Goalie Antti Niemi hits rock bottom

Goaltender Antti Niemi knows what success is: he won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks back on 2010 and most fans thought that was the kickoff to a tremendous career. 

After his success in Chicago, Niemi signed a two-year contract with the San Jose Sharks, unaware that would be the beginning of the end for him. In 2015, his rights were traded to the Dallas Stars, when he eventually lost his job to Ben Bishop. He was placed on waivers to be bought out from the remaining year of his contract on 26 June 2017…

He managed to get a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but it quickly turn to a mess. Niemi started three games for the Penguins, during which he allowed 16 goals and recorded a 7.5 goals against average. He was placed on waivers on 23 October…

The following day he was claimed off waivers by the Florida Panthers, but after featuring in just two winless games with the Panthers, and with the return to health of Roberto Luongo , he was placed back on waivers on 13 November. 

The Montreal Canadiens claimed him and there was hope when the team offered him a one-year deal for the following season. He did not impress enough to return in 2019 and ended his 11-year NHL career, returning to Finland in signing a one-year contract with Jokerit of the Kontinental Hockey League. 

And that could have been it, but on Tuesday, KHL insider Aivis Kalnins reported that “there’s a rumor that Antti Niemi’s time with Jokerit has come to an end after a very bad season individually. He appeared in 19 games allowing 3.21 GAA and had a save percantage of .833.”

The 36-year-old might have to call it a career entirely…