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Antti Niemi News & Rumors

Antti Niemi stands tall in goal for San Jose Sharks in Game One win over Blues
April 13
San Jose Mercury News
 
"If Sharks goalie Antti Niemi derived any vindication or even satisfaction Thursday night, he refused to let it show. Niemi stopped 40 of 42 shots by the St. Louis Blues allowing the Sharks to win Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals 3-2 in two overtimes. The game was a microcosm of Niemi's season only with a better ending. He lost favor, then gained favor in an up-and-down year that ended with a rush to the playoffs. "Yeah, it was nice to win this game in St. Louis," Niemi said, but no it was not monumental. "It's what I'm supposed to do, stop the puck. Now we have to take care of [Game] 2." Niemi got off to a shaky start, as the Blues flipped puck after puck at him from beyond"
Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi faces a big challenge against Blues
April 11
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Antti Niemi looked around the Chicago Blackhawks locker room and wanted to hide. In his NHL playoff debut two years ago, Niemi gave up a soft third-period goal that opened the floodgates in a 4-1 loss to Nashville to start the postseason. As the 26-year-old rookie from Finland sat there, Niemi thought he might have just lost the series. "I felt really overwhelmed," Niemi recalled. "I didn't want to ruin it for them. I was putting lots of pressure on myself." A hockey team will go only as far as the goalie will carry them. Niemi settled down after the Nashville game and backstopped the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup title. Now he is shouldering that burden for the Sharks."
As a Hawk-turned-Shark, Antti Niemi has become a horse
February 11
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Initially, it wasn't easy crossing sides in a growing rivalry. It also has been an adjustment going from a traditional hockey market in Chicago to California's Bay Area, where the scrutiny and attention aren't as intense. But Antti Niemi hasn't changed much. He's remembered in Chicago as a quiet but extremely confident goalie who delivered for the Blackhawks during their Stanley Cup season. The San Jose Sharks see him the same way. ''He's still a pretty quiet guy [who] goes about his business,'' Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. But the Sharks are starting to describe Niemi in a way the Hawks never did in his magical one-year run. They call him a workhorse. ''He's been great,'' Sharks"
Blackhawks fall to Niemi, Sharks 1-0
November 24
Chicago Tribune
 
"After two dismal performances, the Blackhawks pulled off a moral victory Wednesday night against the Sharks. An actual win would have been preferred and quite a bit more beneficial to the standings, but the Hawks couldn't get it as they weren't able to solve goaltender Antti Niemi in a 1-0 defeat to the Sharks at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Looking more like the team that had won four consecutive games prior to getting thrashed last weekend in Calgary and Edmonton, the Hawks played smart, sound, defensive hockey but in the end came away with no points in falling for the third time in a row. Still, the Hawks' dressing room afterward was full of positive thoughts after the team rebounded"
Sharks' Antti Niemi makes 34 saves in 1-0 shutout win over Blackhawks
November 24
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Sharks goalie Antti Niemi had just earned his first shutout of the season, a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks -- the same franchise he backstopped to the 2010 Stanley Cup title, then allowed him to walk away as a free agent two months later. And, yes, Niemi acknowledged, maybe he was able to make some amazing stops among his 34 saves because he once shared a locker room with the likes of Blackhawks All-Stars such as Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. "You get out there and maybe recognize who's coming and think who's a shooter and who's not," Niemi said. "I think some of those, I was expecting a shot and it came.""
Finnish foes, Sharks' Antti Niemi and Predators' Pekka Rinne, are strangers away from ice
October 25
San Jose Mercury News
 
"It can be easy to assume that NHL players who emerge from the assembly line of the Finland goalie factory would know each other well. But that often isn't the case and won't be Tuesday night, when the Sharks and Nashville Predators square off with Antti Niemi in net for the visitors and Pekka Rinne occupying the same spot for the home team. Niemi and Rinne are both 28, though the Nashville netminder is nine months older and has an extra 79 games in the NHL. The Sharks goalie does remember playing against him a couple times in Finland at age 19 -- but that's about it. Never teammates, not even in national competition. Didn't go through the same training program. No contact away from the"
Douglas Murray and Antti Niemi get the day off and the Sharks get ready for that long, long road trip
October 19
San Jose Mercury News
 
