Who is Kevin Lankinen? 5 things to know about the Chicago Blackhawks goaltender, including his friend turned rival and his book club

To borrow a phrase from Ron Burgundy, that escalated quickly.

The Chicago Blackhawks opted to hold a rolling tryout at goaltender this season after they parted with Corey Crawford, with Malcolm Subban, Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen in the mix starting in training camp.

Subban was considered the front-runner at the outset, mainly because he had the most NHL experience. But Lankinen has emerged as the go-to guy between the pipes. He has started 15 of the Hawks’ 23 games, racking up nine wins with a .924 save percentage and a 2.55 goals-against average.

Here are five things to know about the 25-year-old.

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1. He’s a legend in his native Finland.

1. He’s a legend in his native Finland.

Finland is about as hockey-crazy a nation as there is, and Lankinen, a Helsinki native, and his teammates rocketed to celebrity status when they won the 2019 world championship in Slovakia.

The Finnish team beat Russia 1-0 in the semifinals — with Lankinen making 43 saves — and Canada 3-1 in the gold-medal game. Lankinen stopped 32 shots in the final.

He and his teammates even got to sing onstage with Finnish rap group JVG upon returning home.

“Out of 5 million people, more than 3 million (watched) the game,” he told the Tribune shortly after the tournament. “We had a couple big celebrations, and both had more than 50,000 people. It was all over the news.”

Lankinen can totally rub that gold medal in the faces of several Hawks teammates, if he is so inclined. Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat played on the U.S. squad, which Russia eliminated in the quarterfinals, and Dylan Strome played on the Canadian team.

2. His good friend might end up being his greatest rival.

Lankinen and Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo go way back. Not only were the Finland natives born exactly a year apart — Korpisalo on April 28, 1994, and Lankinen on the same date in 1995 — but they have been playing against each other since they were in junior hockey in their home country.

Their first NHL confrontation came Jan. 29 at the United Center, with the Blue Jackets coming out on top 2-1. Korpisalo made 31 saves and Lankinen 25.

“We’re really good buddies,” Lankinen said after that game. “We hang out in the summer; we work out and skate together, so it was kind of fun to match up against him. I think I’m going to hear about this game for a little while until we get them next time.

“The last time we played against each other was seven years ago in the Finnish league and I got the win, so I think he’ll come back at me for a little while.”

They since have gone head to head three times, with the Hawks twice getting the best of the Blue Jackets. Most recently, Lankinen stood tall in the Hawks’ 6-5 shootout win Feb. 23, coming up with several outstanding saves.

3. He has his own book club.

There are several photos on Lankinen’s Instagram feed that feature him reading. But it’s not just for show: He has his own book club, which launched in 2019.

In January, he picked up “A Life on This Earth” by British historian and documentarian David Attenborough. And in August, he rewarded participants in his effort to promote literacy by giving away a Blackhawks sweater.

Can one assume it’s only a matter of time before he has own book club stamp, a la Oprah Winfrey?

4. He’s tying the knot.

Lankinen got engaged to his fiancee, Lina, in September. He posted a photo from Karhunkierros, a popular hiking trail in northern Finland, on Sept. 27 with this caption: “The day she said yes.”

Apparently Lina is a bit of a night owl/early bird. Lankinen mentioned giving her a call on Jan. 22 after the Hawks beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 for his first NHL victory.

“I think I’m going to call my fiancee back home,” he said. “She’s back home in Finland, probably still awake. Probably my whole family is awake watching the game, even though it started at 3 a.m.”

5. He’s on the score sheet — twice.

One potential benefit of the wide-open ice during three-on-three overtime periods: more chances for goaltenders to collect points.

On Feb. 9, Lankinen was credited with a secondary assist on Pius Suter’s game-winning overtime goal in Dallas. It was Lankinen’s first NHL point.

Then on Feb. 17, he earned an assist on Philipp Kurashev’s highlight-reel goal on a power play. By Lankinen’s own admission, he didn’t have to do much. He simply left the puck for Duncan Keith to collect, and the defenseman dished it to Kurashev, who took it from there.

“I think I had the easiest assist of my career with that,” Lankinen said. “Duncan made a good play to make the pass to Phil. Phil was the big star on that one. He’s going to end up in the highlights with that, one he’ll remember for a long time and we’ll remember for a long time too.”

Before Lankinen got on the score sheet, the last Hawks goaltender to record a point was Crawford, who tallied four assists in 2018-19.