Pekka Rinne
Encyclopedia
Pekka Rinne is a Finnish
professional hockey
goaltender
currently playing for the Nashville Predators
of the National Hockey League
(NHL).
playing predominantly for their junior team between 2000–2003 and after that, for their men's team in championship-winning years 2004 and 2005, mostly as a backup of Niklas Bäckström
.
Rinne was drafted 258th overall in the 8th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft
by the Nashville Predators
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He was signed by the Predators on August 23, 2005 and began his North American playing career with the Predators' top minor league affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals
of the American Hockey League
(AHL). Initially Rinne was slated to be the backup for Brian Finley
, but Rinne became the starter as a consequence of Finley's poor play. In the summer of 2006, Rinne was "roughed up by a couple of unknown assailants" and during the fight he dislocated his shoulder. As a result, he had to have surgery and missed the first four months of the season.
Rinne appeared in two NHL games with Nashville during the 2005–06 season. He compiled a record of 1–1–0 with a .900 save percentage
and a GAA
of 3.80.
Following Dan Ellis
's stellar performance in the 2007-2008 Nashville Predators
campaign, starter Chris Mason was traded to the St. Louis Blues and Rinne was called up to serve as back-up to Ellis for the 2008-09 season.
On December 1, 2008, Rinne became only the second Predators rookie goaltender ever to record a shutout. In February 2009, Rinne recorded nine wins in twelve games and had a 0.944 save percentage and a 1.72 goals against average. He was selected as the NHL rookie of the month. On March 14, Rinne set a Predators franchise record with his seventh shutout of the season.
Rinne was one of two goaltenders to play for Finland in the 2009 IIHF World Championship of hockey
, the other one being Karri Rämö
. Rinne started the tournament with a shutout in his first game in the Finnish national hockey team, saving 30 shots.
In the 2010-11 season opener, Rinne allowed a goal before colliding with Ducks forward Troy Bodie and suffering a lower-body injury. Anders Lindback relieved him and went on to start three games before Rinne returned, only to go down again in December. Since returning on December 23, Rinne has remained healthy and put up some of the better numbers of his career, including a 1.71 GAA and .946 save percentage in the month of January. At the conclusion of the season, Rinne was named one of the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy
, conferred to the best goaltender in the NHL as judged by the league's General Managers. He was also named an NHL Second Team All-Star.
Rinne led the Predators to their first ever playoff series win in franchise history, in the 2010–11 playoffs. After shutting out the Anaheim Ducks on October 29, 2011, Rinne now holds the Predators franchise record for shutouts with 22.
On November 3, 2011, Rinne signed a 7-year deal worth $49 million, the Nashville Predator's largest contract in team history.
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 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...
currently playing for 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...
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...
(NHL).
Playing career
Rinne was developed in KärpätKärpät
Oulun Kärpät is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga based in Oulu, Finland. Their logo features a stoat ; "kärpät" is Finnish for stoats or ermines. The team has won five league championships .-History:...
playing predominantly for their junior team between 2000–2003 and after that, for their men's team in championship-winning years 2004 and 2005, mostly as a backup of Niklas Bäckström
Niklas Bäckström
Niklas Oskar Bäckström is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League . He has won both William M. Jennings Trophy and Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award...
.
Rinne was drafted 258th overall in the 8th round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft
2004 NHL Entry Draft
The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout which canceled all the games scheduled for the 2004–05 NHL season.- Selections by round :Listed...
by 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...
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...
(NHL). He was signed by the Predators on August 23, 2005 and began his North American playing career with the Predators' top minor league affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
of 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). Initially Rinne was slated to be the backup for Brian Finley
Brian Finley
Brian Finley is a retired professional ice hockey goalie. He was drafted by the Nashville Predators in the first round, sixth overall of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.-Playing career:...
, but Rinne became the starter as a consequence of Finley's poor play. In the summer of 2006, Rinne was "roughed up by a couple of unknown assailants" and during the fight he dislocated his shoulder. As a result, he had to have surgery and missed the first four months of the season.
Rinne appeared in two NHL games with Nashville during the 2005–06 season. He compiled a record of 1–1–0 with a .900 save percentage
Save percentage
Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...
and a 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....
of 3.80.
Following Dan Ellis
Dan Ellis
Daniel Ellis is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League...
