It’s been a long wait, but today Miikka Kiprusoff officially announced he will be retiring from NHL hockey. The 37 year old had a rough end to his career with Calgary, stumbling badly during the lock-out shortened season and then putting the kibosh on a trade deadline swap that would have seen him go to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Not that the rocky conclusion to his days in Calgary will leave any kind of lasting impression on his legace as a Flame. For a time, he was the best goalie in the game and may in fact be recognized as the best puck stopper to ever wear the Flaming C, despite never managing to win a cup. Kipper’s reputation outstripped his performance level during some of his final seasons, but he was one of the primary reasons the club was considered a contender when he was at his peak.

We’ll publish a more complete requiem for Kipper later this week. For now, thanks for everything Miikka and good luck.