The 2024-25 NHL Season: A Thrilling Year Ahead.
The 2024-25 NHL season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. The 108th campaign in league history will feature the debut of NHL hockey in Utah, with the relocation of the former Arizona Coyotes franchise to Salt Lake City. Additionally, hockey fans will be treated to a highly anticipated best-on-best international tournament, replacing the traditional NHL All-Star Game.
The 4 Nations Face-Off: A New Era in International Hockey.
The NHL’s inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off will take place from February 12-20, 2025, in Montreal and Boston. This round-robin tournament will feature teams representing Canada, the United States, Sweden, and Finland, with the top two teams advancing to the final. The tournament is restricted to NHL players and will be played under NHL rules. A total of seven games will be held, split between the Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston.
The 4 Nations Face-Off serves as a precursor to the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will welcome back NHL player participation for the first time since 2014. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also announced the return of the World Cup of Hockey, with the last such event taking place in 2016.
Calgary Flames’ Finnish Talent.
For Calgary Flames fans, the 4 Nations Face-Off presents an opportunity to see their favorite players represent their home countries. While the Flames currently have no active Finnish players apart from minor league goaltender Waltteri Ignatjew, the franchise has a rich history of excellent Finnish talent. In anticipation of the tournament, it’s worth looking back at the best Flames players from Finland.
5. Karri Rämö, Goaltender.
Karri Rämö is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently listed as an unrestricted free agent. He began his career in the SM-Liiga, initially playing for the Lahti Pelicans before moving to HPK, where he was part of the championship-winning team in the 2005-06 season.
Born on July 1, 1986, in Asikkala, Finland, Rämö stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the sixth round, 191st overall, during the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Rämö made his NHL debut in December 2007 and played a total of 48 games with the Lightning over three seasons before returning to Europe.
During his time in the KHL with Avangard Omsk, Rämö was selected for the KHL All-Star Game twice. He returned to the NHL for the 2013-14 season, joining the Calgary Flames, where he played 111 games over three seasons. After his stint with the Flames, he returned to the KHL and also played for Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Hockey League and ERC Ingolstadt in Germany.
Rämö is known for his butterfly style of play, which allows him to cover a large portion of the net and remain composed under pressure. While he has areas for improvement, such as lateral movement and rebound control, his career has been marked by significant achievements and contributions to the teams he has played for.
Rämö took over as the Flames’ starting goaltender in 2013, participating in 40 games and finishing the season with a record of 16 wins, 15 losses, and 4 overtime losses, along with two shutouts. Unfortunately, the team did not qualify for the playoffs that year. The following season proved to be Rämö’s best; he shared goaltending responsibilities with newly-acquired Jonas Hiller, playing in 34 games and achieving a record of 15 wins, 9 losses, and 3 overtime losses, also earning two shutouts. He recorded an impressive 2.60 goals against average (GAA) and a .912 save percentage (SV%). The 2014-15 Flames advanced to the second round of the playoffs, and Rämö played a crucial role, winning two of his four playoff starts. He continued with the team for one more season before a knee injury temporarily sidelined his career. Following this setback, he received no interest from NHL teams and returned home to focus on his recovery. From 2016 until his retirement in 2022, Rämö played in various leagues, including the Liiga, KHL, Swedish Hockey League (SHL), and Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). In total, he appeared in 111 games for the Flames, compiling a record of 49 wins, 42 losses, and 8 overtime losses, along with five shutouts.
4. Kari Eloranta, Defenseman.
For our fourth-best Finnish player, we turn back to the 1980s and highlight defenseman Kari Eloranta. Hailing from Lahti, Finland, he is one of only nine NHL players born on leap day (February 29). Eloranta spent most of his professional career in the Liiga, SHL, and Swiss National League, but he also played parts of six seasons in the NHL, primarily with the Flames. He began his NHL journey as an undrafted free agent in 1981 during the Flames’ inaugural season in Alberta after relocating from Atlanta, Georgia. Eloranta played 19 games for the Flames, recording five assists, before being traded to the St. Louis Blues for future considerations. After three months and 17 games with the Blues, he was traded back to Calgary for cash.
During his second tenure with the Flames, Eloranta significantly improved his performance. In the 1982-83 season, he recorded an impressive four goals and 44 points over 80 games, along with one goal and four points in nine playoff games. The following season was equally strong, as he netted five goals and accumulated 39 points in 78 games. After the 1984-85 season, he spent a year playing in the SHL before returning to the Flames at the end of the 1986-87 season, marking his last appearance in the NHL. He concluded his career in various leagues. Interestingly, Eloranta earned a silver medal with Team Finland at the 1988 Winter Olympics, which were held at the Saddledome. Over his time with the Flames, he played in 255 games, scoring 12 goals and totaling 109 points.
