Justus Annunen Bio
Justus Hermanni Annunen, nicknamed “Juice” or “Big Juice”, is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on 11 March 2000 in Kempele, Finland, he stands 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) tall and weighs approximately 207 lb (94 kg), playing the goaltender position and catching with his left hand. Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the third round, 64th overall, of the 2018 NHL entry draft, Annunen has built his career through steady development in Finland and North America.
Early Life and Background
Justus Hermanni Annunen was born on 11 March 2000 in Kempele, a municipality in the Northern Ostrobothnia region of Finland. He first played organized hockey as a 14-year-old with Kiekko-Laser at the junior under-18 level during the 2014 season. His early talent was evident at a young age, and by 16 he had joined the youth system of Oulun Kärpät, one of the most successful programs in Finnish hockey.
With Kärpät, Annunen led the club’s under-18 team during the 2016–17 season, appearing in 30 games. In the 2017–18 campaign he played primarily in the Nuorten SM-liiga, posting a 2.21 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. He also made his professional and Liiga debut near the end of that regular season, allowing four goals on 33 shots in a shutout defeat to HPK on 8 March 2018. Returning to junior play afterward, he was named the league’s best goaltender, a first-team all-star, and won a silver medal after his club finished second.
Path to Hockey
Heading into his draft-eligible year, Annunen was ranked as the fourth-best international goaltender by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. He was the third goaltender selected when the Colorado Avalanche took him 64th overall in the 2018 NHL entry draft. To continue his development, Kärpät loaned him to Mestis club Kokkolan Hermes at the start of the 2018–19 season on 31 July 2018.
With Hermes, Annunen posted a 12–7–2 record in 22 appearances, with a 2.77 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. He returned to Kärpät late in the season, making one regular-season appearance before joining the junior team for the playoffs, where he helped capture the Jr. A SM-liiga championship with a 1.50 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in six games. On the international stage, he represented Finland at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and the 2018 IIHF World U18 Championships, helping his country to gold at the under-18 event with a 2.00 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in six games.
Justus Annunen Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
Annunen’s first full professional season came in 2019–20 with Kärpät in the Liiga, where he served as the backup to Patrik Rybár. He collected his first Liiga win in a 3–2 decision over KalPa on 12 September 2019. A contract extension followed on 16 September 2019, and Annunen quickly established himself as one of the league’s top netminders. Between 21 September and 23 October 2019, he recorded four consecutive shutouts, setting a new Liiga single-season shutout streak record of 302 minutes and five seconds.
Sharing duties with Rybár, Annunen finished the regular season with a 15–5–3 record in 23 games, ranking first among all Liiga goaltenders in both save percentage (.929) and goals-against average (1.77). The season ended prematurely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Annunen placed third in voting for the Urpo Ylönen Trophy as the league’s best goaltender. Internationally, he represented Finland at the 2020 World Junior Championships, posting a .916 save percentage and 2.65 goals-against average in six games, with his 362:01 minutes in net ranking second among all goaltenders at the tournament.
Nashville Predators Era (2024–Present)
On 30 November 2024, Annunen was traded, along with a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft, to the Nashville Predators in exchange for goaltender Scott Wedgewood. His move to Nashville created a minor curiosity, as Predators starter Juuse Saros shares the same “Juice” nickname. The two clubs and players resolved the issue by giving Annunen the additional nickname “Big Juice,” a reference to the five-inch height difference between the two goaltenders.
Notable Events and Milestones
Annunen’s most significant career milestone to date came during the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, when he was called up by the Colorado Avalanche and dressed for two games in the Western Conference Finals after injuries to Darcy Kuemper. Although he did not play in either contest, Annunen shared in the team’s Stanley Cup championship and received a championship ring. His name, however, was not engraved on the Cup because he did not dress for the Finals.
Justus Annunen Career Wins
Justus Hermanni Annunen has accumulated professional wins across multiple leagues, including the Liiga, Mestis, and the AHL, before reaching the NHL level. His path to NHL success began with a memorable first victory on 6 December 2021, when the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 7–5.
Other Wins and Performances
Annunen was named the AHL’s Goaltender of the Month for November 2021 after posting a 5–1–2 record with the Colorado Eagles. In the NHL, his most recent verified win came during the 2024–25 season with the Avalanche, when he recorded six wins in his first 11 appearances before being traded to Nashville. Internationally, Annunen served as the main starting goaltender for Finland at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, posting a 7–1–0 record, 1.47 goals-against average, and .933 save percentage, helping his country capture the gold medal.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024–25 NHL season marked a turning point for Justus Hermanni Annunen. He made the Colorado Avalanche roster out of training camp and served as the backup to Alexandar Georgiev during the opening months of the campaign. Annunen appeared in 11 games and started nine, collecting six wins through the first two months of the season and stabilizing the backup role behind Georgiev.
On 30 November 2024, Annunen was dealt to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Scott Wedgewood, joining a divisional rival midseason. With Nashville, he settled into a backup role behind starter Juuse Saros, where his similar nickname quickly became a storyline. The situation was resolved by branding Annunen as “Big Juice,” and he focused on adapting to the Predators’ system during the second half of the campaign. His international success at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, where he backstopped Finland to gold, further bolstered his confidence and standing heading into the remainder of the 2025 calendar and beyond.
