Karri Ramo: Stopped One Step Away from the Gagarin Cup

KHL.ru continues its series on players and coaches who have become league legends. The new article tells the story of Karri Ramo, a standout representative of the Finnish goaltending school, who came within a step of winning the Gagarin Cup.Karri Ramo began his professional career during the golden era of the Finnish goaltending school. In the 2000s, a whole generation of strong goaltenders emerged from Finland, including Miikka Kiprusoff, Niklas Oskar Backstrom, Kari Lehtonen, Antero Niittymaki, Pekka Rinne, Tuukka Rask, Vesa Toskala, and others.Ramo stood out even among this high average level. To make it onto Finnish national teams during those years, one had to face serious competition. Karri managed to do so. In 2004, he went to the World Junior Championship, where he shared the net with future Olympic starter in Sochi, Tuukka Rask, who in the quarterfinals shut down Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeny Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk, and other Russian stars.In January 2006, at the World Junior Championship, the Finns, once again featuring the goaltending duo of Rask and Ramo, won bronze medals — defeating Sweden 1:0 OT in the quarterfinals, with Lars Niklas Backström in goal, and then defeating Team USA 4:2 in the bronze medal game, a team that included future stars like Phil Kessel, Bobby Ryan, T.J. Oshie, Jack Johnson, and several others.Karri Ramo 257 games, 135 wins KHL silver medalist (2012). Continental Cup winner (2011). World Championship bronze medalist (2008). Finnish champion (2006). Finnish championship silver medalist (2021). U20 WJC bronze medalist (2006). KHL All-Star Game (2010). Second goalie in the KHL history for the most wins in a single regular season (33 wins in 44 games). Sept. 12, 2009 KHL debut with Avangard. Jan 30, 2010 KHL All-Star Game first appearance. Feb. 18, 2011 KHL Continental Cup win with Avangard and record for the most wins in a single regular season (33 wins in 44 games).By the time he was 19, Ramo had already gained significant playing time in the Finnish top league. The previous season, he had made his debut in the top tier of Finnish club hockey. In the summer of 2005, he transferred to HPK, where, although he wasn’t the starting goaltender, he played 24 regular-season games and another three in the elimination stage.At the end of that season, Ramo won a gold medal in the Finnish championship and posted impressive statistics. In the first stage, he allowed an average of 2.16 goals per game and had a save percentage of 92.9%. In the second stage, his numbers improved to 1.47 goals against and a 94.7% save percentage.After such a season, Ramo was being talked about as the next star of the Finnish goaltending school. He received an invitation from the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Finnish goalie spent three seasons in North America but couldn’t rise above the status of a backup goalie. It was clear that such a role didn’t satisfy the talented goaltender, and in 2009, he decided to realize his potential in the KHL, signing a two-year contract with Avangard.A Missed ChampionshipIt was Vasily Tikhonov, son of the legendary coach Viktor Tikhonov, who recommended that Avangard sign Ramo. Tikhonov Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a coach with significant connections in Finnish hockey circles. Interestingly, a year after Ramo’s arrival in Omsk, Tikhonov joined the team’s coaching staff as an assistant to Raimo Summanen.Those who worked with Ramo recalled that he was an atypical Finnish netminder. Finnish goalies were usually known for their calm and composed demeanor, making it difficult to unsettle them. Karri, on the other hand, was impulsive, talked a lot on the ice, constantly gave instructions to his teammates, and once, during a preseason game, almost fought with Alexander Vyukhin, a goalie from Metallurg Novokuznetsk. “If a brawl breaks out, I’m not afraid, I’ll fight,” he said in an interview with Sports.ru. In fact, shortly after arriving in North America, Ramo fought with an opposing goalie in just his second game.However, his fiery character didn’t affect his steady performance in the net. Ramo played consistently at a high level throughout his four seasons with Avangard, posting almost identical key statistics each year, with a goals-against average ranging from 1.96 to 2.11 and a save percentage between 91.3% and 92.9%. The goalies who played for Avangard in the first KHL