'Count Up The Moments'

Ninety-six hours.

Give or take.

That's all it took for Miikka Kiprusoff to go from relative unknown to cult hero in the Flames' locker-room.

"First thing I said: 'Who is this guy?!' I've never heard of him before," laughed Flames GM Craig Conroy, who was teammates with 'Kipper' during the 2003-04 season, and then again from 2006 to 2011. "Roman Turek was hurt. Jamie McLennan was hurt. So, we had to have a goalie and they went and got this guy, but nobody really knew who he was.

"But then we got to the first practice and I thought, 'Oooh boy. I get it.' He went side-to-side and made three or four highlight-reel saves that got everybody's attention."

Forgive them for reading too much into the all-white mask and teal-green pads he was wearing on arrival. Indeed, it was proving to be a transition period for everyone involved.

You see, in the previous two seasons, Kiprusoff was the backup to Evgeni Nabokov in San Jose, quietly developing as a young, 20-something, but logging only a quarter of the available starts in that span. So, when the November 2003 trade went down and a conditional pick was the only price billed back by the Sharks, it felt - at the time - like more of a stop-gap solution than a swing at a workhorse starter with Vezina potential.

Until it did.

"I can't remember who were playing, but it was two or three games in and there was a 2-on-1 against us," Conroy said. "He came across and made the first save, but then the puck came back across and it looked like an empty net. And you're sitting on the bench going, 'Ugh, well there's a goal.' And out of nowhere, he got back across, makes the save, and you can hardly even believe what you're watching.

"I don't think we, as players, truly 'knew' until that moment.

"When the trade went down, you're looking up players, checking out starts. You see he was the second- or third-string goalie in San Jose and his numbers were … OK …

"But between that first practice and that big save, was dialled in. He was not going to let anyone score on him.

"That's how it started."

With some players, we look back on their careers and pause when defining a legacy.

With Kiprusoff, there's no easier task.

It was the dominance.

Flat-out.

He retired after nine impeccable years of it, re-writing the record books as the franchise leader in wins (305), shutouts (41), goals-against average (2.46), save percentage (.913) and games played by a goaltender (576). He's also the franchise chart-topper in playoff bagels (6), including five in the spring of '04 when won 15 decisions and led the Flames to within one of the Stanley Cup.

A sensational Kiprusoff save - and, yes, there were many - instilled belief in the fanbase.

The city.

The team.

No other puck-stopper in the modern era - not in these colours, anyway - had such authority over the game. For the 19,289 that fill-packed the Scotiabank Saddledome, there was a nightly display of affection.

The 'Kip-per! Kip-per!' chants rang loud while the glove hand dazzled, while on the other side, you could see the frustration mounting among a demoralized foe.

He was that good - that in control of his own ability and unimaginable flexibility that sneaking even one past him would be a feat in itself.

"When he was on his game - some of the saves, like the 'Scorpion' Kick - you look back on all those games and try to count up the moments," Conroy said. "The thing is, he did it game-in and game-out.

"It didn't even seem hard for him. That's what was most exciting. You wouldn't have known if he gave up 10 goals or one goal. His demeanour never changed. Ever. And that gave a calming influence to the whole team. You see sometimes when the goalie gets a little rattled or fired up, it can kind of throw a team off a little bit.

"But not him.

"Even as we got into the playoffs, it was scary what he was able to do. In the big moments - when you're kind of holding your breath on the bench - all you're thinking is, 'Wow, he did it again!'"

Certainly, Kiprusoff had something of a 'quiet' confidence. Publicly, at least.

He rode that wave in his first year all the way to June, posting a modern-day low goals-against average of 1.69 - a mark most could never dream of.

But despite his heroics, he never did seek out the spotlight. In fact, he would do almost anything to avoid it - even, as Conroy hilarious reveals, exaggerating his plight with the English language.

"I told him once, 'You know, Miikka, you do this every time.' He goes, 'I know, I know. They're going to figure it out eventually.'"

His reclusiveness with the media wasn't personal. Not everyone wants to be the centre of attention and despite playing a key part in the Flames of the early 2000s, holding court in a crammed locker-room was a forum he wasn't comfortable with.

It's why getting to know the 'real' Kipper was a challenge back in his playing days.

Now that he's a decade removed from retirement and is set to have his iconic No. 34 raised to the rafters at the Scotiabank Saddledome next March, his former teammates are happy to dish on his behalf.

"He did think he was a little tougher than he really was and he and Jarome got wrestling one night," Conroy laughed. "It was all in good fun - but he did not come out on the right side of that one. That's a little behind the scenes. He's not a wrestler. Just a good goaltender.

"Look, he's a character. When you think of goalies now, their preparation and the way they do everything … You appreciated him because he was super competitive. All the great ones are, but he was laid back and quietly went about his business. I mean, you could touch his equipment. Like, physically touch it. On a game day. You're often on pins and needles around goalies sometimes and you want to stay away from them and let them do their thing.

"Jamie McLennan ... He made ME nervous before the game with his routine. When he wasn't playing, he was unbelievable. But his game-day preparation? He was very dialled and you didn't want to do anything with him. But Miikka was Miikka. He didn't like to talk to the media and get all the praise, which I think says it all about him. He's a team guy and was such a special, special player.

"It was fun to be his teammate and it was fun to be around him on a daily basis because he was such a good guy."