Mika Noronen
Mika Noronen (born 17 June 1979) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 71 games n the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks between 2000 and 2006. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1997 to 2016, was mainly spent in Finland. Internationally Noronen played for the Finnish national team at the junior and senior level, including at the 2004 World Championships.
| Mika Noronen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Noronen with the Rochester Americans in 2002 | |||
| Born |
17 June 1979 Tampere, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 201 lb (91 kg; 14 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for |
Tappara Buffalo Sabres HPK Vancouver Canucks Ak Bars Kazan Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod Linköpings HC JYP Jyväskylä HIFK Lukko HC Davos EHC München Malmö Redhawks | ||
| National team |
 Finland | ||
| NHL Draft |
21st overall, 1997 Buffalo Sabres | ||
| Playing career | 2000–2016 | ||
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Playing career
Noronen was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft 21st overall. In his native Finland, he played for Tappara and HPK in the SM-liiga. He also played for the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League.
While with the Rochester Americans, he gained some notoriety in a 2002 game against the Syracuse Crunch. A Crunch forward fired a slap shot past Noronen which hit the cross bar and bounced away. However, the goal judge signaled it was a goal. Play was stopped and the goal was counted. Noronen proceeded to spray the contents of his water bottle on the glass and wipe it away, pretending to clean the glass for the goal judge.[1]
At the trade deadline in the 2005–06 season, Noronen was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. On March 14, 2006, Noronen played his first game as a Vancouver Canuck, allowing five goals in a 5–0 loss to the Nashville Predators.
Noronen was the first Finnish goaltender to be credited with a goal in the National Hockey League, a rare feat in itself. He was also the first Buffalo Sabres goaltender to accomplish the feat when he was the last Buffalo player to touch the puck before it entered the opponent's empty net on a delayed penalty on February 14, 2004.[2]
In August 2006, Noronen opted to sign with Russian Hockey Super League team AK Bars Kazan rather than serving as back up to Roberto Luongo, making Noronen an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Then he joined Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the RSL. In January 2009 Noronen joined Linköpings HC of Elitserien. Noronen returned to Finland for the 2009–10 season. He began the season by signing a short-term contract with JYP Jyväskylä. After the contract had expired, he signed a contract with HIFK Helsinki. He retired after the 2016 season.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 1993–94 | Tappara U16 | FIN U16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Tappara U18 | FIN U18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Tappara U18 | FIN U18 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 299 | 13 | — | 2.61 | — | 5 | — | — | 300 | 8 | — | 1.60 | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Tappara Jr | FIN Jr | 16 | — | — | — | — | 962 | 37 | 2 | 2.31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Tappara Jr | FIN Jr | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.99 | .924 | ||
| 1996–97 | Kokkolan Hermes | FIN-2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 91 | 11 | 0 | 7.25 | .868 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Tappara | FIN | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 215 | 17 | 0 | 4.73 | .876 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Tappara Jr | FIN Jr | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 365 | 13 | — | 2.14 | .933 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 262 | 11 | 0 | 2.52 | .919 | ||
| 1997–98 | Tappara | FIN | 31 | 14 | 12 | 3 | — | 1703 | 83 | 1 | 2.92 | .900 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 196 | 12 | 0 | 3.67 | .878 | ||
| 1998–99 | Tappara | FIN | 43 | 18 | 20 | 5 | — | 2494 | 135 | 2 | 3.25 | .893 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 54 | 33 | 13 | 4 | — | 3089 | 112 | 6 | 2.18 | .920 | 21 | 13 | 8 | 1235 | 37 | 6 | 1.80 | .936 | ||
| 2000–01 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 109 | 5 | 0 | 2.77 | .872 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 47 | 26 | 15 | 5 | — | 2753 | 100 | 4 | 2.18 | .913 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 250 | 11 | 0 | 2.64 | .885 | ||
| 2001–02 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | 518 | 23 | 0 | 2.66 | .894 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 45 | 16 | 17 | 12 | — | 2764 | 115 | 3 | 2.50 | .906 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 59 | 3 | 0 | 3.06 | .870 | ||
