Miikka Kipprusoff

[The_Tribal Chief]

His Number retired on march 2nd 2024

[medatswhoP]

About time, great to hear this...

https://www.nhl.com/news/miikka-kiprusoff-to-have-number-retired-by-calgary-flames/c-345370986 

[zima]

Long time coming for a player who tooks us all the way I still think we got ripped off if were the Oilers it would have been a goal just saying NHL has no respect for our team.

[flames-fan-in-jets-land]

59 minutes ago, zima said:

Long time coming for a player who tooks us all the way I still think we got ripped off if were the Oilers it would have been a goal just saying NHL has no respect for our team.

Not likely, a newer expansion team from the south winning was a selling point for the league. Wouldnt matter if it was the oil or flames.

 

/adjusts tinfoil hat 

[Thebrewcrew]

Exciting and very well deserved.

 

Will it be the shortest  speech ever from a player having his jersey retired? I say yes.

[robrob74]

4 minutes ago, Thebrewcrew said:

Exciting and very well deserved.

 

Will it be the shortest  speech ever from a player having his jersey retired? I say yes.

I think the way he retired speaks volumes. He loved Calgary and playing for the Flames and didn't want to play for another team. Maybe that was age, but still...

 

I think we are all caught up in the need to get assets for expiring contracts because we haven't done a great job of having succession plans for those assets.

 

kipper is my all-time favourite Flames player. It was Theo for a while.but Kipper is it.
 

I loved a lot of other players...

[jjgallow]

 

Shirts Off for Kiprusoff!

[jjgallow]

2 hours ago, zima said:

Long time coming for a player who tooks us all the way I still think we got ripped off if were the Oilers it would have been a goal just saying NHL has no respect for our team.

 

One day when I am really bored I will make a thread on this.   I've looked at pretty much all existing footage and it was definitely in.    

 

Simply a matter of frame-pausing the video until you get to the frame where the puck is completely over the line.

 

You can even watch it in slow motion.  It bounces on his right pad, crosses the line, and is then kicked out by his toe.

 

This screenshot was explained by some back in the day as:  It's an angle shot and the puck might have been in the air".

 

But we know two things:

 

1.   His toe was well behind the goal line (verified in all videos)

 

2.   It bounced off his toe while it was behind the line (shown in screenshot below, and can also be watched in slow motion).

 

That's all you need to know about the cup we won in 2004.

 

 

 

[travel_dude]

2 hours ago, jjgallow said:

 

Shirts Off for Kiprusoff!

[cross16]

I'm shocked they got him to agree to come here for it LOL.

 

Very deserving though. For a decade this guy was one of the, if not the, best goalie in the league. Perhaps if he didn't lose a year to lockout and got to the Flames a year or 2 earlier he'd get Hall of fame considerations as I think he was that good.  Far and away the best Flames goalie ever IMO.

 

Probably the last time we see this for a while though as for me there is not another candidate out there and I think we are a long way from seeing another one. (keep in mind I have high standards for retiring numbers)

[tmac70]

Well deserved, he was a large reason they had the run they did in 2004. I still think that Fleury should have his number in the rafters as well. Unfortunately, it's the off-ice things that override the on-ice accomplishments with him. To bad was a hell of a player for the Flames, sad story though 

[jjgallow]

46 minutes ago, cross16 said:

I'm shocked they got him to agree to come here for it LOL.

 

Very deserving though. For a decade this guy was one of the, if not the, best goalie in the league. Perhaps if he didn't lose a year to lockout and got to the Flames a year or 2 earlier he'd get Hall of fame considerations as I think he was that good.  Far and away the best Flames goalie ever IMO.

 

Probably the last time we see this for a while though as for me there is not another candidate out there and I think we are a long way from seeing another one. (keep in mind I have high standards for retiring numbers)

 

I was thinking the same thing, amazing they got him over here lol.   Possibly didn't hurt having Conroy as GM.   A bit of a hail-mary assumption, but in any case glad they're doing it and well deserved.

 

We have guys in the system with the potential:  Honzek, Wolf, Coronato....but with how things are playing out they would not be young players the next time we go for a run.   

It's okay though.  Jersey retirements should be rare.

[Thebrewcrew]

Fleury will get his number retired at some point.

 

Gio will be in the mix too I think.

 

It's very, very premature, but given the amount of time he's here, Huberdeau. If the Flames can get 6 or 7 (which seems like a longshot) good years, he's in the mix. Especially since he signed here at a time where many chose to leave. Someone fans could latch onto.

