Eero Kilpeläi, who played professionally for a long time, will be celebrated on Saturday in Kuopio. In the future, no one will play with Kilpeläinen’s game number, 37, in KalPa’s league team.
Has played professional hockey for 16 seasons Eero Kilpelainen get a little nervous. The ice hockey club KalPa will freeze the game number 37 of its former goalkeeper on Saturday before the Jukurit match. Known as a humble and highly professional player, Kilpeläinen will be the center of attention at the shirt ceremony.
– I have outlined the speech for the celebration and I’m sure the emotions will come to the surface strongly when the shirt rises to the ceiling of the hall, says Kilpeläinen.
38-year-old Eero Kilpeläinen is number one in Finnish league statistics for clean sheets. Kilpeläinen, who finished his playing career in the spring of 2022, played no fewer than 56 clean sheets in the regular season of the league.
During 13 seasons, Kilpeläinen played a total of 670 regular season matches in Ässi, Jokerei and KalPa. Kilpeläinen played 519 regular season matches. Juvan Pallon’s upbringing also played one season in Switzerland and two seasons in Sweden.
His long playing career ended at KalPa in the spring of 2022. Eero Kilpeläinen’s everyday life is now filled with family life and studies. The former top guard is now studying for his second year as a physiotherapist at Savonia University of Applied Sciences. At home, a girl and a boy bring color to everyday life.
Ice hockey has been lacking, because after the second spring, Kilpeläinen only recently went on the ice for the first time in goalie equipment. For Saturday’s festivities, Kilpeläinen has assembled his own Ekin All star team. There are a lot of old game friends.
In the legend match, the all-star team’s opponent will be Jukurit Alumni, because Kilpeläinen played as a junior for several years in Mikkeli’s Jukurei.
The conscientious trainee is still in great shape
A new favorite hobby after my career has been crossfit. The former top goalkeeper says he goes to the gym several times a week.
Kilpeläinen follows KalPa’s games quite closely. The man is a familiar sight in the ice rink and the games can also be watched on the couch at home.
Eero Kilpeläinen is the Fifth KalPa player whose game number will be frozen. In the past, Niirala’s montu has already been raised to the roof Jouni Rinne, Pasi Kuivalainen, Sami Kapanen and Kimmo Timonen shirts.
Kilpeläinen considers KalPa SM silver in the spring of 2017 as one of the top moments of his career. In addition, he won bronze in the Jokeri shirt in 2012. Kilpeläinen was booked by the NHL club Dallas Stars in 2003. He didn’t experience the tough and prestigious NHL, but that doesn’t bother the long-time favorite player of KalPa supporters.
Many former ice hockey players have at some point become coaches. According to Kilpeläinen, coaching is not in the plans at least at the moment. The goalkeeper legend would surely have something to give to the junior players.
– I’m not saying, never, but now coaching is not topical.