FRISCO, Texas — Kari Lehtonen is going to play in his 623rd career NHL game when he starts for the Dallas Stars against the New York Rangers on Monday.
With that game Lehtonen will move into a tie for 40th in NHL history in games played. More importantly he’ll be tied with Mikka Kiprusoff for the most games played by a Finnish goalie in NHL history.
“It’s exciting, it’s something that maybe last couple years I’ve thought about, and it’s something that will be exciting to reach,” Lehtonen said. “Just a number that somebody at some point will better, but it’s a cool thing for now at least, something to be proud of and excited about.”
Lehtonen has had 623 circled as a low-key career goal since Kiprusoff retired after the 2012-13 season. In a country known for producing elite goalies, Kiprusoff is the standard bearer and his play with the Calgary Flames opened new doors for a generation of Finnish goalies.
“He was one of the elite goalies for a long time and a person I looked up to, just the way he played and what he did for Finnish hockey, it’s awesome stuff,” Lehtonen said. “He was the first true star that wasn’t a back-up or had to play in Europe and then maybe faded away. He was the first one that really put many years together and he was a groundbreaker for sure.”
Now 34 and a true back-up goalie for the first time in his career, Lehtonen has started to take more stock of his career lately. He’s proud of his accomplishments and his longevity, while he’s appreciative of the opportunities he had in both Atlanta and Dallas.
“I had a chance to start young and learn from so many things,” Lehtonen said. “I’m grateful for that. I’ve learned from mistakes, and I’ve made mistakes, but I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do.”
Lehtonen’s most recent lessons have come as a back-up goalie. He understood the Stars offseason move to bring in Ben Bishop (who signed a six-year contract), and said that he still has to prepare like he’s a starting goalie.
He also said he has to take better care of himself as he gets older. For example, his stretching and pre-game routines have been re-defined in recent years to make sure he’s better prepared for long gaps between starts and the instances where he has to enter the game in relief.
“That’s something I didn’t really know much about or how to handle that until past couple years when Antti (Niemi) was here,” Lehtonen said. “I’m smarter about stretching and making sure I’m ready. In a game you’ll see me go into the hallway behind the bench and stretch throughout game, just in case. Same thing in practice, you have to put in more work now as you get older to keep up.”
While Lehtonen will tie Kiprusoff in games played on Monday, he’s hoping to take over as Finland’s winningest NHL goalie by the end of his career. Right now Lehtonen is sitting at 298 career wins, 33rd in NHL history, and Kiprusoff won 319 games with Calgary and the San Jose Sharks, good for 26th in NHL history.
Practice notes:
— The Stars recalled Jason Dickinson on Sunday and he will play fourth-line center against New York on Monday. Stars coach Ken Hitchcock wouldn’t say who was coming out.
— Antoine Roussel has an elbow injury and Greg Pateyrn has a thigh contusion, both suffered in Saturday’s loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Both are lineup options for Monday against New York and could play.
— Even if Pateryn is healthy to play, Julius Honka will be back in the lineup according to Hitchcock. If Pateryn is healthy, Jamie Oleksiak or Stephen Johns would likely be the scratch after they both struggled against Vegas.
— Martin Hanzal (hamstring) practiced with the team on Sunday as a full participant and is expected to play on the upcoming four-game road trip. Marc Methot (knee) skated by himself on Sunday morning, but will not travel and is going to miss at least four more games.
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