"DP gets a maintenance day from Working The Corners. So it's back to the fourth-line grinder. And "maintenance days" also were awarded to defenseman Douglas Murray and goaltender Antti Niemi Tuesday. But Sharks coach Todd McLellan said both are fine, health-wise, and should be ready to play when the Sharks begin their rugged, six-game road trip in New Jersey on Friday. Niemi made his season debut in the Sharks' 3-2 loss to Anaheim Monday night at HP Pavilion. Murray came up limping after taking a puck to somewhere in the thigh region on his right leg in the first period. But he was soon back out on the ice after walking off the pain. "He's just a tough human being," McLellan said of"
Niemi back in goal tonight
October 17
CSN Bay Area
 
"It was a good news day on the injury front for the San Jose Sharks Monday morning as the team took part in its pregame skate before tonight's tilt with Anaheim. Antti Niemi will make his season debut in net after he missed all of preseason and the first three regular season games after surgery to remove a cyst in his knee. Niemi told reporters the news Monday morning. Coach Todd McLellan then confirmed it. Furthermore, forward Martin Havlat will finally make his Sharks debut on Friday when the team opens up its six-game road trip in New Jersey against the Devils. Havlat has been recovering from left shoulder surgery he underwent in May."
Sharks goalie Antti Niemi likely to get his first start of the season against Ducks
October 17
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Goaltending has not been an issue as the Sharks dropped two of their first three games, but look for Antti Niemi -- not Thomas Greiss -- to lead the Sharks out of the locker room Monday night for San Jose's rematch with the Anaheim Ducks. "There's a real good chance that Nemo gets his first game tomorrow, as long as everything goes as planned," coach Todd McLellan said Sunday. McLellan had indicated Friday that Niemi, who missed all of training camp and the preseason after having a cyst near his knee removed, would get a start before the team leaves Wednesday for a six-game trip through the East Coast and Midwest. But the coach decided to use Niemi as a backup the past two games to help"
Niemi playing like a champion again
May 11
Chicago Tribune
 
"Antti Niemi didn't know quite what to make of the sight of a jubilant Patrick Kane racing toward him down the ice that summer night in Philadelphia, all the while flinging equipment into the air before jumping into the then-Blackhawks goaltender's arms. A stunned Niemi held his ground with his mask and gloves on and stick still in his hand until the rest of the Hawks joined the celebration of the team's first Stanley Cup championship in 49 years, thanks in large part to the play of an unheralded goalie who was rock-solid in his first year in the league. "I knew that's why (Kane) was probably skating, but I wasn't sure because I didn't see the puck go in," Niemi said Tuesday before the"
Niemi deserves some blame, but not all
May 9
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Cam Inman
"The puck is supposed to stop here: At Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi's stick, glove and pads. Instead, he let three of six shots slip past him in the third period Sunday night, allowing the Detroit Red Wings to stave off elimination and score a 4-3 comeback victory in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals. Don't pin the blame on Niemi. Don't get off his bandwagon. A key reminder: He still hasn't lost a playoff series, going back to the previous round's dispatch of the Los Angeles Kings and last season's run to Lord Stanley's Cup for the Chicago Blackhawks. Here's more comfort food: Niemi also gave up four goals in a Game 5 home loss during last year's conference semifinals with"
Against the Red Wings, Niemi becomes the goalie the Sharks expected him to be
May 6
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"Antti Niemi, the Sharks goalie, says there are two usual questions that people ask when they hear he is from Finland. "They want to know if we have McDonald's there," Niemi said. (Answer: Yes.) "And they want to know if you can go skiing in the summer where I live," Niemi said. (Answer: Not really. Unless it's water skiing. Niemi is from Vantaa, in southern Finland near the Baltic Sea.) There is no third usual question. So we'll pose one: Is Niemi back in the same form he showed last spring when he goaltended the Chicago Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup title? (Answer: It sure as Helsinki looks like it.) Friday night, the Sharks will try to sweep the Detroit Red Wings out of the playoffs at"
Sharks' Antti Niemi winning battle in goal vs. Red Wings
May 2
Detroit Free Press
 columnist Drew Sharp
"Amnesia remains a goalie's best friend. It's now forgotten that Antti Niemi got yanked multiple times in the Sharks' first-round series against Los Angeles. Some thought he would be a serious liability against the Red Wings, his confidence lacking along with his save percentage. Niemi and Jimmy Howard have been equally brilliant in net through the first two games. These were two of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL during the regular season, but they have combined for only a total of six goals through two games. But the difference in these first two games is that the Wings wasted Howard's sterling efforts, whereas the Sharks soared a little higher emotionally thanks to Niemi's"
Sharks happy with Niemi's performance
April 26
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Antti Niemi was the focal point of Game 6 going into the evening at Staples Center, and although he allowed three goals, all on rebounds, that was a vast improvement on the goalie's previous start for the Sharks. "He's always ready," forward Dany Heatley said. "In such a big game, he came up with some big saves." On Saturday night, in Game 5, Niemi allowed three goals on four shots and was benched in favor of backup Antero Niittymaki, but head coach Todd McLellan had no compunction about going back to his regular starter for Game 6. Niemi's teammates were all in favor of his return to the net, too. "His play sometimes reflects our play," forward Joe Pavelski said after the Sharks' morning"
Sharks' Antti Niemi will be back in goal for Game 6
April 25
San Jose Mercury News
 
