Antti Raanta rooted for Blackhawks playoff loss, ‘pissed off’ about treatment

As the Chicago Blackhawks ascended to the Stanley Cup, goalie Antti Raanta was dropped down the depth chart. The goalie had been seen as a potential challenger to Corey Crawford’s status as a starter; instead, he was practicing with the Black Aces, as journeyman sensation Scott Darling had won the backup job.

Naturally, this didn’t sit well with Raanta, and he spoke about it to Finnish paper Satakunnan Kansa with stunning candor: The Chicago Blackhawks goalie was rooting against the Chicago Blackhawks in the playoffs.

From reader Ju Pa, via Iltasanomat.fi (currently down):

“I was really hoping Nashville would beat us in four games and I could get back to Finland. I was [so pissed off] about how Chicago was treating me.”

According to Raanta, Blackhawks were suffering of weak team spirit and head coach Joel Quenneville didn’t seem to like him.

“I noticed that coach didn’t like me, in that position it is pretty difficult to fight the windmills,” Raanta said

Raanta played 25 gamed for Chicago in 2013-14, posting an .897 save percentage. He played 14 in 2014-15, with a .936 save percentage. But he lost the backup gig to Darling and didn’t see any postseason action. Raanta was traded to the New York Rangers in June for forward Ryan Haggerty.

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As Vesa Rantanen writes on Tuesday, this is an oddly harsh, even for a Finnish goalie, as Finnish goalies make other goalies look nutty, which as you know is a real talent.

At least Raanta stuck to his guns and didn’t, like, party with the Stanley Cup back in Finland after rooting for the Blackhawks to lose in the Nashville Predators in four games, making him a total hypocrite.