The Predators selected Rinne in the eighth round (No. 258) of the 2004 NHL Draft. He came to North America in 2005 and played primarily for Milwaukee in the American Hockey League. He played his first NHL game and got his first NHL win Dec. 15, 2005, making 35 saves in a 5-3 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Rinne also played against the Blackhawks on April 5, 2006, allowing one goal on two shots in 3:08. He played for Milwaukee in 2006-07 and one game with Nashville in 2007-08 before becoming a full-time NHL goalie in 2008-09, when he was 29-15-4 with a 2.38 GAA, a .917 save percentage and seven shutouts in 52 games (49 starts) to finish fourth in voting for the Calder Trophy awarded to the NHL rookie of the year. He had NHL career bests in GAA (2.12) and save percentage (.930) in 2010-11, when he was 33-22-9 with six shutouts. Rinne set NHL career-highs in 2011-12 with 73 games, 72 starts and 43 wins, with a 2.39 GAA, a .923 save percentage and five shutouts.
"For years, Pekka has been the face of our franchise on and off the ice," Predators general manager David Poile said. "The role he played in making the Predators organization into something so much more than just a hockey team cannot be understated, and what he means to our team and community makes him one of the most special players and people you'll ever meet.
"It's cliche of what you would want from your best players, but Pekka gave us a chance to win in every single game he played and led our team during the most competitive era of our franchise. While we will miss his talent and leadership in our locker room, we want to congratulate him and his family on an exceptional career, and we're all looking forward to seeing him continue to make a positive impact on our community in the years to come."
Rinne was 42-13-4 with a 2.31 GAA, a .927 save percentage and an NHL career-high eight shutouts in 59 games in 2017-18, when he won the Vezina. He was runner-up in 2010-11 and 2014-15, and third in 2011-12. He played at least 50 games nine times from 2008-19, and at least 60 five times from 2010-17.
Rinne became the 12th NHL goalie to score a goal when he did so against the Blackhawks on Jan. 9, 2020.
"With 'Peks,' he was the perfect fit for this market," said New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz, who coached Rinne with the Predators for six seasons. "You needed a likeable star. You needed someone who could take a team on his back and someone who could get very involved in the community. Win or lose, he always was able to treat the people, the media, anybody he came in contact with, with the utmost respect knowing that he had impact on growing a franchise.
"He was a great goaltender, very competitive under the surface. When the shootout came, we didn't have a lot of snipers, but most everybody wanted to go first to put the pressure on the opposition, and he came to me and said, 'Listen, let them shoot first because I want them. You guys score a goal, I'll stop them.' That's the type of teammate he was."