"First came the hook, then came the vote of confidence. One day after Todd McLellan yanked goaltender Antti Niemi when the Los Angeles Kings scored on three of their first four shots, the Sharks coach announced that Niemi would be back in net for Monday night's Game 6 at Staples Center. "He is our guy," McLellan said Sunday before his team flew to Los Angeles, where the Sharks get their second chance to close out the first-round matchup in which they still hold a 3-2 series lead. "Last year, this year -- anytime he's had a bad game, he's come back." But the coach did recognize that Niemi -- who also was benched in Game 3 -- has not usually had bad games so close together and noted the"
In Niemi, Sharks have the goalie they need
April 23
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Tim Kawakami
"The Sharks know what they have in Antti Niemi, and know what they can count on, which might make all the difference for them. There are no mysteries with this goaltender in this situation. No guesses, hypotheses and meaningful shrugs. They know he will work hard -- yes, there he was out on the ice with a handful of teammates during an optional workout at Sharks headquarters on Friday, not too many hours after their early-morning arrival after winning Game 4 in Los Angeles. They know Niemi won't be perfect. (And through four games, he hasn't been.) But most importantly, the Sharks know that their goaltender won't be sketchy and demoralized after one bad game. Niemi had the bad game in Game"
Sharks leaning toward Antti Niemi in goal
April 21
San Jose Mercury News
 
"In the wake of his team's historically improbable 6-5 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Kings, Sharks coach Todd McLellan stopped short of a definitive answer Wednesday to the biggest question of the day. Who gets the start in goal Thursday night for Game 4 of this first-round playoff series, Antti Niemi or backup Antero Niittymaki? "When you look at (Niemi's) record, when we pulled him throughout the season -- which wasn't very often -- he always responded very well," McLellan said before heading into a meeting with players at the team hotel. "If we go that route, which I think we're leaning toward, we expect him to be very good." McLellan pulled Niemi in Game 3 after he gave up four"
Niemi pulled after giving up four goals
March 15
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Blackhawks fans don't need to be told what Antti ­Niemi can mean to a team. Neither do San Jose Sharks fans, for that matter. The former Hawks goalie, who joined San Jose in the offseason after the Hawks declined to match his arbitration award, derailed the Sharks' postseason last year with a stellar performance in the Hawks' four-game sweep in the Western Conference finals. This season, Niemi went from Shark slayer to being a thorn in the side of his former teammates with victories over the Hawks in their first three meetings. The Hawks got a measure of revenge against Niemi on Monday as they put four past him on 18 shots to chase him with 12:35 left in the second period to the cheers of"
Finn not so fantastic this time against Hawks
March 15
Chicago Tribune
 columnist David Haugh
"During the first period of the Blackhawks' 6-3 victory Monday night over the Sharks at the United Center, the Jumbotron played a video tribute to last year's Western Conference finals clincher over San Jose. Antti Niemi, who glanced at the highlights from his spot in the Sharks' net, played a major role in that big Hawks win. And you definitely could say the same thing after this one. In a welcome sign for a team coming off a frustrating road trip, the Hawks chased one of the NHL's hottest goaltenders in Niemi with a three-goal outburst in 4 minutes, 11 seconds. Just like that, with 12:35 left in the second period, the Finn was finished. The Hawks' fun had just begun. Sharks coach Todd"
Goalie Antti Niemi is finding his way in San Jose
March 3
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Cam Inman
"Antti Niemi is in control of the Sharks' net more than ever. Those are his red pipes to tap with his stick before periods. That is his powder-blue crease to carve up after a Zamboni buffing. This is not a one-season-and-done run anymore. If Sharks fans weren't sure whether to embrace him earlier this season, they should now. He received a four-year, $15.2 million contract extension Tuesday, then helped the Sharks win their seventh straight game that night. "Getting more wins made me feel more comfortable, and it makes life way more fun," Niemi said after the 2-1 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche. It's rather odd not hearing the decade-long, fun-loving cheers of "Nab-by! Nab-by""
Sharks sign Antti Niemi to four-year extension
March 2
San Jose Mercury News
 
