I've been doing top 10 or top whatever lists of a lot of things this summer, so let's start gearing up for the NHL season with a list of the greatest Finnish goalies of all time!
Obviously we could argue forever over who's technically better than who, or who would have done better if they'd played on different teams, or whatever. Instead we're ranking these guys solely on merits. Our criteria are individual awards and team championships in a multinational hockey league and international play. European national leagues don't count, nor do North American leagues below the AHL. You'll see how it works.
In our opinion, these are the best Finnish goalies of all time, ranking by merit.
Honorable mentions:
8. Tuukka Rask
He hasn't won anything yet, but stealing the top job from Tim Thomas is no small feat. Toronto swapped him for Andrew Raycroft, in a spectacularly bad trade, even for them. Betcha they want him back.
Given that Rask would have been eligible for the Calder Trophy in the year in which he not only stole the number-one goalie's job from Thomas and led the league in save percentage, it's a crime that he wasn't a Calder Trophy finalist.
Titles:
None.
Awards:
Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award 2010
7. Niklas Bäckström
In terms of ability, this blog believes Bäckström is by far the worst goaltender on this list. Every time he plays for a team that isn't 100% dedicated to the trap or getting special liberties from the refs, he's rubbish. Nonetheless, he's won a couple of awards, and we're going by merit here.
Titles:
None.
Awards:
Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award 2007
William M. Jennings Trophy (with Manny Fernandez) 2007
6. Miikka Kiprusoff
If Bäckström is the worst, then surely Kiprusoff is the best goalie on this list. That being said, he has yet to win anything. Oh, and for any confused Finnish readers: there is no such thing as a "World Cup silver medal", even though the term constantly recurs in the Finnish media.
Titles:
None.
Awards:
Vezina Trophy, 2006
William M. Jennings Trophy, 2006
The Top 5
5. Pasi Nurminen
These days, Pasi coaches Pelicans in the Finnish league after a career-ending knee injury, but he retains the distinction of having been the first ever Finnish number-one goalie in the NHL. His place in the Top 5 is assured by actually having won something!
Titles:
Calder Cup 2002
Awards:
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy 2002
4. Antero Niittymäki
In our books, the second-best Finnish goalie of them all. Hopefully he'll show the world what he can do in the Sharks next season. Niittymäki powers past Pasi Nurminen in our rankings by virtue of being the MVP of the Torino Olympics.
Titles:
Calder Cup 2005
Awards:
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy 2002
Most valuable player, Torino Olympics 2006
3. Ari Sulander
"Sulo" is probably the one guy on this list foreign readers won't know, but after an excellent career in Finland, Sulander went on to dominate the Swiss league, where he still plays at an age of 41. His team, Zürich, beat Chicago for the inaugural Silver Stone Trophy before the 09-10 NHL season, having won the first and, to date, only season of the Champions' Hockey League. Sulander was also on the team in 1995 when Finland won their only world championship to date, but he was the number-two guy, so that doesn't count.
Titles:
Silver Stone Trophy (Champions Hockey League championship), 2009
Victoria Cup, 2009
Awards:
Most valuable player, 2009 Champions Hockey League
2. Antti Niemi
Finland's only Stanley Cup winner forced me to redo the list, as he wouldn't be on it otherwise.
Titles:
Stanley Cup, 2010
Awards:
None.
1. Jarmo Myllys
Without doubt, the best and greatest Finnish goalie is the one who brought home the world championship, the only one to date, and brought it home from Sweden. Because of him, every Finnish kid my age knows how to sing at least the refrain of Den glider in. The 1995 championship is the biggest thing to ever happen to Finnish hockey, and almost twenty years on, nothing else comes close. Jamo is the man.
Titles:
Ice hockey world championship, 1995
Awards:
Most valuable player, ice hockey world championships 1995
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