Joni Ortio

Drafted 2009, 1 #44 by Swift Current Broncos in the CHL Import Draft
Cult/Star player for Skellefteå AIK
Cult/Star player for TUTO Hockey U20

Biography
Joni Ortio is a product of TPS, a Turku, Finland, based club known for its long-serving goaltending coach Urpo Ylönen. Ortio progressed gradually through TPS junior ranks, with a brief stint with crosstown rival TUTO junior teams in 2007-08. In the summer of 2008 Ortio was training in Turku alongside some NHL players including fellow Turku native Miikka Kiprusoff. Jamie McLennan, the Director of Goaltending Development of the Calgary Flames at the time, was present in the practice and caught his attention. Subsequently Ortio was selected by the Calgary Flames as a late sixth round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. The Swift Current Broncos drafted him in the CHL Import Draft in the same year in hopes of luring him to play in the WHL. However, Ortio chose to stay in Turku, probably because of the world class goaltending coach present there.

Ortio made the jump to professional hockey following his draft year, serving as the third string goalie for TPS and gaining experience in the second tier league Mestis and in the juniors. The following season he served mainly as the backup to Atte Engren. He also played a number of games on loan in Mestis and in the juniors. Furthermore, Ortio was a regular on the national team, representing Finland in a number of junior tournaments. One the most notable moments of his early career was winning a bronze medal in the U18 World Championship in game against Canada.

Being a late pick, the Flames let Ortio develop in Finland. He was signed to a three-year entry-level contract upon the completion of the 2010-11 season in Finland. He joined the Abbotsford Heat, the Flames' AHL affiliate, on an amateur tryout contract in late March 2011 and made his AHL debut on April 10, 2011.

In 2011-12 Ortio started the season in the AHL with the Abbotsford Heat, but struggled. He dressed to a total of nine AHL games, mainly serving time backing up and splitting time with Leland Irving and Danny Taylor. Unable to secure more ice time between pipes in North America, he opted to return to Finland and play for his former team TPS.

Despite displacing TPS starter Marek Schwarz as the trusted starter in 2011-12, he did not play with the team the following season. The team signed goaltending duo Atte Engren and Antero Niittymäki for the 2012-13 season, which left Ortio looking for a team. Nevetheless, Ortio continued to develop in Finland, opting to play for HIFK that season. His efforts earned him a spot on the national team, culminating in the 2013 World Championship.

Ortio returned to North America for the final season of his contract after two seasons in Finland. He returned to at a time, which saw the Flames sign a number of goaltenders to fill the void left by Ortio's fellow countryman and fellow Urpo Ylönen protege Miikka Kiprusoff who had recently retired. By the start of the 2013-14 season the Flames had Reto Berra, Joey MacDonald and Karri Rämö on its roster in addition to Ortio.

Ortio was first assigned to Abbotsford, where he was slated to compete for the starter spot. However, before seeing any ice time in the AHL, he was assigned to the Flames' ECHL affiliate Alaska Aces, while Laurent Brossoit was recalled to back up Berra in the AHL. After four starts in the ECHL, Ortio was recalled to Abbotsford. After displacing Brossoit, he managed to claim the starter spot from Berra. Later on both Brossoit and Berra were traded to other NHL teams, helping him move up on the Flames' depth chart. With Berra traded and Rämö injured, Ortio found himself stopping pucks in Calgary. The stellar season in the AHL led to being named on the AHL All-Rookie team and a new two-year contract with the Flames.

Trivia
- Won his first NHL game in his second game on March 5, 2014.
- Made his NHL debut on February 27, 2014.
- Competed with Leland Irving and Danny Taylor for a spot with the Abbotsford Heat in 2011-12, but opted to return to Finland. When he returned to Abbotsford, both Irving and Taylor moved to play in Europe.
- Made his AHL debut on April 10, 2011.
- Made his SM-liiga debut on October 16, 2009.
- Idolized Miikka Kiprusoff in his youth and got to play in the same NHL team as Kiprusoff did.

Sources:
- Zuurbier, Peter 2009. Ortio follows hero's path to Calgary: Joni Ortio grew up idolizing Miikka Kiprusoff, and they're now teammates. Available: http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?bcid=451017