"It might not be a Pixar production, but the Sharks could title their latest contract: "Finding Nemo a Home." The Sharks gave goaltender Antti Niemi a four-year, $15.2-million contract extension Tuesday -- rewarding a player nicknamed Nemo who quickly has found a home in San Jose. "Staying here was in my mind already when I first signed," said Niemi, who came to San Jose on a one-year deal after winning the Stanley Cup with Chicago. "It's everything that I thought it would be." The Sharks could say the same thing about the red-hot Niemi. Tuesday night's game against Colorado was his 19th consecutive start. Earlier in the day, he was named the NHL's second star of the month for February"
Contract Extension for Antti Niemi
March 1
San Jose Mercury News
 
"There's breaking news in Sharks-land. The team is expected to announce that goaltender Antti Niemi is getting a four-year, $15.2 million contract extension. The 27-year-old native of Finland signed a one-year, $2 million deal last September 2 with the Sharks as a free agent after helping lead the Chicago Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup title since 1961. After a slow start and sharing the goaltending position with fellow Finn Antero Niittymaki, Niemi has been red-hot in recent weeks. He is a key reason why the Sharks have gone on a 15-2-1 tear as San Jose has risen to third in the ultra-competitive Western Conference."
Antti Niemi and San Jose Sharks are beginning to mesh
February 25
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The question comes at almost every stop on the road, and it probably will surface again Friday as the Sharks prepare to face the Calgary Flames. Somebody will ask Todd McLellan if Antti Niemi is the same goaltender right now who frustrated the Sharks last spring when the Chicago Blackhawks swept San Jose out of the Western Conference finals. "Very much so," the coach said in Detroit this week. "A calm confidence. The ability to make the second save. Not a lot of weak ones going by him. Good all over." Implied in that question, of course, is the fact that Niemi -- who is likely to be in the nets for an 18th consecutive game Friday night -- did not appear to be that same goalie as recently"
Antti Niemi's big save seals San Jose Sharks' win over Detroit Red Wings
February 23
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Sharks needed to be at their best at both ends of the ice Tuesday night to beat the Detroit Red Wings. Two goals from the suddenly red-hot Devin Setoguchi and one each from Joe Thornton and Ryane Clowe provided just enough offense in a 4-3 victory, the Sharks' fourth in a row. San Jose is 13-2-1 over the past five weeks. But it was a save by goalie Antti Niemi against Detroit forward Johan Franzen with 21.7 seconds left that guaranteed the two points without having to worry about overtime or a shootout. Franzen had the puck on his stick in the slot and was taking aim at what appeared to be a wide-open side of the net. "From the scramble, I saw him trying to go wide and beat me on the"
Sharks beat Capitals as Niemi posts second straight shutout
February 9
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Sharks have come up with a postgame ritual, the passing of a miniature baseball bat to the player judged by his teammates to have made the key contributions to victory. Tuesday, after a 2-0 win over the Washington Capitals that made San Jose 8-0-1 over the past nine games and 3-0 on this trip, it must have been a tough choice: Goalie Antti Niemi, whose 25-save performance earned him a second consecutive shutout of a top Eastern Conference team, or rookie Logan Couture, whose goal 52 minutes into the game broke a scoreless tie and made him the NHL leader with eight game-winners? The locker room chant -- "Hey, hey, hey, hey -- way to go, Nemo" -- provided the answer. It was Niemi's"
Antti Niemi emerging as Sharks' 'go-to guy' in goal
February 1
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Even before training camp began last fall, the Sharks had their goaltending story -- and they've stuck to it. We have two strong goaltenders in Antti Niemi and Antero Niittymaki. Both are No. 1 goalies. One is not above the other. But if you have been paying attention to playing time, it sure looks like a pecking order has been established between the two natives of Finland. While a recent groin injury to Niittymaki obviously played a role, Niemi has started in 13 of the Sharks' past 16 games. And San Jose coach Todd McLellan is willing to acknowledge the obvious about his goaltending situation. Well, sort of. "Do we have a No. 1 goalie?" McLellan asked rhetorically. "Yeah, we do."
Niemi has strong game in Sharks' shootout win over Canucks
January 21
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Vancouver Canucks started the Sharks on their six-game losing streak earlier this month, and Thursday night they took a serious step toward putting all that unpleasantness further behind them. Ultimately, after 65 minutes of rapid-fire hockey that produced 83 shots but only two goals, it came down to the one-on-one battles of a shootout. And at that point, goalie Antti Niemi stopped all three pucks he faced while Joe Pavelski zipped his shot past Vancouver netminder Roberto Luongo, and the Sharks emerged with a 2-1 victory. "You come down, and he's a big goalie, but obviously something's got to give, and I picked the right spot tonight," said Pavelski, who beat the 6-foot-3 Luongo low"