3. Toni Lydman, Defenseman.
Next on our list is another esteemed Finnish defenseman, Toni Lydman, who also hails from Lahti. Lydman was drafted by the Flames in the fourth round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. After spending four years in the Liiga, he made the Flames roster in the 2000-01 season and quickly established himself. In his rookie year, he played 62 games, scoring three goals and totaling 16 points. His best season came the following year, where he achieved a career-high six goals and 28 points in 79 games during the 2001-02 season. Lydman was part of the Flames team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2003-04, although he missed much of the postseason due to injury, appearing in only six games.
In the 2005 offseason, Lydman was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for a third-round draft pick. He spent five seasons with the Sabres, reaching the Eastern Conference Final in consecutive years (2005-06 and 2006-07). In 2010, he signed a three-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks as a free agent. After his contract ended in 2013, he announced his retirement from professional hockey.
An interesting note about Lydman is that he is a member of the “Quadruple Silver Club,” a humorous reference to the prestigious Triple Gold Club, which recognizes players who have won an IIHF World Championship, an Olympic gold medal, and a Stanley Cup. Lydman has won one Olympic silver (2006), two World Championship silvers (1998, 1999), and a World Cup silver (2004) with Finland, and he also fell short in the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, earning him this unique title. During his time with the Flames, Lydman played in 289 games, scoring 19 goals and accumulating 93 points.
2. Olli Jokinen, Forward.
Our second pick is Olli Jokinen, a center who had two stints with the Flames. Hailing from Kuopio, Finland, Jokinen is one of only nine NHL players from his hometown. He began his NHL career with the Los Angeles Kings, who selected him third overall in the 1997 NHL Draft. Jokinen spent parts of two seasons with the Kings, famously scoring his first NHL goal against the Flames on November 10, 1998. At the end of his rookie season, he was traded to the New York Islanders in a major six-player deal. After just one season on Long Island, he was traded again, this time to the Florida Panthers, where he joined Hall of Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo.
Jokinen truly broke out during the 2002-03 season, scoring 36 goals and totaling 65 points. He eventually became the captain of the Panthers, playing seven seasons with the team before being traded to the Phoenix Coyotes. After 57 games with the Coyotes, he was traded to the Flames for the first time.
Jokinen recorded 15 points in his first 19 games with the Flames and finally made his NHL playoff debut after ten seasons. He performed admirably, contributing five points in six playoff games, but the team was eliminated in the first round by the Chicago Blackhawks. Unfortunately for Jokinen, he struggled at the start of the 2009-10 season and was subsequently traded to the New York Rangers. However, he returned to the Flames as a free agent that summer, signing a two-year contract. His best season with the team came in 2011-12 when he scored 23 goals and tallied 61 points in all 82 games, although the Flames missed the playoffs in both years of his contract. Jokinen later played for the Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis Blues before retiring in 2015. During his time with the Flames, he played 236 games, scoring 59 goals and accumulating 165 points.
1. Miikka Kiprusoff, Goaltender.
It’s no surprise that the greatest Finnish player to ever don a Flames jersey is legendary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played, wins, saves, shutouts, save percentage, and goals against average, and he recently became the fourth player in franchise history to have his number retired. Kiprusoff was originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks, who selected him 116th overall in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He spent his first three professional seasons in their organization and made history as the first Finnish goaltender to win a playoff game during his second NHL start in the 2001 postseason. After some struggles in 2003, the Flames acquired him for just a second-round pick, making it one of the best trades in franchise history.
In his first season with the Flames, Kiprusoff went 24-10-4 and set a modern NHL record with a 1.69 goals against average (GAA). His outstanding performance helped the Flames make a memorable run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Final. Kiprusoff finished the playoffs with 15 wins, a stellar 1.85 GAA, and a .928 save percentage. Although the team never reached that level again, “Kipper” led them to the playoffs four more times. He continued to excel in the 2005-06 season, winning the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender and the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals. He was also a runner-up for the Hart Trophy as league MVP, finishing with an impressive 42 wins, a 2.07 GAA, and a .923 save percentage. Kiprusoff remained the Flames’ goaltender for seven more seasons before retiring in 2013. No other Flames goalie has captured the hearts of fans quite like Kipper, and future Flames goaltenders will undoubtedly feel the pressure to meet his high standards.
Creating all-time lists can be challenging, as they are often subjective and may overlook deserving players. Among the Finnish players in Flames history, there is a wealth of talent to choose from. With time, we hope this list will become outdated as new, immensely talented Finnish players join the Flames.
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