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Kari LehtonenFinnish professional ice hockey player
Date of Birth: 16.11.1983
Country:  Finland |
Content:
Biography of Kari Lehtonen
Finnish professional hockey player Kari Lehtonen had little trouble finding his place in the NHL. He began his career with the Atlanta Thrashers before being traded to the Dallas Stars. In both teams, Lehtonen showcased his outstanding goaltending skills and consistently achieved high statistical performances.
Early Career
Kari Lehtonen's NHL career began in 2002 when he was selected second overall in the NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers. At that time, Lehtonen already had professional hockey experience playing in the Finnish SM-liiga. He initially served as a backup goaltender for Jokerit but eventually earned a starting position. By the end of the season, Lehtonen had received the Urpo Ylönen Award for the best goaltender of the season and the Jari Kurri Award. After playing another full season with Jokerit, Lehtonen made his move to the United States.
NHL Career
During the 2003-2004 NHL season, Lehtonen split his time between the Atlanta Thrashers and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. He played four games for the Thrashers and recorded impressive statistics with a .953 save percentage and a 1.25 goals against average. Despite his success, Lehtonen spent the majority of the season in the AHL. The following season was also spent in the AHL due to the NHL lockout, allowing Lehtonen to adapt to the North American style of play. He played 57 games for the Wolves, winning 38 of them.
In the 2005-2006 season, Lehtonen was called up to the main Atlanta Thrashers team and was included in their starting lineup. However, in his first game of the season, he suffered a serious groin injury after a collision with Florida Panthers center Nathan Horton. The injury forced Lehtonen to miss the next 35 games. On April 6, 2006, Lehtonen endured another injury when he was hit by Tampa Bay Lightning forward Chris Dingman. This time, he sprained his ankle while trying to get back on his feet.
The 2006-2007 NHL season proved to be more productive for Lehtonen as he set new personal records in various categories. On February 8, 2007, he became the goaltender with the most wins in Thrashers' history, surpassing the previous record of 48 wins held by Pasi Nurminen. On April 12, 2007, Lehtonen made his playoff debut as the starting goaltender for the Thrashers.
Despite a challenging start to the 2007-2008 season, including another injury that sidelined him for 16 games, Lehtonen ended the season with impressive save percentages. On February 9, 2010, he was traded to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Ivan Vishnevskiy and a fourth-round draft pick. Shortly before the start of the new season, Lehtonen signed a three-year contract worth over $10 million with the Stars.
In his first full season with the Stars, Lehtonen displayed remarkable efficiency, although the team faced difficulties overall. On September 4, 2012, he signed a new five-year contract with the Stars worth $29.5 million.
Conclusion
Kari Lehtonen's career has been filled with ups and downs, including injuries that temporarily halted his progress. However, his exceptional goaltending skills and ability to achieve impressive statistics have made him a valuable asset to the teams he has played for in the NHL.
