Jun 26, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Former Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne arrives on the red carpet before the 2023 NHL Awards at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
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Oct 15, 2018
Top 100 Goalies Of All Time
48. PEKKA RINNE
Drafted so late that the round doesn’t exist today, he scored one of hockey’s greatest victories for deep-dive scouting
BY RYAN KENNEDY
BORN Nov. 3, 1982, Kempele, Fin.
NHL CAREER 2005-present
TEAMS Nsh
STATS 311-168-66, 2.37 GAA, .919 SP, 51 SO
ALL-STAR 2 (First-1, Second-1)
TROPHIES 1 (Vezina-1)
GIVEN HIS MODEST roots, it’s heartwarming to see goaltender Pekka Rinne as an elder statesman in the NHL, even as he continues to play some of the best hockey of his long career. Not only was he an excellent last line of defense for the most successful Predators team ever – the edition that went to the 2017 Stanley Cup final – but he has also become one of the most veteran Finnish players in the league.
At All-Star Game weekend in Tampa, young Florida Panthers star Aleksander Barkov stood by himself in the corner of a buzzing hotel lobby while other elite NHLers moved to and fro. Barkov was alone until Rinne, his fellow Finn, came over and chatted up the humble center.
On a more regular basis, Rinne has been a mentor for his Nashville backup, Juuse Saros. While Saros is one of the smallest netminders in the NHL at 5-foot-11, he always liked the 6-foot-5 Rinne’s style and idolized him growing up in Finland. Now, Rinne influences Saros in person.
“He has helped me a lot on and off the ice,” Saros said. “Any question I have, he’s usually got the answer. He even gives me tips on some players if he knows their habits.”
The story of how Rinne was discovered is well-known in NHL circles, but an abridged version is necessary. He was taken in the eighth round of the 2004 draft – a slot that doesn’t even exist in today’s seven-round draft – as a flyer by the Preds thanks to Finnish scout Janne Kekalainen.
Other members of the Preds brass (such as then-assistant GM Ray Shero) had only seen Rinne in warmups, because the youngster played behind Niklas Backstrom for Karpat Oulu and didn’t see the crease often.
Clearly the gamble paid off, as Rinne…