Kari Lehtonen
| Kari Lehtonen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Lehtonen in October 2014 | |||
| Born |
November 16, 1983 Helsinki, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb) | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for |
Jokerit Atlanta Thrashers Dallas Stars | ||
| National team |
 Finland | ||
| NHL Draft |
2nd overall, 2002 Atlanta Thrashers | ||
| Playing career | 1999–2018 | ||
Kari Lehtonen (born November 16, 1983) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played parts of fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Atlanta Thrashers and Dallas Stars. He also played for Jokerit of the SM-liiga (SM-l)
Career
[change | change source]Before playing in the NHL, Lehtonen played 72 games in the SM-liiga with Jokerit. During his time there, he was able to win the Urpo Ylönen trophy, which is given to the best goalie of the season, as well as the Jari Kurri trophy, the league's playoff MVP award.
He was drafted with the 2nd overall pick by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. This made him the highest drafted European goaltender and highest Finnish player ever in NHL history.[1] Lehtonen played 4 seasons with the Thrashers before he was traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Ivan Vishnevskiy and a 4th round draft pick (Ivan Telegin) on February 9, 2010.[2] As soon as he was traded, Lehtonen signed a three-year, $10.65 million contract extension with the Stars.[3]
On September 4, 2012, Lehtonen signed a five-year, $29.5 million contract to remain with the Stars.[4]
In 2018, Lehtonen retired from playing professional ice hockey.[5]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Across the pond, into the pool". Impact! NHL.com's Online Magazine. Retrieved 2014-03-21.
- ↑ "Stars give Kari Lehtonen new deal". ESPN. 14 September 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-21.
- ↑ "Lehtonen agrees to $10.65M extension". ESPN. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ↑ "Stars reward goalie Kari Lehtonen with 5-year extension". CBC Sports. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ↑ "Kari Lehtonen enjoys life in the slow lane in retirement". The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
Other websites
[change | change source]- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
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