| 2002–03 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | — | 892 | 36 | 1 | 2.42 | .912 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 19 | 5 | 9 | 5 | — | 1169 | 55 | 2 | 2.82 | .903 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 35 | 11 | 17 | 2 | — | 1797 | 77 | 2 | 2.57 | .906 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | HPK | FIN | 27 | 14 | 8 | 4 | — | 1614 | 54 | 1 | 2.01 | .927 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 482 | 21 | 1 | 2.61 | .918 | ||
| 2005–06 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | 0 | 169 | 12 | 0 | 4.27 | .844 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 171 | 10 | 0 | 3.52 | .870 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 2 | 0 | 2 | — | 0 | 121 | 6 | 0 | 2.99 | .898 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Ak Bars Kazan | RSL | 33 | 18 | 5 | — | 4 | 1877 | 66 | 2 | 2.11 | .911 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 941 | 35 | 0 | 2.23 | .886 | ||
| 2007–08 | Ak Bars Kazan | RSL | 15 | 9 | 4 | — | 0 | 906 | 37 | 0 | 2.45 | .886 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | KHL | 14 | 2 | 9 | — | 2 | 713 | 34 | 1 | 2.86 | .890 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Linköping HC | SWE | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 0 | 160 | 11 | 0 | 4.13 | .895 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 221 | 8 | 1 | 2.17 | .896 | ||
| 2009–10 | JYP Jyväskylä | FIN | 6 | 5 | 1 | — | 0 | 365 | 14 | 0 | 2.30 | .898 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | HIFK | FIN | 25 | 17 | 8 | — | 0 | 1487 | 58 | 2 | 2.34 | .918 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 372 | 15 | 1 | 2.42 | .917 | ||
| 2010–11 | Lukko | FIN | 27 | 13 | 10 | — | 4 | 1598 | 55 | 5 | 2.06 | .929 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 757 | 28 | 1 | 2.22 | .915 | ||
| 2011–12 | Lukko | FIN | 50 | 17 | 22 | — | 8 | 2868 | 125 | 2 | 2.61 | .914 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 58 | 5 | 0 | 5.19 | .800 | ||
| 2012–13 | Tappara | FIN | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 60 | 3 | 0 | 3.00 | .919 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | ||
| 2012–13 | LeKi | FIN-2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 124 | 2 | 1 | 0.97 | .965 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | HC Davos | NLA | 15 | 7 | 8 | — | 0 | 891 | 42 | 1 | 2.83 | .919 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | EHC München | DEL | 5 | 2 | 3 | — | 0 | 312 | 11 | 0 | 2.12 | .946 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 179 | 10 | 0 | 3.35 | .915 | ||
| 2014–15 | LeKi | FIN-2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.01 | .937 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.67 | .957 | ||
| 2014–15 | Tappara | FIN | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 64 | 2 | 0 | 1.89 | .895 | ||
| 2015–16 | Tappara | FIN | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 189 | 5 | 0 | 1.59 | .930 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Malmö Redhawks | SWE | 1 | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 40 | 4 | 0 | 6.00 | .750 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | LeKi | FIN-2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.73 | .887 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 71 | 23 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 3653 | 163 | 3 | 2.68 | .901 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Finland | EJC | 3 | — | — | — | 180 | 3 | 0 | 1.00 | — | |
| 1997 | Finland | EJC | 5 | — | — | — | 300 | 8 | 0 | 1.60 | — | |
| 1997 | Finland | WJC | 2 | — | — | — | 120 | 4 | 0 | 2.00 | .945 | |
| 1998 | Finland | WJC | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 314 | 8 | 1 | 1.53 | .934 | |
| 1999 | Finland | WJC | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 159 | 11 | 0 | 4.14 | .831 | |
| 2004 | Finland | WC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 309 | 12 | 1 | 2.33 | .909 | |
| Junior totals | 18 | — | — | — | 1073 | 34 | 1 | 1.90 | — | |||
| Senior totals | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 309 | 12 | 1 | 2.33 | .909 | |||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| AHL | ||
| All-Rookie Team | 2000 | |
| Second All-Star Team | 2000, 2001 | |
| Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award | 2000 | |
| Hap Holmes Memorial Award (with Tom Askey) | 2001 | |
| All-Star Game | 2002 | [3] |
References
- "Video of Noronen Cleaning the Glass". YouTube. 2002-01-04. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
- "Associated Prees recap of Noronen goal". Yahoo! Sports. 2004-02-14. Archived from the original on 2005-04-22. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
- "Canadian All-Stars 13, Planet USA All-Stars 11". American Hockey League. 2002-02-14. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database