At the 2026 World Junior Championships in Minnesota, Petteri Rimpinen started his second straight year for Team Finland, and was an absolute treat to watch. Playing all 7 games again for his country, the 19-year-old showed off his dynamic, quick, agile and explosive footwork that allows his 6’0 frame to take the net away from the shooters. Although this tournament was not as great as 2025 (an .871 in 7 games compared to a .933 in 7 games, a silver medal and tournament MVP in 2025), Rimpinen still put on a fantastic display of goaltending, especially in the quarterfinal game vs the USA, and semifinal vs Sweden. In both playoff matchups, Rimpinen played amazing in the overtime periods, and was excellent in the shootout vs Sweden. Rimpinen’s multiple years of pro experience in his native land of Finland under showed, rounding out what was a fun tournament to watch for LA Kings fans, as they have a couple of great prospects heading their way from this year’s World Juniors in both Rimpinen and Carter George of Canada.
Petteri was born in 2006 in Kurkkonummi, Finland, about a 20 minute drive out of Espoo, which is not far from Helsinki. Rimpinen played his youth hockey for Salamat, prior to being bumped up to Kiekko-Espoo’s junior-pro program, where he would jump levels every season. After dominating the youth system, and developing a reputation as a top young goaltender in the country, he got his first taste of international play in 2021/22 with Finland’s national team at the U16 and U17 World Championships. Rimpinen confirmed what many in Finland already knew by posting 4 wins and a .966 in 4 games. The same year, as a 15 year old, he played with the Kiekko-Espoo U16, U18, and U20 teams, putting up sharp numbers at every level; a .933% in 15 games in U18 and a .917% in 17 games for the U20 team.
Two years later, as a 17 year old, Rimpinen would see his first taste of professional hockey, getting starts for Kiekko-Espoo’s club in the second Finnish tier, the Metis. With 10 wins in 18 games for the U20’s, Rimpinen deserved his shot in the Metis, and he did not stutter; he went on an absolute tear posting a .925% in 14 games, taking over the starters throne and posting a .926% in 11 playoff games. The club knew they had something special, and with the team being promoted to the SM-Liiga the following year for the first time since 2016, Rimpinen got the call to play for Kiekko at Finland’s highest level, at just 18 years old. And, he wasted no time in gaining the starters position, ultimately playing 40 regular season games along with 5 playoff games. His .912 save percentage saw Rimpinen awarded the Liiga’s Rookie of the Year, the first goalie to do so since Juuse Saros in 2014, and the first goalie to do it in an NHL draft year since Jani Hurme in 1996.
Stats like these alongside league wide recognition should have secured Rimpinen’s draft position in the top 50-60 heading into the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, but as many are aware, NHL goalie scouts have become more and more confused in the past decade. There is no better indicator of this than Rimpinen being ranked barely in the top 100 pre draft, and his resulting fall to the fourth round where the Los Angeles Kings stole the young phenom at 152nd overall. The only reason this happened is because of the distracting nature of his listed height, just 6’0.
We at Goalie Guru believe Rimpinen is certain to follow in the footsteps of other undersized goalies like Juuse Saros and Dustin Wolf, assuming he finds the right opportunity in North America. His battle and compete are unlike any other, and his leadership ability may well see him challenge hockey’s exclusion of goaltenders from a team’s captaincy. Having anchored Finland’s junior programs for nearly seven years, Rimpinen has, despite his stature, earned a level of trust from his country reserved only for players who lead by presence, preparation, and performance. His path to stardom alone speaks to his quiet, undeniable form of leadership.
What do you think? Will Rimpinen make it to North America? Or spend his career dominating in Finland? Let us know below!
2 Responses to “Petteri Rimpinen: Must-Watch Goaltending”
Swiss goalies should’ve been mentioned
Kid is the real deal. Honestly might just dominate Finland for his whole career though