Veteran NHL goalie Keith Kinkaid feels he still has plenty left in the tank and is working toward a return to the higher levels of professional hockey, per George Richards of NHL.com.
Kinkaid, 36, played last season for Savannah of the ECHL, the Panthers’ affiliate, posting a pedestrian .893 save percentage and 3.17 goals against average. It’s a steep fall for a 10-year NHL veteran with 146 career starts, but Kinkaid isn’t giving up hope that he can return to the top level. This summer, Kinkaid has performed well in 3ICE, an eight-team, 3-on-3 tournament being held in Florida. Kinkaid said he is hopeful to extend his pro career and is open to any opportunity.
“This is a great opportunity to show I still have it. My body is holding up very well. I am 36, but I am just trying to prolong my career because once it’s done, it’s done. [3ICE] has given me the chance to keep playing, to showcase that I still have gas left in the tank,” he said.
Elsewhere around hockey:
- NHL and KHL veteran Teemu Pulkkinen has signed in Finland with Kiekko-Vantaa of the Mestis League, per a team release. Pulkkinen, 33, appeared in 83 NHL games over four seasons. A fourth-round selection of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2010 draft (111th overall), he scored 13 goals and 22 points in the NHL but hasn’t appeared in the league since the 2016-17 season. He then spent eight seasons in the KHL, and spent last year split between Germany and Slovakia.
- New York Islanders prospect Jesse Nurmi will start next season in the AHL, per NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner. A fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft (113th overall), Nurmi, 20, spent last season with the OHL’s London Knights, where the winger produced nine goals and 31 points in 58 games. A native of Finland, the 6-foot, 180-pound left-shot winger spent parts of three seasons in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, before making his North American debut last year.