Marko Kiprusoff Explained

Marko Kiprusoff
Birth Date:6 June 1972
Birth Place:Turku, Finland
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:200
Position:Defence
Shoots:Right
Played For:TPS
Montreal Canadiens
Malmö IF
Kloten Flyers
New York Islanders
Ducs d'Angers
Vasas Budapest Stars
Ntl Team:FIN
Draft:70th overall
Draft Year:1994
Draft Team:Montreal Canadiens
Career Start:1990
Career End:2014

Marko Kristian Kiprusoff (born June 6, 1972) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently an assistant junior coach in Finnish hockey club TPS.

Draft

He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens as their third-round pick, 70th overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

SM-liiga Career

Marko Kiprusoff started his hockey career with TPS. Kiprusoff also had a three-game visit to HPK during his earlier seasons in the SM-liiga. Kiprusoff earned a reputation as a solid offensive defenceman at TPS and after his successful performances for the Finnish National team and TPS, Kiprusoff was contracted by the Montreal Canadiens.

Kiprusoff won the SM-liiga championship twice, in 1993 and 1995. Kiprusoff also captured the European Championship with TPS in 1994.

First NHL visit

Kiprusoff spent the 1995–96 season with the Montreal Canadiens but he didn't make much of an impact in the NHL. Kiprusoff played 24 games for the Canadiens and 28 more for Montreal's AHL-affiliate, the Fredericton Canadiens.

Return to Europe

After his initial season in the NHL, Kiprusoff played two seasons in the Swedish Elitserien for Malmö IF, after which he returned to TPS in 1998. Kiprusoff won two more SM-liiga championships with TPS, making him a four-time SM-liiga champion. Kiprusoff then played the 2001–02 with the New York Islanders and played after that for EHC Kloten in Switzerland.

In 2004 Kiprusoff returned again to TPS, where he played until the end of the 2008-09 season. On 21 May 2009 he signed a contract with French team Ducs d'Angers of the Ligue Magnus.Kiprusoff made a two-year player/coach-contract with the Kuusamon Pallo-Karhut in June 2011. He played in Kuusamo in January 2011, one game, making two points.

International play

Kiprusoff was a mainstay on the Finnish national team during the most of the '90s. Kiprusoff played 198 National Team games and was on the Finnish national team when they won Finland's first Ice Hockey World Championships gold medal in 1995.

Kiprusoff's last international tournament callup was during the 2003 World Championship Tournament.

Awards

Personal life

He is the older brother of Miikka Kiprusoff.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1988–89 TPSFIN U188710170465114
1988–89TPS FIN U20193584
1989–90TPS FIN U2037815234
1990–91TPS FIN U201729112
1990–91TPSSM-l30000
1990–91TuToFIN.22248120
1991–92TPSSM-l230220
1991–92Kiekko-67FIN.240002
1991–92 HPKSM-l30000
1991–92 HPK FIN U2012020
1992–93Kiekko-67FIN.210112
1992–93TPSSM-l43371014122356
1993–94TPSSM-l48519248110664
1994–95TPSSM-l5010213116130992
1995–96Montreal CanadiensNHL240448
1995–96Fredericton CanadiensAHL28410142102572
1996–97Malmö IFSEL501018282440000
1997–98Malmö IFSEL467162316
1998–99TPSSM-l4915223712103690
1999–2000TPSSM-l536273310110330
2000–01Kloten FlyersNLA43620261092792
2001–02New York IslandersNHL270664
2001–02Bridgeport Sound TigersAHL90220
2001–02TPSSM-l11022461012
2002–03Kloten FlyersNLA39712192050110
2003–04Kloten FlyersNLA353131633
2004–05TPSSM-l5011263728
2005–06TPSSM-l53511161610000
2006–07TPSSM-l55425292220000
2007–08TPSSM-l55422261020004
2008–09TPSSM-l34010102080224
SM-l totals52963194257160766293522
SEL totals961734514040000
NLA totals117164561631428102

International

YearTeamEvent GPGAPtsPIM
1990FinlandEJC60228
1992FinlandWJC72242
1994FinlandOLY83364
1994FinlandWC82132
1995FinlandWC80330
1996FinlandWCH40110
1997FinlandWC80222
1998FinlandWC102134
1999FinlandWC101454
2001FinlandWC91124
2003FinlandWC40110
Junior totals1324610
Senior totals699172620

See also