Europe Kiprusoff was sponsored by his hometown team.
TPS, playing two seasons in the Finnish junior league for them between 1993 and 1995. He was then selected by the
San Jose Sharks in the fifth round, 116th overall, at the
1995 NHL entry draft, on July 8, 1995. For his efforts, he was named the winner of the
Urpo Ylönen trophy as the best goaltender in 1998–99 and the
Jari Kurri trophy as the best player of the playoffs. He made his first start on April 8, again against Anaheim, and earned his second win. In doing so, he became the first Finnish born goaltender to win an NHL playoff game. He was named the AHL Player of the Week during the assignment after winning all four games he played in Cleveland. Nabokov entered the
2002–03 season as a holdout player without a contract, giving Kiprusoff a chance to become the starter. Despite the opportunity, Kiprusoff struggled, losing his first three games and posting a 5.65 GAA in that time, forcing the Sharks' hand, as they quickly agreed to terms with Nabokov on a new contract. Relegated to the backup role, Kiprusoff continued to struggle, winning just five of 22 games played before his season ended with a knee injury. Despite his poor season, the Sharks offered him a new contract for one year at US$800,000. Kiprusoff began the
2003–04 season competing with
Vesa Toskala for the backup spot behind Nabokov, leading to speculation of a trade. Ultimately relegated to third-string status, Kiprusoff grew increasingly frustrated, as he did not play in any games through the first quarter of the season. He was then finally traded to the
Calgary Flames in exchange for a second-round draft pick on November 16, 2003, after Calgary starter
Roman Turek suffered an injury.
Calgary Flames (2003–2013) The trade provided immediate dividends for the Flames, as Kiprusoff recorded 22 saves in a 2–1 victory over the
Montreal Canadiens in his first game with Calgary on November 20. He won 12 of 17 starts between November 20 and December 29, giving up one goal or fewer 11 times in that stretch. He was named the defensive player of the month for December by the League, Kiprusoff's play remained strong upon his return, as he was counted on to lead the Flames to the playoffs for the first time in eight years. A 1–0 victory over the
Phoenix Coyotes clinched a berth in the
2004 playoffs for the Flames, an achievement which earned Kiprusoff a standing ovation from the Calgary fans. He finished the regular season with a modern NHL record-low GAA of 1.69. He was named a finalist for the
Vezina Trophy, awarded to the best goaltender in the League, and was given a one-year, $2.95 million contract for
2004–05 by an
arbitrator, an increase in salary of nearly four times his previous contract. As the
2004–05 lockout led to the cancellation of the season, Kiprusoff chose to play in Sweden. He played 41 games for
Timrå IK, recording five shutouts and a 2.14 GAA. He was not only touted as the top goaltender in the League, but also argued to be a candidate for the
Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player in the NHL. Finishing the season with a 42–20–11 record and a team-record 10 shutouts, he was named a
first team all-star and awarded the Vezina Trophy, as well as the
William M. Jennings Trophy for being the goaltender on the team that gave up the fewest goals in during the season. though the award was won by
Joe Thornton. Kiprusoff struggled to begin the
2006–07 season, winning just four of his first 12 decisions, and giving up nearly three goals per game. He rebounded to finish the season with 40 wins, won his 100th career game, and played in his first
All-Star Game. Kiprusoff was outstanding in the
2007 playoffs, keeping the overmatched Flames close to the top-seeded
Detroit Red Wings despite the Flames giving up nearly 50 shots per game in their first two contests. He led them to consecutive wins in Games 3 and 4 to even the series, and gave the Flames hope they could win the series, but the Flames were unable to parlay his performance into a series win, losing the best-of-seven series 4–2. Kiprusoff earned his third consecutive nomination for the Vezina Trophy, ultimately won by
Martin Brodeur. Nicknamed "Captain Hook" for the way he handled goaltenders, the Flames decision to hire
Mike Keenan as head coach in
2007–08 created speculation that Kiprusoff might choose to leave Calgary when his contract expired at the end of the season. Nonetheless, he agreed to a six-year extension worth $35 million that would keep him in Calgary until the end of the 2013–14 season. He struggled at times, as his GAA and
save percentage fell outside of the top 30 goaltenders in the League by mid-November. His play improved throughout the season, however, and he finished the season third in the NHL with 39 wins. He won his 200th career game on March 18, 2009, in a 2–1 victory over the
Dallas Stars, but questions about whether he was playing too many games continued throughout the season. Although he led the League with 45 wins, his statistical averages had deteriorated for the fourth consecutive season as he admitted he struggled. New head coach
Brent Sutter promised that Kiprusoff would face a lighter schedule in
2009–10, he played 76 games in 2008–09, while Kiprusoff hired a personal trainer and set aside his previously indifferent attitude towards off-season training. His efforts appeared to pay dividends early in the season, as he lost only three of his first 17 decisions, leading his teammates to compare his early performance to his first years in Calgary. He finished in the top ten in the League in wins, save percentage and GAA and while considered a potential candidate for the Vezina Trophy, he was not named a finalist in part due to the fact the Flames failed to qualify for the
2010 playoffs. Kiprusoff, as well as the entire Flames team, struggled early in the
2010–11 season, and during a period of struggle late in January, he became a target of the fans' jeering. He admitted that he had struggled and was trying to focus on returning his play to where he felt it should be. Kiprusoff's fortunes improved in February, as he won his 250th game as a member of the Flames in a 9–1 victory over the
Colorado Avalanche on February 14. Six nights later, he became the first goaltender in NHL history to record a shutout in an outdoor game with a 4–0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the
2011 Heritage Classic. In a March 4 game against the
Columbus Blue Jackets, he became the first goaltender in 25 years to stop two penalty shots in one game to preserve a 4–3 victory. On February 8, 2012, Kiprusoff became the 27th goalie to record his
300th career win. He reached the mark with a 4–3 victory over his former team, the San Jose Sharks. A knee injury forced Kiprusoff out of Calgary's lineup for a month of the
2012–13 season, but a victory in his return — a 4–1 decision over the Sharks on March 6, 2013 — marked his 300th win as a member of the Flames. At the 2013
NHL trade deadline, the
Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly attempted to acquire Kiprusoff, but he elected not to waive his no-trade clause amid speculation that he intended to retire at season's end. Finnish news agency STT-Lehtikuva reported in June that the goaltender had informed the Finnish national team that he had decided to end his playing career, and the Flames formally announced his retirement on September 9, 2013. He ended his career as the Flames' franchise leader in wins (305), shutouts (41) and games played by a goaltender (576). The Flames retired Kiprusoff's no. 34 on March 2, 2024, making him the fourth Flames player to receive the honour. ==International play==