A 5-foot-11 goalie is still unusual at the top of the sport. Juuse Saros made that detail part of his identity, not a limitation, building an NHL career on timing, edge work and reflexes sharp enough to erase the size question night after night.
From Forssa to HPK
Juuse Saros was born on April 19, 1995, in Forssa, Finland, and grew up in the HPK development system. That long connection to one club gave his early career a clear shape: local prospect, junior standout, then pro.
His route to the crease came a little later than most. Saros reportedly began in hockey as a defenseman and did not move to goaltender until his early teens. Once he switched, the rise was quick. He played for HPK’s U18 side in 2011-12, then moved up to the club’s junior team in Finland’s top junior circuit in 2012-13.
That season brought his first major recognition. He won the Jorma Valtonen Award in 2013 and was named to the Jr. A SM-liiga All-Star Team. Off the ice, he attended Hämeenlinna Lyceum High School, a sports-focused school, and later completed Finland’s mandatory military service in 2014.
HPK and an early reputation in Liiga
Saros turned pro with HPK while still a teenager, and his numbers in Liiga immediately stood out. In 2013-14, he played 44 games and posted a 1.76 goals-against average, a .928 save percentage and seven shutouts. Those are eye-catching numbers for any goalie, let alone one adjusting to men’s hockey.
He followed with another strong season in 2014-15: 47 games, a 2.14 GAA, a .929 save percentage and six shutouts. Over those two years, he went from promising junior to one of the most closely watched young goaltenders in Finland.
Liiga named him Rookie of the Year in 2014, and NHL teams had already taken notice. The Nashville Predators drafted him in the fourth round, 99th overall, in the 2013 NHL Draft.
Drafted by Nashville, tested in Milwaukee
The move to North America came after his second full Liiga season. On June 16, 2015, Saros signed his entry-level contract with Nashville and joined the organization for 2015-16.
His first stop was Milwaukee in the AHL, where the transition looked smooth on the stat sheet and on the ice. Saros went 29-8-0 in 38 games with a 2.24 GAA, a .920 save percentage and four shutouts. More important than the totals was the way he handled the workload. Smaller ice, more traffic, more second chances around the crease, his game still translated.
That year brought league-wide recognition too. He was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team and selected to the 2016 AHL All-Star Classic.
Learning behind Pekka Rinne in Nashville
Saros made his NHL debut with the Predators during the 2015-16 season, but his first years in Nashville were about patience as much as performance. Pekka Rinne still owned the crease, and Saros had to learn behind one of the most important players in franchise history.
That apprenticeship mattered. He was not rushed into the starter’s role, and when Nashville did need him more often, he looked ready for it. By the end of the 2017-18 season, Saros had become a trusted option behind Rinne, and in the years that followed he gradually took over the net.
He also picked up one of Rinne’s habits. Saros has worn a FootJoy golf glove inside his catching glove, a routine he learned from the veteran Finnish goalie.
Contractually, the Predators kept showing belief in him. After his entry-level deal, he signed a three-year, $4.5 million contract in July 2018. In August 2021, he signed a four-year, $20 million extension.
Taking over the crease
The handoff from Rinne to Saros was not one dramatic moment as much as a steady shift. By the shortened 2020-21 season, he had clearly become Nashville’s No. 1 goaltender, and his play gave the club a chance on nights when it badly needed one.
His best NHL season came in 2021-22. Saros played 67 games, went 38-25-3, posted a 2.64 GAA and a .918 save percentage, and recorded four shutouts. He finished as a Vezina Trophy finalist and was named an NHL All-Star.
One game from that stretch still sits in the franchise record book. In January 2022, he made 64 saves in a game against Carolina, the most ever by a Predators goalie.
He stayed among the league’s busiest goaltenders in 2022-23, appearing in 64 games and finishing 33-23-7 with a 2.69 GAA, a .919 save percentage and two shutouts. He was selected to another All-Star Game, and advanced metrics were just as kind to him as the traditional numbers. By goals saved above expected, he remained one of the most valuable goaltenders in the league.
The seasons that followed were less efficient by save percentage, but the role did not change. Saros still carried a major share of the work for Nashville, which says something about both his durability and the trust the organization placed in him.
How Juuse Saros plays
Modern NHL goaltending often favors size first. Saros wins in different ways.
At 5-foot-11, he does not fill the net by simply arriving there and staying big. His game is built on reads, explosive pushes and compact recoveries. He gets to spots quickly, stays balanced through traffic and rarely wastes movement. When he is sharp, shooters can feel as if the opening disappears just before the puck gets there.
That style helped make him one of the rare undersized goalies to thrive as a full-time NHL starter. It also explains why Juuse Saros stats have so often held up even under heavy volume. Nashville has leaned on him to face a lot of work, and his best seasons came when he combined that workload with elite efficiency.
He catches left and wears No. 74 for the Predators.
Finland’s go-to goalie at the junior level and beyond
Long before he became the Nashville Predators starter, Saros had already built a strong international résumé with Finland.
He appeared at the IIHF World U18 Championship in 2012 and also played in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament that year, where Finland won silver. In 2013, Finland took bronze at the World U18s, and Saros was named the tournament’s best goaltender.
His biggest junior moment came at the 2014 World Junior Championship. Finland won gold on home ice, and Saros was central to it. He was named to the tournament All-Star Team and led the event in both goals-against average, at 1.57, and save percentage, at .943.
Later that same year, he helped Finland win silver at the IIHF World Championship. Another silver followed at the 2016 Worlds.
At senior level, he remained a regular option for Finland when available. He was also part of the Finnish team that won bronze at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Life away from the rink
There is a grounded quality to Saros’s story off the ice that fits the way he plays. He is the son of Pekka and Leila Saros and has an older brother, Eemeli. In July 2023, he married Minna Varis.
He is also well known as a dog lover. Saros and his wife have dogs named Kesa and Nala, and those pets have appeared in his mask art and tattoos. That interest has carried into charity work in Nashville. He has served as a Preds Pet Club ambassador, and he has been involved in the “Saros Saves Pucks and Puppies” initiative, which supports Wags & Walks Nashville through donations tied to his saves.
Around the rink, his nickname is “Juice,” a natural shorthand for Juuse that has followed him for years.
FAQ
How old is Juuse Saros?
He was born on April 19, 1995.
What team does Juuse Saros play for?
He plays for the Nashville Predators.
Was Juuse Saros drafted?
Yes. Nashville selected him in the fourth round, 99th overall, in the 2013 NHL Draft.
Has Juuse Saros won a Stanley Cup?
No, he has not won a Stanley Cup.
Is Juuse Saros married?
Yes. He married Minna Varis in July 2023.
Where is Juuse Saros from?
He is from Forssa, Finland.
Photo: Jenn G from Seattle, WA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