Return to UC leaves Niemi feeling 'funny'
December 31
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"It wasn't the first time Sharks goalie Antti Niemi sat in the visiting locker room of the United Center, and it won't be the last. But a lot of things felt weird Thursday for the goalie who backstopped the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in 49 years. "It feels funny," Niemi said. "It's been a long time. It felt funny [Wednesday] night driving in from O'Hare to downtown." Even a short morning skate Thursday was sentimental for Niemi, who was victorious in his first start as a Shark in Chicago. He is 3-0 this year against his ex-mates. "Getting to the morning practice and seeing the Hawks trainers was great,'' Niemi said. ''It made it feel like a little more than just one game." There"
Niemi beats Hawks again
December 31
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"It will take a lot of things from a lot of players for the Blackhawks to succeed with Jonathan Toews out of the lineup for two weeks. Watching from the penalty box is not one of them. Game 1 minus the captain had its high and lows, but the Hawks' march to penalty box outweighed anything positive as the San Jose Sharks prevailed 5-3 Thursday at the United Center. Joe Thornton scored the game-winner 7:13 into the third period, moments after Jassen Cullimore's holding penalty expired, and Ryane Clowe had an empty-netter in the final minute for Sharks, who went 2-for-6 on the power play. There were penalties coach Joel Quenneville was frustrated with and ones he would refute such as"
San Jose coach Todd McLellan goes with Antti Niemi in net
December 24
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Sharks had won three consecutive games with Antero Niittymaki, but Sharks coach Todd McLellan elected to go with Antti Niemi on Thursday night against the Phoenix Coyotes. Other than dismissing the suggestion Niemi might have gotten the nod because the upcoming Christmas break would have meant no fewer than 12 days between starts, McLellan didn't elaborate on his decision after the morning skate. But the previous day, he talked more about what would appear to be a one-sided competition as Niittymaki (12-3-3 record, 2.31 GAA, .910 save percentage) has the statistical edge over Niemi (6-8-2 record, 3.15 GAA, .897 save percentage) in every major category. "When it's all said and done, I"
Niemi gets the win vs. Crawford
December 12
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Corey Crawford vs. Antti Niemi. Last year, it was for the backup spot behind Cristobal Huet on the Blackhawks. Now, it's the Blackhawks vs. the San Jose Sharks. Crawford and Niemi faced each other for the first time Saturday in San Jose. It was Niemi who was able to do enough to pull out a 2-1 victory in overtime. Ryane Clowe scored the game-winner with 1:08 left in OT. It was his second goal of the game. Both goalies shined. Crawford stopped 28 shots, including a sprawling save on Benn Ferriero during a power play as time expired in the first period and one in the third on Dany Heatley. Niemi also made 28 saves, including key stops Jonathan Toews, Jack Skille and others. Crawford fell"
Sharks goalie still a question mark for game against Blackhawks
November 24
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Five months ago, Antti Niemi was hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head as the starting goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks. Tonight, Niemi could be in the opposition net at HP Pavilion when the Sharks face that same Blackhawks team that killed San Jose's own cup dreams in the Western Conference finals. Or not. Because Sharks coach Todd McLellan wasn't about to tip his hand Tuesday, not when there was a chance it could help Chicago prepare for the game. Niemi went to sleep knowing his status, but outsiders could only speculate. Did McLellan factor in Niemi's Chicago history in making his decision? "Absolutely," the coach said Tuesday of his decision that will become apparent at this"
Ex-Hawk Niemi having tough time, but so are Sharks
November 24
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"The Blackhawks don't know whether they will face goalie Antti Niemi tonight when they face the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion, but they would like to. ''It would be a good time,'' center Dave Bolland said with the same mischievous smirk from last postseason. ''Maybe I'll say a few words going behind the net.'' Whether Bolland gets his chance is up for debate. Sharks coach Todd McLellan said Tuesday that Niemi ''potentially'' could get the nod over Antero Niittymaki. In other words, the Hawks will have to wait and see. At this point last season, Niemi was coming off a shutout of the Vancouver Canucks, his fourth victory, but Cristobal Huet was still the starter. Niemi wouldn't become the"
Niemi looks forward to reunion with Hawks
November 23
Chicago Tribune
 
