Blackhawks elect against engraving Raanta's name on Stanley Cup
Fifty-two names were engraved on the Stanley Cup to honor the 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks, but former goaltender Antti Raanta's was not among them.
The lone rule for inclusion is a player must appear in 41 of the team's 82 regular-season contests or at least one Stanley Cup final game. Raanta played in only 14 contests, but dressed as a backup to either Corey Crawford or Scott Darling in more than the requirement.
While the Blackhawks petitioned to have forwards Daniel Carcillo and Joakim Nordstrom included on the trophy despite failing to meet the rule, they didn't extend themselves for Raanta. The club selected its 52 names and cited only the rule for Raanta's exclusion to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, making one wonder if the 26-year-old goaltender's controversial statements over the summer played a role.
Congratulations @NHLBlackhawks. Forever 2015 #stanleycup champions! @HockeyHallFame Hhofarchives pic.twitter.com/op2aGDFNfY
— Philip Pritchard (@keeperofthecup) September 27, 2015
After falling behind Darling on the depth chart, Raanta expressed his displeasure to Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat that he was rooting against his own team in its first-round series versus the Nashville Predators.
Raanta took issue with the story shortly after it came out, claiming that he was angry for one day before those feelings subsided.
Antti Raanta poses with one of his biggest fans in hometown of Rauma. #stanleycup @HockeyHallFame @NHLBlackhawks pic.twitter.com/MLT26OtLB1
— Philip Pritchard (@keeperofthecup) July 23, 2015
Darling helped the Blackhawks defeat the Predators in six games before Crawford took over and aided Chicago in sweeping the Minnesota Wild, outlasting the Anaheim Ducks and capturing the Stanley Cup by besting the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games on June 15. Twelve days later, Raanta learned he was traded to the New York Rangers for forward Ryan Haggerty.
Raanta posted a 13-5-4 mark in 25 appearances in 2013-14 before finding himself as the odd-man out in Chicago last season. He recorded a 7-4-1 mark with a 1.89 goals-against average and two shutouts.
(h/t Chicago Sun-Times)
