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Pekka Rinne
At 6-feet-5-inches tall and 217 lbs, Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators is the perfect size for an NHL goaltender. When you throw in his athleticism and reflexes it’s easy to see why he took home the Vezina Trophy for the 2017/18 season and was a finalist for the award three times before that. Rinne was drafted by the club in 2004 in the eighth round with the 258th pick overall, leaving fans to wonder why he wasn’t taken earlier.
Entering the 2018/19 season, Rinne was the franchise leader in shutouts and wins and held the NHL record for those categories by a Finnish netminder. Rinne hails from the town of Kempele and played his junior hockey with Oulun Karpat before progressing to the senior squad and helping it win the league championship in 2003/04 and 2004/05.
Rinne inked his first deal with Nashville in 2005, but played just two games with the team in 2005/06 while spending most of the year with the Milwaukee admirals of the AHL. He went 30-18-2 as a rookie with a 2.82 goals-against average, a 90.4 save percentage and two shutouts. However, he did get into two games with Nashville and went 1-1.
The 2006/07 campaign started late for Rinne as he was sidelined for the first 16 weeks due to a shoulder injury. He played just 29 times and went 15-7-6 with a 2.34 GAA, 92.0 save percentage and three shutouts. He also spent the 2007/08 season in Milwaukee and appeared in just one game with the Predators.
The 2008/09 season was Rinne’s official rookie campaign and he finished the year with a record of 29-15-4 with a 2.38 GAA, 91.7 save percentage and a club-record seven shutouts. He went 32-16-5 the next year and once again posted seven shutouts. Rinne appeared in the NHL playoffs for the first time that season, but Nashville was eliminated in the first round.
Rinne was named a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2010/11 after going 33-22-9 with a 2.12 GAA, save percentage of 93.0 and six shutouts, He then went 6-6 in the postseason, was fourth in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy and named to the league’s Second Team All-Star. He led Nashville to their first ever playoff series victory as they beat the Anaheim Ducks in six games before bowing out in the second round.
As a birthday present, Rinne was awarded with a $49 million, seven-year contract extension in 2011 which was a franchise high at the time. He finished 2011/12 by leading NHL goaltenders in games played at 73 and wins with 43. He also recorded the most saves and faced the most shots against. Rinne was named a Vezina finalist for the second straight season and went 5-5 in the playoffs as Nashville was ousted by the Arizona Coyotes in the second round.
Rinne played in the KHL during the NHL lockout in 2012/13 before rejoining the club in January for the shortened 48-contest campaign. He played 43 of those 48 games, going 15-16-8 as Nashville missed the playoffs. He had hip problems the next year and played just 24 NHL games and two in the AHL as the team once again missed the postseason.
Now healthy in 2014/15, Rinne went 41-17-6 with a 2.18 GAA, 92.3 save percentage and four shutouts. He was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and the Vezina, but went 2-4 in the postseason as Nashville went home after the first round.
In 2015/16 Rinne set a modern-day NHL record by winning 30 games in his first 39 outings and then went 7-7 in the playoffs. The next season saw Rinne lead his team to the Stanley Cup Final with a 1.96 playoff GAA and 93.0 save percentage, but Nashville fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. In 2017/18 Rinne’s was 42-13-4 with a 2.31 GAA, a 92. 7 save percentage and eight shutouts to win the Vezina Trophy and was named to the First All-Star Team. He struggled in the playoffs though and Nashville exited in the second round. In 2018, Rinne once again signed a new deal on his birthday as he was inked for two more years at a total of $10 million.
Rinne has tended goal for Finland in many international tournaments. He helped his team sin silver at the 2014 World Championships, was named to the tournament All-Star Team and chosen as the MVP. He was also named the event’s best goaltender in 2015.
Rinne is very effective at the butterfly style of netminding and utilizes his height and reach as much as possible. He also possesses excellent footwork and a lightning-quick glove hand. However, to be effective in the playoffs he needs more rest during the regular season as he ages.