"There are a couple of things Antti Niemi doesn't miss about Chicago, the city he helped send into a frenzy a few months ago as the goaltender of the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup championship team. First, there's deep-dish pizza, often the one thing former Chicagoans crave the most. "I can't stand it," Niemi said Monday at the Sharks' practice facility. "I like thin pizza." Then there's the climate. "The weather is a bit nicer here," Niemi added. What Niemi does miss are his former teammates, whom he will be reunited with — albeit wearing a different uniform — when the Hawks take on the Sharks on Wednesday night at HP Pavilion. It will be the first meeting between the teams since Niemi signed"
Sharks Antti Niemi presented with Stanley Cup ring before game with Blues
November 5
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Sharks goalie Antti Niemi slipped away from his teammates after the morning skate to receive his Stanley Cup ring Thursday in a nondescript room in the bowels of the Scottrade Center. Chicago Blackhawks vice president Al MacIsaac made the trip to St. Louis to present the diamond-encrusted ring valued at $30,000 to Niemi. The design features a small Stanley Cup atop the familiar Blackhawks logo. Engraved on the inside are the names of the teams the Blackhawks beat en route to the championship and the wins and losses in each series, including the Western Conference final sweep of the Sharks. "Maybe not today," Niemi said when asked if he would show the ring to his teammates. "Later." The"
Antti Niemi makes Sharks debut in exhibition loss to Ducks
September 25
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Another Sharks exhibition, another Finnish goalie making his debut in teal. And, because the Sharks couldn't stay out of the penalty box Friday night, another loss to the Anaheim Ducks -- this one a fight-filled 5-4 defeat that spoiled Antti Niemi's first game as a Shark. Earlier in the day, Niemi had described his last appearance at HP Pavilion as that "white-towel game," a reference to the fans waving giveaway prizes at the Western Conference finals in May when he tended net for the Chicago Blackhawks. But in Niemi's first appearance since signing with San Jose as a free agent on Sept. 2, neither side was in the mood to surrender anything as the teams combined for 144 minutes in"
Daunting mask: Niemi's gear still haunting Sharks
September 21
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"According to reports, former Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi greeted his new teammates with an unwelcome sight when the San Jose Sharks opened training camp this weekend. Niemi had yet to discard the mask and pads he used against the Sharks during the Hawks' sweep of San Jose in the Western Conference finals and wore the equipment along with his new team's sweater during training, which former teammate Niklas Hjalmarsson said doesn't surprise him one bit. 'I can imagine; he's a little lazy,'' Hjalmarsson joked Monday at Johnny's Icehouse West after training sessions. Hjalmarsson might well have been with Niemi in San Jose giving the goalie some friendly heckling had the Hawks not matched his"
Niemi still wearing Chicago colors, re-establishing the foundation as Sharks open training camp
September 19
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Lots of good-natured (we think) ribbing of Antti Niemi who hasn't had time yet to replace the red-dominated goalie mask he wore with the Blackhawks last season when his old team eliminated his new one from the playoffs. I get into that a little bit in tomorrow's print edition, so I'll only mention here that Niemi said he hadn't heard any of the heckling — but maybe because there was a language barrier. "Maybe I just didn't understand them," Niemi said. Oh, and his new mask is being painted and should be here within a week."
Sharks sign Antti Niemi, creating logjam in goal
September 3
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The chance to land a Stanley Cup-winning goalie at a reasonable price while giving up nothing in return was too tempting for Sharks general manager Doug Wilson to resist. "We liked our goaltending as of yesterday. We like it even more today," Wilson said Thursday in announcing the signing of Antti Niemi to a one-year, $2 million contract. But in signing Niemi, who became a free agent Aug. 2 when the Chicago Blackhawks ran into salary cap problems, Wilson also created a tricky situation for his hockey team. Wilson earlier this summer decided to replace longtime netminder Evgeni Nabokov, and on July 1 signed another free agent from Finland, Antero Niittymaki, as the top guy in a tandem with"
New goalie intends to earn playing time
September 3
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"One major reason the Sharks were swept in the Western Conference finals ... is now a Shark. But will he be the Shark in net? Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Antti Niemi signed a one-year, $2 million deal with San Jose on Thursday. Asked during a conference call what he recalled of Niemi's performance against his team, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said, "Beating us. It's etched in my brain." Signing Niemi is the third big goalie move in the Sharks' offseason. They paid longtime goaltender Evgeni Nabokov $6 million last season before deciding not to make the free agent an offer this summer. They then signed free agent Antero Niittymaki to a two-year, $4 million deal. Now the club has"
Niemi circles faceoffs in '10-11
September 3
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Goalie Antti Niemi didn't want to talk too much about the Blackhawks. He preferred to focus on his new team, the San Jose Sharks. But Niemi admitted that the Sharks' four games against the Hawks this coming season might have circles around them on his calendar. 'I think it's going to be, for sure, the most exciting games of the regular season next year," said Niemi, whose one-year, $2 million deal with the Sharks became official Thursday. Niemi played a huge role in the Hawks' sweep of the Sharks in the Western Conference finals last season. His ability to come up with big saves at big moments wasn't forgotten by Sharks general manager Doug Wilson. ''Beating us, it's etched in my brain,''"
Sharks sign Niemi to one-year, $2 million contract
September 2
TSN.ca
 
