Photo credit: Canes Country
Former Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta announced today that he will be retiring from the NHL and pursuing opportunities to continue his playing career overseas.
The 35-year-old shared that he had garnered some interest from NHL teams during free agency, including the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks, with the latter offering a potential PTO as veteran insurance due to uncertainty around Thatcher Demko. However, Raanta noted that these teams saw him more as a backup option, with a possibility of starting in the AHL, which led to his decision to look abroad.
Raanta returned to Carolina last season after a strong 2022-23 campaign in which he posted a 2.23 GAA and a .910 SV% over 27 games. Unfortunately, his performance declined in the 2023-24 season, as he struggled with a 2.99 GAA and an .872 SV%. Carolina eventually waived him multiple times, sending him to AHL Chicago after he cleared.
Raanta's NHL career concludes with 277 appearances for four different teams. He compiled a 139-80-29 record with a 2.48 GAA, a .915 save percentage, and 20 shutouts. Not bad for a goaltender who went undrafted and didn't make his NHL debut until he was 24.
While Raanta's NHL days are over, his hockey career isn't necessarily finished. He mentioned to reporter Pekka Hoffren that he is seeking opportunities to play in Switzerland, Czechia, or Germany, having received offers from those leagues earlier in the year. At the time, Raanta turned them down in hopes of receiving an NHL offer to his liking. Now, with European leagues already underway or soon to start, he'll be waiting for the right opportunity.
We wish Raanta a happy retirement from the NHL and the best of luck in the next chapter of his career.
