Former New York Rangers goalie Antti Raanta revealed in a recent interview with a media outlet in Finland that he won’t play in the NHL this season. However, the 35-year-old doesn’t plan on retiring just yet. Raanta wants to play in Europe, though he hasn’t finalized any plans.
“I played 11 years in the NHL. Now is a good time to return to Europe with my family,” Raanta told Ilta-Sanomat. “Every other day, the wife sees on Instagram, when the wife of someone playing in Switzerland has updated pictures from there, and how great it looks there.
Though he mentioned Switzerland, Raanta didn’t say which country he’d like to play in this season. It’s unlikely he’ll play in his native Finland because of tax reasons.
“At the end of the season and in the summer, I thought about all sorts of things, but as the summer progressed and my body felt good, Europe started to attract me more,” Raanta said.
Raanta spent two of his 11 NHL seasons with the Rangers, serving as Henrik Lundqvist’s backup in 2015-16 and 2016-17. He was 27-14-4 in 55 games (44 starts) in those two seasons, with a solid 2.25 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and five shutouts. He had and NHL career-high four shutouts in 26 starts in 2016-17.
The affable and popular Raanta posted a 22-save shutout in his Rangers debut on Oct. 19, 2015, a 4-0 win against the San Jose Sharks. He won his first four decisions with the Rangers that season, and was 7-2-0 in his final nine decisions in 2015-16.
He got off to another fast start on Broadway in 2016-17 when he won his first five decisions, and eight of nine. He allowed more than three goals just three times in 30 games that season.
Antti Raanta had several good seasons after leaving Rangers
After two seasons with the Rangers, Raanta signed a three-year, $12.75 million contract with the Arizona Coyotes. He spent four seasons there before joining the Carolina Hurricanes. His first season with the Hurricanes, in 2021-22, he helped them win the William Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL.
Raanta fought through injuries during his time with the Hurricanes. But last season, he struggled with a 2.99 GAA and .872 save percentage in 24 games (20 starts). He was bypassed by Pyotr Kochetkov on the Hurricanes depth chart and ended up in the minor leagues.
He said several NHL teams expressed interest in bringing Raanta in on a PTO or as a third option on the depth chart this season, and that holds no interest for him. The Vancouver Canucks were one of those teams.
“I turned it down right away and announced that I’ve kind of made up my mind that I won’t be going there anymore,” Raanta explained.
Raanta has a career. 2.48 GAA and .915 save percentage in 277 NHL games (251 starts), to go along with 20 shutouts for the Chicago Blackhawks, Rangers, Coyotes and Hurricanes.
