Kiprusoff poised for ‘great honor’ of Flames retiring his No. 34

CALGARY -- Miikka Kiprusoff earned a reputation of being a reserved fixture during his nine seasons with the Calgary Flames.

That's not likely to change when the soft-spoken goaltender steps up to the podium to give his speech when the Flames retire his No. 34 before hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, SN360, SN1, CITY, TVAS-D, SN-PIT).

"Oh yeah. It's there," Kiprusoff said of the words he's curated to celebrate the occasion.

"It's going to be tough. It's a great honor, and I know they're going to have a great show. I'll try not to cry, but we'll see."

A brief address would be familiar form for Kiprusoff, whose acceptance speech into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016 featured all of 13 words.

But he did, after all, let his play do the talking throughout his career.

Kiprusoff retired at the end of the 2012-13 season as the Flames leader in wins (305), shutouts (41), goals-against average (2.46), save percentage (.913) and games played by a goaltender (576). He is also the franchise leader in playoff shutouts (six).

The product of Turku was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender for three consecutive seasons from 2004-2007 and won the award in 2005-06. He also won the William M. Jennings Trophy, awarded to the goalies of the team with the fewest goals against, and was a finalist for the Hart Trophy as the League's most valuable player that same season.

"He was pretty quiet in the room, but once in a while, he liked to joke around and talk a bit," said Calgary captain Mikael Backlund, teammates with Kiprusoff for five seasons from 2009-2013. "Overall, he was pretty quiet, but super nice guy. He was great to me and nice to me all the time when I was here. On the ice he was very composed. He's a really smart goalie. Read the game real well.

"It was an honor to play with him."

Kiprusoff, 47, will be the fourth Flames player honored with his number retired, joining forwards Lanny McDonald (No. 9), Jarome Iginla (No.12) and goaltender Mike Vernon (No. 30).

He will also become the seventh Finland-born NHL player to receive the honor, joining Jari Kurri (No. 17, Edmonton Oilers), Teppo Numminen (No. 27, Arizona Coyotes), Teemu Selanne (No. 8, Anaheim Ducks), Jere Lehtinen (No. 26, Dallas Stars), Pekka Rinne (No. 35, Nashville Predators) and Mikko Koivu (No. 9, Minnesota Wild).

"Ever since I came to Calgary, his name is one of the bigger names in the city overall," Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom said. "He for sure left a mark, and it's impressive how much he meant to this organization and this city.

"A fantastic goalie. Well deserved to go up in the rafters to join the other guys there."

Kiprusoff, a fifth-round pick (No. 116) of the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 NHL Draft, had 319 wins with a 2.49 GAA and .912 save percentage in 623 NHL games.

He was acquired by the Flames in a trade with the Sharks on Nov. 16, 2003, and finished that season with a 1.70 GAA, .933 save percentage and four shutouts, helping Calgary end a seven-season playoff drought to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1996.

"I was in San Jose, and I knew I was going to get traded," Kiprusoff said. "I did get traded that year, and it was a great team [in Calgary]. I noticed right away. The room was full of great guys -- not just great players. For me, it was a second chance. Things started going well. For me, the whole year was unbelievable, and the whole run too. It was unbelievable."

Kiprusoff then carried the Flames to within one win of the Stanley Cup before they lost 2-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. He finished the playoffs with a 15-11 record, 1.85 GAA, .928 save percentage and five shutouts.

"I had some games I played unreal and helped the team, and it was the other way, too," Kiprusoff said. "Our team played unreal defense the whole year. They really made me look good too.

"It's a tough moment. You're a player and that's what you want (the Stanley Cup). It still hurts a little bit. I'm proud of that run, but that's one memory that's a good memory, but it hurts a little bit, for sure."

The run was just one highlight in his tenure with the Flames. It's the body of work that’ll culminate in his number rising to the rafters on Saturday, cementing his legacy as one of the franchise's top puck-stoppers.

And though Kiprusoff will be front and center back on the Scotiabank Saddledome ice, where he orchestrated much of his mastery, it'll be the goalie who once again tries to dodge the spotlight.

"For me, it's my jersey going up there, but I think it's our team's time," Kiprusoff said. "It's not my moment. It's for the guys that I played with and helped me out a lot. A team guy.

"That's how I want to be remembered."