season couldn’t match these numbers, so the decision to bring in the Finnish netminder was fully justified.However, for Ramo, one season among those spent with Avangard must stand out. This, of course, refers to the 2011-2012 season when the Omsk team reached the Gagarin Cup finals. Neither before nor after did Avangard, along with Karri, achieve such a result in the playoffs, typically exiting after the first round (once) or the second (twice).At the end of the 2011-2012 regular season, Ramo finished in the top five KHL goalies for average goals allowed (1.96) and ranked in the top ten for save percentage (92.5%) among primary goaltenders. In the playoffs, his game became even more solid, with 1.54 goals allowed and a 94% save rate. He led the league in the first statistic and was only surpassed by Alexander Yeryomenko and Petri Vehanen in the second.With such a presence between the piping, Avangard was confidently moving toward the Gagarin Cup. In the first three rounds, judging by the score, the Hawks defeated Amur (4-0), Metallurg Magnitogorsk (4-1), and Traktor (4-1) without much trouble. Initially, the Omsk side also faced no difficulties in the final series, taking a commanding 3-1 lead against Dynamo. However, the tide of the series suddenly turned. The final ended with a 4-3 victory for the Muscovites. There was no blame on Ramo for that defeat. If the offense couldn't score a single goal in the decisive seventh game on home ice, how could you fault the goaltender?InjuriesAfter four seasons with Avangard, Ramo decided to try his luck overseas once again. This time, it went better than the first. The Finn played more frequently and with greater confidence, posting solid stats, and potentially could have become the undisputed starter in the future. But in February 2016, toward the end of his third season with Calgary, he suffered a severe injury — torn cruciate ligaments. The situation was worsened by his expiring contract, which left him without a team. It wasn’t until December that he signed a deal with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, but after only three games, he returned to where he had started his professional career — Pelicans, coached by Petri Matikainen. Ramo had worked with Matikainen earlier in his career, as well as at Avangard.Ahead of the next season, Ramo returned to the KHL, joining Jokerit. That season, he was selected for the Olympic team, but wasn’t given a single game. The Pyeongchang Games became Karri's fourth and final major tournament with the national team. Previously, he had participated in three World Championships but never as the starting goalie, playing only one match and winning a bronze medal in 2008.Apr. 6, 2012 His shutout against Traktor led Avangard to its first Gagarin Cup finals appearance. June 6, 2013 Moves to North America. May 19, 2017 Return to the KHL, signing a deal with Jokerit. May 31, 2018 Signs with Avangard, but won’t play a single game due to a serious pre-season injury.At the end of May 2018, Ramo signed a contract with Avangard once again. However, Karri never played an official game for the Hawks after that. In late August 2018, during a preseason game at the Governor of Chelyabinsk Region Cup, the goalie tore his cruciate ligaments again.After two such injuries, the chances of returning to the highest level are very slim for any athlete. Ramo missed the entire season. He later attempted to continue playing in Sweden, Finland, and Germany, but he only played a small number of games in each place. In 2022, Karri retired from professional hockey.During his career, Ramo had stated that once he finished playing, he would likely not stay involved in hockey, saying that it already occupied too much of his life. However, time had its own plans. In 2020, while still not officially retired, Karri tried his hand at being a goaltending coach in the second league. Last season, he became an assistant coach for the Pelicans’ junior team.KHL.ru dossierKarri RamoBorn July 1, 1986 in Asikkala (Finland).Playing career: 2003-2005 Pelicans (FIN), 2005-2006 HPK (FIN), 2006, 2009 Tampa Bay Lightning, 2006-2007 Springfield (AHL), 2007-2009 Norfolk (AHL), 2009-2013 Avangard, 2013-2016 Calgary Flames, 2015-2016 Stockton (AHL), 2016-2017 Pelicans (FIN), Toronto Marlies (AHL), 2017-2018 Jokerit, 2019-2020 Djurgarden (SWE), 2020-2021 TPS (FIN), 2021-2022 Ingolstadt (GER).Honors: WJC bronze medal (2006), World Championship bronze medal (2008), Finnish champion (2006), Russian championship silver medal (2012).