Flames to retire no.34 jersey of Miikka Kiprusoff

The Calgary Flames are retiring the number 34 jersey of goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff according to the Canadian Press on Tuesday. The retirement ceremony will take place on March 2 when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Kiprusoff will become the fourth Flames player in franchise history to have a retired number. He follows right winger Lanny McDonald of Hanna, Alberta, who had his number nine retired on March 17, 1990, goaltender Mike Vernon of Calgary, Alberta, who had his number 30 retired on February 6, 2007, and right winger Jerome Iginla of St. Albert, Alberta, who had his number 30 retired on March 2, 2019.

How the Flames acquired Kiprusoff

The Flames acquired goaltender Kiprusoff of Turku, Finland on November 16, 2003. In return, the Sharks received the second round pick in the 2005 National Hockey League Entry Draft. That draft pick turned out to be defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic of Montreal, Quebec. Vlasic ended up winning a gold medal for Canada in men’s ice hockey at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. 

Career Statistics with the Flames

Kiprusoff played in 576 regular season games with the Flames and had a record of 305 wins, 192 regulation losses, and 68 ties or losses in extra time. He had a goals against average of 2.46, save percentage of .912 and 44 shutouts. Kiprusoff is the Flames all-time leader in wins, saves (14631), goals against average, save percentage, and shutouts. 

In the postseason, Kiprusoff had a record of 24 wins and 27 losses. He had a goals against average of 2.34, save percentage of .920 and six shutouts. 

NHL Leader/Awards 

In 2005-06, Kiprusoff won the NHL’s Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender. That year he was also a first team all-star and won the William M. Jennings Trophy. Kiprusoff led the NHL that season in goals against average (2.07), and shutouts (10). It was the second straight season that Kiprusoff led the NHL in goals against average as he was at 1.69 in 2003-04. Kiprusoff also led all goalies in wins (45), and saves (1946) in 2008-09. When the Flames reached the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, Kiprusoff led all goalies in the playoffs in shutouts (five), and saves (659). He also represented the Flames at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game.