's stellar performance in the 2007-2008 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...
campaign, starter Chris Mason was traded to the St. Louis Blues and Rinne was called up to serve as back-up to Ellis for the 2008-09 season.
On December 1, 2008, Rinne became only the second Predators rookie goaltender ever to record a shutout. In February 2009, Rinne recorded nine wins in twelve games and had a 0.944 save percentage and a 1.72 goals against average. He was selected as the NHL rookie of the month. On March 14, Rinne set a Predators franchise record with his seventh shutout of the season.
Rinne was one of two goaltenders to play for Finland in the 2009 IIHF World Championship of hockey
2009 IIHF World Championship
The 2009 IIHF World Championship took place in Switzerland from 24 April to 10 May. The games were played in the PostFinance Arena in Bern and Schluefweg in Kloten....
, the other one being Karri Rämö
Karri Rämö
Karri Rämö is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. His contract rights are owned by the Montreal Canadiens and he has also played for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:Rämö was drafted by the...
. Rinne started the tournament with a shutout in his first game in the Finnish national hockey team, saving 30 shots.
In the 2010-11 season opener, Rinne allowed a goal before colliding with Ducks forward Troy Bodie and suffering a lower-body injury. Anders Lindback relieved him and went on to start three games before Rinne returned, only to go down again in December. Since returning on December 23, Rinne has remained healthy and put up some of the better numbers of his career, including a 1.71 GAA and .946 save percentage in the month of January. At the conclusion of the season, Rinne was named one of the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
, conferred to the best goaltender in the NHL as judged by the league's General Managers. He was also named an NHL Second Team All-Star.
Rinne led the Predators to their first ever playoff series win in franchise history, in the 2010–11 playoffs. After shutting out the Anaheim Ducks on October 29, 2011, Rinne now holds the Predators franchise record for shutouts with 22.
On November 3, 2011, Rinne signed a 7-year deal worth $49 million, the Nashville Predator's largest contract in team history.
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% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | Kärpät Kärpät Oulun Kärpät is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga based in Oulu, Finland. Their logo features a stoat ; "kärpät" is Finnish for stoats or ermines. The team has won five league championships .-History:... |
FNL 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... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 60 | 7 | 0 | 7.00 | .788 |
| 2003–04 | Kärpät | FNL | 14 | 5 | 4 | 4 | — | 824 | 41 | 0 | 2.99 | .897 |
| 2004–05 | Kärpät | FNL | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1 | — | 572 | 16 | 0 | 1.68 | .927 |
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
Milwaukee Admirals Milwaukee Admirals The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:... |
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... |
51 | 30 | 18 | 2 | — | 2960 | 139 | 2 | 2.82 | .904 |
| 2005–06 | 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... |
NHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 63 | 4 | 0 | 3.80 | .900 |
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 29 | 15 | 7 | 6 | — | 1670 | 65 | 3 | 2.34 | .920 |
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 65 | 36 | 24 | 3 | — | 3840 | 158 | 5 | 2.47 | .908 |
| 2007–08 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 |
| 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... |
Nashville Predators | NHL | 52 | 29 | 15 | — | 4 | 2999 | 119 | 7 | 2.38 | .917 |
| 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... |
Nashville Predators | NHL | 58 | 32 | 16 | — | 5 | 3246 | 137 | 7 | 2.53 | .911 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Nashville Predators | NHL | 64 | 33 | 22 | — | 9 | 3789 | 134 | 6 | 2.12 | .930 |
| NHL totals | 177 | 95 | 54 | — | 18 | 10127 | 394 | 20 | 2.33 | .920 | ||
Playoffs
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | Kärpät | FNL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 |
| 2005–06 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 14 | 10 | 4 | 734 | 35 | 3 | 2.86 | .905 |
| 2006–07 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 4 | 0 | 4 | 247 | 12 | 0 | 2.91 | — |
| 2007–08 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 6 | 2 | 4 | — | 15 | 1 | 2.51 | .923 |
| 2009–10 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 6 | 2 | 4 | 358 | 16 | 0 | 2.68 | .911 |
| 2010–11 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 12 | 6 | 6 | 748 | 32 | 0 | 2.57 | .907 |
| NHL totals | 18 | 8 | 10 | 1,106 | 48 | 0 | 2.60 | .908 | ||