Kiprusoff laughs with Iginla after joke during Flames jersey retirement
Miikka Kiprusoff had his iconic #34 Calgary Flames jersey raised to the Saddledome rafters on Saturday night.
The legendary goaltender was the man of honour as the team held a ceremony to recognize all the accomplishments that the Finn reached while playing with the Flames. The on-ice celebration featured some of the team’s most revered players throughout their history, including former captain Jarome Iginla.
Iginla and Kiprusoff spent nine years playing together in Calgary. For years they were the face of the franchise and inspired Flames fans with incredible performances night in and night out.
In his speech to the crowd, Kiprusoff mentioned how highly he thought of his captain, but he also sprinkled in some humour as well.
“I don’t think I need to tell you all how amazing of a player he was,” said Kiprusoff. “I think there was one thing he couldn’t do: score on me during the practice.”
āThe best nine years my family and I will always remember.ā
All the feels for the Miikka Kiprusoff. š„² pic.twitter.com/y89XzYH2Te
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 3, 2024
The joke made the entire arena erupt in laughter, even Iginla himself struggled to keep a straight face. It was a testament that the Flames’ all-time leader in wins hadn’t lost his sharp wit and competitive spirit since retiring from the sport in 2013.
It probably wasn’t far off from the truth either. For a good stretch of his career, Kiprusoff was among the very best goaltenders on the face of the planet, recording four or more shutouts in a season seven times and picking up 305 wins in 506 games with the Flames.
Regardless, Kiprusoff then went on to say that he was proud to have his name up in the rafters alongside Iginla.
“Seriously Iggy, it’s a huge honour to have my name up there with yours.”
The jersey retirement closed the book on what has been an incredible story of an unknown San Jose Sharks goaltender who wound up becoming one of the best to ever play in the NHL with Calgary. It will be a moment that both Kiprusoff and his family won’t soon forget.