Veteran goaltender Antti Raanta says he's done playing in the NHL
It looks like Antti Raanta's time in the National Hockey League has come to an end after a recent report came out.
After 11 years in North America, primarily in the National Hockey League, Antti Raanta has decided that the time is right to head back to Europe, the netminder said in an interview with Finnish media outlet Ilta-Sanomat.
In recent weeks, Antti Raanta was approached by the Vancouver Canucks about joining them for training camp on a professional tryout but he turned the offer down as he said he is no longer interested in playing in the National Hockey League.
Raanta still wants to continue his professional career and is likely to sign with a team in one of Europe's top leagues - potentially in Switzerland or Germany - in the coming weeks.
"There is no such thing as a fire anymore, that I would go there tooth and nail to fight for a place." Raanta said.
He added, "At least we'll be in Rauma for a little while longer. Now let's see what the days of the month will bring. If places start to open somewhere in Europe. Waiting for that a bit.
There could be more meaningful places in Europe for my family and myself, but you can't say that I came back to Europe to chill. Yes, you have to catch pucks here too. However, I weighed 11 years in the NHL. Now was a good time to return to Europe with my family."
Raanta, a native of Rauma, Finland, finishes his National Hockey League career with 275 games with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes. In those 275 games, Raanta had a record of 139-80-29 with a 2.48 goals against average, a .915 save percentage and 20 shutouts.
With Raanta no longer an option and UFA Kevin Lankinen reportedly turning down an offer recently, Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin will have to shift his focus elsewhere quickly in order to bring in some insurance in the crease amid Thatcher Demko's recovery from injury not going as they had expected.
Source: Ilta-Sanomat
Finnish legend reveals: NHL career over
| POLL | ||
Which European league do you think would be the best fit for Antti Raanta? | ||
| Czech Extraliga (Czechia) | 2 | 8.7 % |
| Liiga (Finland) | 12 | 52.2 % |
| National League (Switzerland) | 5 | 21.7 % |
| DEL (Germany) | 4 | 17.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
