Once a goaltending prospect of the Edmonton Oilers, former Finnish netminder Kristian Antila is dead at the young age of 44.
Antila died earlier this month. His death was confirmed by his Swedish employers, Rakennusbetoni-ja Elementti Oy. Antila worked for them as an account manager.
“Kristian was a hardworking, friendly and dedicated employee who impressed us all,” the company noted in eulogizing Antila on their LinkedIn page. “In our community, he always listened, helped and supported others. He always worked with a twinkle in his eye.
“We will remember Kristian as a warm and caring person who loved being outdoors in the lap of nature.”
As a netminder, Antila saw duty in Finland’s SM-liiga, Sweden’s SHL and Germany’s DEL, as well as a two-season stint in the North American pro leagues.
Selected 113th overall by the Oilers in the 1998 NHL entry draft, Antila would wind up spending two seasons in the minor leagues while playing in North America. He would see playing time with the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs, CHL Wichita Thunder and ECHL Columbus Cottonmouths between 2002-04 prior to returning to play in Europe.
Injuries brought a sudden halt to Antila’s pro career at the age of 25 in 2005. After his playing days, he would work as a goaltending coach for Finnish pro clubs. Off the ice, he would counsel young hockey players to ensure that they had a Plan B in place if hockey didn’t work out as a career for them.
“Take care of the schools and prepare yourself as a junior for that life after your hockey career,” Antila said in an interview with KVM Magazine. “Only a small part of the players even reach the SM league level and make it some kind of profession, let alone be able to secure the finances for the rest of their lives.”