His career on and off the ice will take center stage when we raise his sweater to the Bridgestone Arena rafters, but we know that he will be celebrated time and time again, as his impact can't be contained to just one event." While he is the greatest player to wear our jersey, he was even better as a neighbor and friend to all. "From how he trained and played to how he put so much into so many community-changing programs, from Best Buddies, to the 365 Fund to Feeding the Frontlines to always being there when SMASHVILLE needed a friend, Pekka was always there, doing more than anyone thought a person could. The two exchanged a long bear hug and some hellos before Rinne tried to make his way back inside the arena.Īlong the way, like he did countless times during his 15-season career with the Predators, Rinne made himself one with the crowd, signing just about every autograph and taking just about every selfie as his family waited for him inside."Pekka Rinne defines what it means to be part of the Nashville Predators," Henry said. There the unofficial king of Nashville locked eyes with the "King of Smashville," super fan Nathaniel Bone. He finally made his way down a path toward the back of the chairs that sat neatly in rows. From there he made his way inside the roped-off area to find people such as Josi and Neal and Dupont and Klein. Rinne walked off the stage to another standing ovation, stopping to wave in every direction as a token of his appreciation. "We all want to emulate ourselves after Pekka," Predators forward Colton Sissons said. He was always an example, how he worked, how he treated all the people around him." "He's always been a great example and always made it easy for all the new guys to come in. "He's the biggest reason the team grew from an expansion team into a real hockey team," Saros said. Rinne's former teammate and mentee and longtime friend Juuse Saros said he's long thought Rinne deserved a statue. "It's representing my family, the organization, the city of Nashville." "It's not just representing me," Rinne said. HI, PEKKA: Retired Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne no good at goodbyes - and I'm thankful for thatĬhants of "Thank you, Pekka" filled the air after Rinne, holding his son, helped unveil the statue. MEMORIES: Five memorable moments Pekka Rinne had with the Nashville Predators MORE THAN HOCKEY: Former Nashville Predator Pekka Rinne's statue symbolizes more than just hockey "I'll be watching you guys going down Broadway," Rinne joked. Predators Day 1 season-ticket older Scott Wise spent a year making the statue that is sure to stand facing Broadway for many, many years to come. The man with his number retired and hanging from the rafters inside Bridgestone, the man who holds nearly every goalie record in franchise history, the man who has a goat named after him at the Nashville Zoo became just the sixth goalie in NHL history to have a statue erected in his honor. I'm just going to point out the door, 'That's me.' "Maybe it helps me get into the game in the future," Rinne later joked. View Gallery: Pekka Rinne's jersey retired by Nashville Predators: Our best photos Onlookers craned their necks trying to sneak a peak at Rinne and his newly unveiled statue a few hours before the Predators faced the Seattle Kraken. His wife Erika Parkko, who held their curly-haired, 2-year-old son Paulus.įormer teammates such as Roman Josi, Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, James Neal, Kevin Klein and J-P Dumont also showed up to show support for a man described by Nashville Predators general manager David Poile as "the greatest player in franchise history." Former Predators coach and future Predators GM Barry Trotz was there, too, along with Rinne's first goalie coach, Mitch Korn.Ī sea of people wearing mostly gold sweaters, mostly with the name "Rinne" and the number 35 on the back, surrounded center stage. John Lewis Way on Saturday morning, a black sheet covering a nearly 12-foot tall, nearly 900-pound statue waved high in the warm wind above the sun-soaked plaza outside Bridgestone Arena.īlack chairs with name placards taped to them reserved seats belonging to people such as Pekka Rinne's parents, Jukka and Helena Rinne, and his two sisters. Inside a roped-off area on the corner of Broadway and Rep. Watch Video: Pekka Rinne statue unveiling ceremony
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