In terms of worst runs in Pittsburgh sports history, Antti Niemi might take the cake in recent history.

Challengers in the last few years have included Steelers players Gunner Olszewski and Mitch Trubisky, but Niemi provides a unique level of struggle to his time in Pittsburgh that is unlike anything else.

What made it all the more surprising was the nameplate on the back. Antti Niemi had a Stanley Cup to his name and had received Vezina votes during multiple seasons.

An undrafted Finnish netminder, Niemi had began his career with the Chicago Blackhawks. After playing 3 games in the 2008-09 season in Chicago, Niemi was propelled to a much larger role with the Blackhawks during the 2009-10 season.

He played in 39 regular season games after winning a job out of training camp, and put up a very decent .912 save percentage and 2.25 goals against average. His stellar play caused the Blackhawks to name him the team’s starting goaltender for the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

That run would take the team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, where Chicago won the Cup, albeit in pretty anti-climatic fashion.

(Funny story, Philly’s goaltender in that game, Michael Leighton, would end up in the Penguins organization via trade just a few short months after Niemi’s time with Pittsburgh ended)

Chicago, knowing full-well after the run that they could not afford to keep several key players, lost Niemi to San Jose, where he spent several years minding the cage for the Sharks.

His best NHL season came with the Sharks during the lockout shortened 2012-13 season. Niemi put up a .924 save percentage and a 2.16 goals against average, leading to him being a Vezina finalist for league’s best goalie. He even received Hart votes for league MVP that season.

He had several solid seasons for the Sharks before leaving for Dallas. He was technically traded to the Stars, who sent a seventh round pick the other way to secure negotiating rights with Niemi.

Dallas signed him a three year deal ahead of the 2015-16 season, a contract that proved to be, at best, an iffy decision. The Stars gave him $4.5 million annually and a full no-trade clause in the first two years (modified in the third).

His first season in Dallas saw him record a .905 save percentage and a 2.67 goals against average in 48 games. Not terrible, but not the Niemi we had come to know.

His second year went downhill in a hurry. Niemi posed a sub-.900 save percentage for the first time since his 3-game season with an .892, and his goals against average shot up to 3.30. Those numbers came in 37 games, a drop from year one.

Exactly two years to the day they had traded for him (again, technically), the Stars bought out the final year of his contract, making him a free agent.