On the night of November 9, 2026, Pekka Rinne stood in Toronto to receive one of hockey’s highest honors. The former Nashville Predators goaltender was formally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, joining a class that included Carey Price, Patrice Bergeron, Keith Tkachuk, Cindy Curley and Brian Burke.

For Nashville fans, the ceremony was not simply recognition of a successful NHL career. It was a celebration of the player who helped transform the Predators from a relatively young franchise into a team capable of competing deep into the postseason.

Rinne played all 683 of his NHL regular-season games with Nashville. He finished with 369 wins, 60 shutouts, a .917 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against average. His No. 35 had already been retired in February 2022. Now his name was permanently part of hockey’s Hall of Fame.

The November 9 Ceremony That Completed the Story

The induction took place at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, bringing together some of the sport’s most recognizable retired players and hockey figures. Rinne was introduced by former Nashville general manager David Poile, the executive who selected him late in the 2004 NHL Draft.

Former Predators teammates Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg and Juuse Saros were among those in attendance. Their presence emphasized how strongly Rinne’s career remained connected to the franchise, even years after his final game.

During his acceptance speech, Rinne expressed gratitude to his family, coaches, teammates and the Nashville community. He reflected on a career that had developed far beyond anything he imagined as a teenager in Finland.

The ceremony added a new layer to how Nashville remembers its No. 35. The number had already been raised into the rafters of Bridgestone Arena. With the Hall of Fame induction, Rinne’s achievements now received recognition across the sport as a whole.

From an Eighth-Round Pick to Nashville’s Franchise Goalie

Rinne’s route to the NHL was unusually uncertain. He was born in Kempele, Finland, and developed as a goaltender outside the spotlight typically given to elite international prospects.

Nashville selected him with the 258th overall pick in the eighth round of the 2004 NHL Draft. At that stage, few observers would have expected him to become one of the defining players in franchise history.

He continued developing his technique, size and positional instincts before eventually securing the Predators’ starting job. By the late 2000s, Rinne had become a dependable presence behind Nashville’s defensive structure.

His success came from more than reflexes. At 6 feet 5 inches, he could cover substantial portions of the net, but his movement, angles and ability to recover after an initial save made him particularly difficult to beat.

The 2018 Vezina, the Stanley Cup Run and a Lasting Legacy

Rinne’s career was built across many seasons, not one short stretch. He helped lead Nashville to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, the first such appearance in franchise history. The Predators ultimately lost to Pittsburgh, but their playoff run marked a new stage in the club’s development.

In 2017–18, Nashville won the Presidents’ Trophy with the NHL’s best regular-season record. Rinne received the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender, confirming his standing among the game’s elite.

He also developed a connection to the city outside the rink. The 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, founded with former teammate Shea Weber, supported pediatric cancer research and families through the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

That community involvement contributed to Rinne receiving the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2021, an award recognizing leadership and humanitarian work.

Why February 24, 2022 Still Matters

Before the Hall of Fame ceremony, Nashville had already made a rare franchise decision. On February 24, 2022, the Predators retired Rinne’s No. 35 during a ceremony at Bridgestone Arena.

It was the first jersey retirement in team history. For an organization that entered the NHL in 1998, the moment represented a transition from building traditions to honoring its own lasting legends.

The gesture also made the number a permanent part of Nashville’s arena. A goaltender wearing 35 would no longer appear on the ice for the Predators. The number had become a symbol of one particular career.

Two Images of No. 35: The Crease and the Desperate Save

The two Pekka Rinne goalie designs at Ellie Shirt approach his legacy from different visual directions. One emphasizes the goalie as the guardian of the crease. The other focuses on the athletic movement required to make a sprawling save.

The first design is about position and responsibility. The goalie is presented in relation to the net, with the number and protective equipment providing a recognizable visual identity. It recalls the long, repetitive work of protecting the crease through hundreds of games.

The second composition is about motion and immediate danger. A sprawling goaltender is one of hockey’s most dramatic figures, stretched across the ice in an attempt to stop a shot that appears almost impossible to reach.

Together, the images capture two sides of Rinne’s playing style: the calm positional presence of an established starter and the reactive athleticism that could change the course of an individual game.

The People Behind the Hall of Fame Career

Rinne did not build his career alone. Nashville goaltending coach Ben Vanderklok worked closely with him, while David Poile gave him the original NHL opportunity. Teammates such as Shea Weber and Roman Josi became part of the franchise era he helped define.

Rinne also developed a close professional relationship with Juuse Saros, the Finnish goaltender who succeeded him as Nashville’s primary starter. Their connection created continuity between generations of Predators goaltending.

The 2026 Hall of Fame ceremony brought some of those relationships together in public. Rinne’s acceptance speech was less about listing statistics than acknowledging the people and community that helped shape his career.

Why the Hall of Fame Induction Matters to Smashville

For an expansion-era franchise, historic figures help establish its identity across generations. Nashville supporters who watched Rinne through the 2017 Stanley Cup Final can now share those memories with newer fans who never saw him play.

The Hall of Fame induction makes his story part of the NHL’s permanent historical record. The Predators’ retired jersey keeps that same story visible inside Bridgestone Arena.

The Nashville Predators collection includes other graphics connected to the club’s players and traditions, while the broader NHL collection places Rinne’s career alongside the stories of hockey figures from across the league.

Readers can also explore additional Pekka Rinne designs or read the official Predators Hall of Fame story .

Frequently Asked Questions