"When the San Jose Sharks last saw Antti Niemi he was on the ice celebrating the Blackhawks Western Conference final victory over the Sharks. To ensure that scene would not be repeated the Sharks announced Thursday that they had agreed to a one-year deal worth $2 million with the Finnish keeper. "Antti's play last season speaks for itself," Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. "Our goal this summer was to create the best goaltending unit we could and we feel we have successfully done that." The signing ends a roller coaster few months for the 27-year old who helped the Hawks capture their first Stanley Cup in a half-century, only to have the"
Niemi reportedly to join Sharks; Jamison resigns
September 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"On a day that Greg Jamison, a chief architect of the Sharks' success, stepped down as CEO of the team's operations, a brand new building block popped up on the horizon. According to multiple reports, the team is on the verge of signing Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Antti Niemi to a one-year, $2 million contract. Though Niemi was crucial to the Chicago Blackhawks winning last season's NHL title - and getting past the Sharks in the Western Conference finals - Chicago gave him up after an arbitrator sided with the player, awarding him $2.75 million. Chicago had offered $1.5 million. The acquisition of Niemi would make for a crowded picture in goal for the Sharks, who signed six-year veteran"
Sharks add former foe in free agent goalie Antti Niemi
September 2
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Sharks apparently have decided that if they can't beat Antti Niemi, they might as well sign him. Niemi, the Chicago goaltender who frustrated San Jose in the Western Conference finals last spring, reportedly has agreed to terms to join the Sharks on a one-year contract for $2 million. The deal would add a wrinkle to the Sharks' goaltending situation as the organization moves on from the Evgeni Nabokov era. San Jose already signed former Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki to a two-year, $4 million contract on the first day of free agency. But a source in San Jose cautioned Wednesday afternoon that the widespread reports of Niemi's signing had jumped the gun and no official"
Source: Antti Niemi heading to Sharks
September 1
ESPN.com
 