 

 

Realistically, I don't see another retirement coming anytime soon though. Fleury might get something when the new building opens as part of, what I'm imagining will be a large ceremony to open that facility.

[cross16]

13 hours ago, Thebrewcrew said:

Fleury will get his number retired at some point.

 

Gio will be in the mix too I think.

 

It's very, very premature, but given the amount of time he's here, Huberdeau. If the Flames can get 6 or 7 (which seems like a longshot) good years, he's in the mix. Especially since he signed here at a time where many chose to leave. Someone fans could latch onto.

 

 

Realistically, I don't see another retirement coming anytime soon though. Fleury might get something when the new building opens as part of, what I'm imagining will be a large ceremony to open that facility.

 

Gio is a fair point that I didn't consider. I'd lean no (too short of a career when he was at the top of the game) but I get the debate. 

 

Fleury as a player is a no brainer but I think the problem will always be that if you retire a number they become an ambassador for your club by default. Fleury makes that really role really, really challenging for an organization to want to have. I personally don't see it happening. 

[robrob74]

9 minutes ago, cross16 said:

 

Gio is a fair point that I didn't consider. I'd lean no (too short of a career when he was at the top of the game) but I get the debate. 

 

Fleury as a player is a no brainer but I think the problem will always be that if you retire a number they become an ambassador for your club by default. Fleury makes that really role really, really challenging for an organization to want to have. I personally don't see it happening. 

i don't know the things he did when he had drug problems, but his story could be something to get behind, and he has changed quite a bit. 
 

It is really really beyond horrible what happened to him and others (Sheldon Kennedy). The league is already in a bad way sweeping this crap under the rug for its image. Hockey Canada too. 
 

If hockey is really for everyone, these stories need to be turned into a positive in a way that the system listens and hears them to give voice to those that are silenced in these circumstances. And I think I'm under cutting what it's like for these players that had to go through this.
 

i know a bit about how it crippled family and caused drug problems... trauma sucks! And that's minimizing it. 

 

i could see a case for retiring his jersey, and being a good ambassador for the team. It's all in how to frame it and propping up someone who was down.
 

I thought giving him the PTO was a step in that direction. I'd have signed him for shootouts alone that year, lol. 

[travel_dude]

2 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

i don't know the things he did when he had drug problems, but his story could be something to get behind, and he has changed quite a bit. 
 

It is really really beyond horrible what happened to him and others (Sheldon Kennedy). The league is already in a bad way sweeping this crap under the rug for its image. Hockey Canada too. 
 

If hockey is really for everyone, these stories need to be turned into a positive in a way that the system listens and hears them to give voice to those that are silenced in these circumstances. And I think I'm under cutting what it's like for these players that had to go through this.
 

i know a bit about how it crippled family and caused drug problems... trauma sucks! And that's minimizing it. 

 

i could see a case for retiring his jersey, and being a good ambassador for the team. It's all in how to frame it and propping up someone who was down.
 

I thought giving him the PTO was a step in that direction. I'd have signed him for shootouts alone that year, lol. 

 

Check his twitter feed over the last few years.  It's unfortunate that he uses his name to promote a certain political line.  I'm not debating anything he said, rather that he chose social media to further his agenda.  It's not a good look for him.  As a Flames player, I thought he was one of the best.  As a survivor, I respect his courage.  As a influencer, I choose not to listen to him now.

[cross16]

7 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

i don't know the things he did when he had drug problems, but his story could be something to get behind, and he has changed quite a bit. 
 

It is really really beyond horrible what happened to him and others (Sheldon Kennedy). The league is already in a bad way sweeping this crap under the rug for its image. Hockey Canada too. 
 

If hockey is really for everyone, these stories need to be turned into a positive in a way that the system listens and hears them to give voice to those that are silenced in these circumstances. And I think I'm under cutting what it's like for these players that had to go through this.
 

i know a bit about how it crippled family and caused drug problems... trauma sucks! And that's minimizing it. 

 

i could see a case for retiring his jersey, and being a good ambassador for the team. It's all in how to frame it and propping up someone who was down.
 

I thought giving him the PTO was a step in that direction. I'd have signed him for shootouts alone that year, lol. 

 

His story of recovery is one of success for sure and my concern with the organization retiring the jersey doesn't relate to that story, or what he may have done when he had his demons. His story of recovery is mostly a positive one. 

