Mika Noronen
C20A9646 (39832070164).jpg
Noronen with the Rochester Americans in 2002
Born (1979-06-17) 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 20002016

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.

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 GPWLTOTLMINGASOGAASV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1993–94 Tappara U16 FIN U16
1994–95 Tappara U18 FIN U18
1995–96 Tappara U18 FIN U18 5299132.61 530081.60
1995–96 Tappara Jr FIN Jr 169623722.31
1996–97 Tappara Jr FIN Jr 17 131.99.924
1996–97 Kokkolan Hermes FIN-2 2911107.25.868
1996–97 Tappara FIN 51302151704.73.876
1997–98 Tappara Jr FIN Jr 6411365132.14.933 4222621102.52.919
1997–98 Tappara FIN 311412317038312.92.900 4121961203.67.878
1998–99 Tappara FIN 4318205249413523.25.893
1999–00 Rochester Americans AHL 5433134308911262.18.920 2113812353761.80.936
2000–01 Buffalo Sabres NHL 2200109502.77.872
2000–01 Rochester Americans AHL 4726155275310042.18.913 4132501102.64.885
2001–02 Buffalo Sabres NHL 104315182302.66.894
2001–02 Rochester Americans AHL 45161712276411532.50.906 10159303.06.870
2002–03 Buffalo Sabres NHL 164938923612.42.912
2002–03 Rochester Americans AHL 1959511695522.82.903
2003–04 Buffalo Sabres NHL 351117217977722.57.906
2004–05 HPK FIN 27148416145412.01.927 9444822112.61.918
2005–06 Buffalo Sabres NHL 41201691204.27.844
2005–06 Vancouver Canucks NHL 41101711003.52.870
2005–06 Rochester Americans AHL 2020121602.99.898
2006–07 Ak Bars Kazan RSL 33185418776622.11.911 161049413502.23.886
2007–08 Ak Bars Kazan RSL 159409063702.45.886
2008–09 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod KHL 142927133412.86.890
2008–09 Linköping HC SWE 31101601104.13.895 312221812.17.896
2009–10 JYP Jyväskylä FIN 65103651402.30.898
2009–10 HIFK FIN 25178014875822.34.918 6243721512.42.917
2010–11 Lukko FIN 271310415985552.06.929 12667572812.22.915
2011–12 Lukko FIN 5017228286812522.61.914 10158505.19.800
2012–13 Tappara FIN 110060303.00.919 1001000.001.000
2012–13 LeKi FIN-2 2124210.97.965
2013–14 HC Davos NLA 157808914212.83.919
2013–14 EHC München DEL 52303121102.12.946 3121791003.35.915
2014–15 LeKi FIN-2 42.01.937 51.67.957
2014–15 Tappara FIN 10164201.89.895
2015–16 Tappara FIN 3102189501.59.930
2015–16 Malmö Redhawks SWE 101040406.00.750
2015–16 LeKi FIN-2 63.73.887
NHL totals 71233260365316332.68.901

International

Year Team Event GPWLTMINGASOGAASV%
1996 Finland EJC 3180301.00
1997 Finland EJC 5300801.60
1997 Finland WJC 2120402.00.945
1998 Finland WJC 5500314811.53.934
1999 Finland WJC 31201591104.14.831
2004 Finland WC 52213091212.33.909
Junior totals 1810733411.90
Senior totals 52213091212.33.909

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

  1. "Video of Noronen Cleaning the Glass". YouTube. 2002-01-04. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
  2. "Associated Prees recap of Noronen goal". Yahoo! Sports. 2004-02-14. Archived from the original on 2005-04-22. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  3. "Canadian All-Stars 13, Planet USA All-Stars 11". American Hockey League. 2002-02-14. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
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