"Former Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi has decided to accept a one-year, $2 million deal with the San Jose Sharks, according to a league source. After helping lead the Hawks to their first Stanley Cup title in 49 years, Niemi and Chicago went to salary arbitration. The Blackhawks submitted an offer of $1.5 million, but the arbitrator awarded Niemi $2.75 million. That was too much for the salary cap-strained Blackhawks, who cut ties with Niemi and signed former Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco."
Anti Niemi draws interest from Islanders
August 17
New York Post
 
"The Islanders reportedly are interested in Stanley Cup winning goalie Antti Niemi, who was let go by the Blackhawks in a salary-cap move. "The Islanders have been mentioned" as one of the teams "interested" in the now unrestricted free agent, along with the Sharks, according to the Chicago Tribune. Niemi, at home in Finland with the Cup, told the newspaper he will not play in Europe. "The NHL is the only place I am willing to play," he said. "I don't know right now where, but I will play in the NHL." Niemi won a $2.75 million salary in arbitration, but the cap-crunched Blackhawks walked away from the deal, letting Niemi hit the market."
Niemi disappointed he's no longer a Hawk
August 16
Chicago Tribune
 columnist David Haugh
"On a sheet of ice like the ones he used to clean to make ends meet in his native Finland, former Zamboni driver Antti Niemi hoisted the Stanley Cup in front of 2,000 fans who don't care about the NHL salary cap. During Niemi's Cup celebration last week in Lahti, Finland, the hockey championship the silver chalice symbolized was no more inspiring to the locals than the personal victory it represented. Even one of Niemi's mentors admitted once thinking the man who would become the first Finnish goaltender to win a Stanley Cup was much further away than just the Atlantic Ocean from being a good NHL goalie. "I never would have thought two or three years ago I would have gone to North America,"
Bowman dumps Niemi, adds Turco
August 3
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Having a goaltender adept at moving the puck like Marty Turco made it easier for Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman to walk away from Antti Niemi. ''Marty's great at stopping the puck, but in addition he's probably the best puck-handling goaltender in the league,'' Bowman said Monday after deciding against accepting Niemi's $2.75 million arbitration award in favor of signing Turco to a one-year deal. ''That's one thing I'm actually looking forward to seeing, our defensemen having the benefit of maybe getting the puck just a couple seconds quicker.'' With that way of thinking, the Hawks' defense might actually be better with Turco than it was with Niemi. Plus, Bowman got Turco, a"
Hawks sign Turco to replace Niemi
August 3
Chicago Tribune
 
"A trip across the ocean with 11 buddies to play golf in St. Andrews, Scotland, figured to be the highlight of Marty Turco's summer. Instead, the veteran goaltender said the thrill of his offseason came Monday when he joined the Blackhawks after signing a one-year, $1.3 million contract to replace Antti Niemi for the Stanley Cup champions. The Hawks let Niemi walk rather than pay him the $2.75 million award handed down by an arbitrator Saturday and immediately inked Turco, who spent the last 10 seasons with the Stars. "The understatement of my summer is how excited I am to be part of this organization," Turco said on a conference call from Scotland. "I've played a long time and seen a lot"