 

As TD outlines, check his Twitter feed and what statements/situations he's said or done lately. I think his current opinions and how outspoken he is, and on what issues, is what makes it very difficult to have him tied to the club. For the record i'm not suggestion he not have those opinions just if he is going to have them it's make a role in an org challenging. 

[robrob74]

7 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

 

Check his twitter feed over the last few years.  It's unfortunate that he uses his name to promote a certain political line.  I'm not debating anything he said, rather that he chose social media to further his agenda.  It's not a good look for him.  As a Flames player, I thought he was one of the best.  As a survivor, I respect his courage.  As a influencer, I choose not to listen to him now.

😬

 

ya, I don't follow him, and I'm not on twitter. Thanks for the update. 

[travel_dude]

2 hours ago, robrob74 said:

😬

 

ya, I don't follow him, and I'm not on twitter. Thanks for the update. 

 

He had an opinion on vax, which is his right.  The conspiracy stuff makes him look too weird.  Then again he may be 100% right.

[zima]

23 hours ago, flames-fan-in-jets-land said:

Not likely, a newer expansion team from the south winning was a selling point for the league. Wouldnt matter if it was the oil or flames.

 

/adjusts tinfoil hat 

Totally disagree we get no respect from the NHL

[The_People1]

22 hours ago, jjgallow said:

 

One day when I am really bored I will make a thread on this.   I've looked at pretty much all existing footage and it was definitely in.    

 

Simply a matter of frame-pausing the video until you get to the frame where the puck is completely over the line.

 

You can even watch it in slow motion.  It bounces on his right pad, crosses the line, and is then kicked out by his toe.

 

This screenshot was explained by some back in the day as:  It's an angle shot and the puck might have been in the air".

 

But we know two things:

 

1.   His toe was well behind the goal line (verified in all videos)

 

2.   It bounced off his toe while it was behind the line (shown in screenshot below, and can also be watched in slow motion).

 

That's all you need to know about the cup we won in 2004.

 

 

 

 

It was in

[zima]

2 hours ago, robrob74 said:

i don't know the things he did when he had drug problems, but his story could be something to get behind, and he has changed quite a bit. 
 

It is really really beyond horrible what happened to him and others (Sheldon Kennedy). The league is already in a bad way sweeping this crap under the rug for its image. Hockey Canada too. 
 

If hockey is really for everyone, these stories need to be turned into a positive in a way that the system listens and hears them to give voice to those that are silenced in these circumstances. And I think I'm under cutting what it's like for these players that had to go through this.
 

i know a bit about how it crippled family and caused drug problems... trauma sucks! And that's minimizing it. 

 

i could see a case for retiring his jersey, and being a good ambassador for the team. It's all in how to frame it and propping up someone who was down.
 

I thought giving him the PTO was a step in that direction. I'd have signed him for shootouts alone that year, lol. 

I don't know how a person can stand in his shoes and be any different it is ruff to have been abused to say the least but having to hide the drama and still perform like he did say tons to me the drugs and other stuff to me is just something that manifested through all that trauma. I kinda know how he felt we all have lived some sort of trauma in our lives weather it is alcoholic house hold with abuse of some kind or totall sexual abuse most of us have scares and everyone deals with them the best they can trust me I know full well about it.  

[flames for life]

4 hours ago, cross16 said:

 

His story of recovery is one of success for sure and my concern with the organization retiring the jersey doesn't relate to that story, or what he may have done when he had his demons. His story of recovery is mostly a positive one. 

 

As TD outlines, check his Twitter feed and what statements/situations he's said or done lately. I think his current opinions and how outspoken he is, and on what issues, is what makes it very difficult to have him tied to the club. For the record i'm not suggestion he not have those opinions just if he is going to have them it's make a role in an org challenging. 

He is already a representative of the club, as an alumnus, so the acknowledgment of his achievements in the club is just that, and little more.  I think he needs to be noted for the time with the club, which was mostly before he went downhill.

As one who has worked with survivors of trauma, his story and turnaround are a story of courage and success.  That, to me is hall of fame credentials for perseverance under extremely trying times, but that’s another debate.

[Thebrewcrew]

 

 

 

My favourite stop Kipper made

[conundrumed]

They were fun days.

 

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialFlamesNation/videos/remember-back-in-the-day-when-mikka-kiprusoff-used-to-call-mike-richards-in-the-/1421634278339733/