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Antti Raanta Rooted For Nashville Predators in Playoffs

By Doug Praskach

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The Nashville Predators had a strange fan rooting for them in last years playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks.  In a report from Yahoo’s Puck Daddy, Antti Raanta, the Blackhawks back up goalie was actually hoping that the Predators would win.

As a matter of fact, he not only hoped they would win but he wanted them to sweep the ‘Hawks in four games so he could get home to Finland. Raanta spoke to the Finnish paper Satakunnan Kansa and said:

“I was really hoping Nashville would beat us in four games and I could get back to Finland. I was [so pissed off] about how Chicago was treating me.”

According to Raanta, Blackhawks were suffering of weak team spirit and head coach Joel Quenneville didn’t seem to like him. 

“I noticed that coach didn’t like me, in that position it is pretty difficult to fight the windmills,” Raanta said

Raanta had started the season with Chicago hoping that he would challenge for the number one goaltender position against

“I was really hoping Nashville would beat us in four games and I could get back to Finland,” Antti Raanta on Puck Daddy

Corey Crawford.  Instead he not only dropped down behind him but also behind

Scott Darling

who played really well and won the back up position.  Raanta actually played well during the season playing in 14 games with a .936 save percentage.  He was not happy to be dropped back and not play in the playoffs.

Antti Raanta was traded on June 27th to the New York Rangers for Ryan Haggerty, a 22-year-old who spent the 2014-15 in the AHL.   Raanta will be the backup goaltender for the Rangers behind Henrik Lundqvist.  If the Predators get to the Stanly Cup finals against the Rangers, I sure hope he will still be rooting for us!

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