 38 | 18 | 14 | 3 | — | 2094 | 85 | 2 | 2.43 | .910 | ||
| SM-liiga totals | 137 | 56 | 52 | 21 | — | 7834 | 331 | 10 | 2.55 | .899 | ||
Playoffs
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SA | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Pelicans | SM-liiga | 6 | 2 | 4 | 370 | 9 | 175 | 1.46 | .951 |
| 2007–08 | Pelicans | SM-liiga | 6 | 2 | 4 | 328 | 21 | 158 | 3.83 | .883 |
| 2009–10 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 22 | 16 | 6 | 1,322 | 58 | 645 | 2.63 | .910 |
| 2010-11 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 18 | 8 | 9 | 1,044 | 56 | 538 | 3.22 | .896 |
| NHL totals | 40 | 24 | 15 | 2,366 | 114 | 1,183 | 2.89 | .904 | ||
| SM-liiga totals | 12 | 4 | 8 | 698 | 30 | 333 | 2.50 | .917 | ||