HIFK (ice hockey)

HIFK (a traditional abbreviation of Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna, Helsingfors, English: "Sporting Society Fellows, Helsinki") is a professional ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland that plays in the Liiga, the sport's top-level league in Finland. The team plays at Helsinki Ice Hall.

This article is about the ice hockey team. For other sports clubs using the same name, see HIFK.
Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna, Helsingfors
CityHelsinki
LeagueLiiga
Founded1897 (1897)
Home arenaHelsingin jäähalli
ColoursRed, white, dark blue
     
Owner(s)HIFK Ligaföreningen rf.
General managerJukka Valtanen
Head coachJarno Pikkarainen
CaptainJere Sallinen
Parent club(s)HIFK
Farm club(s)Jokipojat
Championships1969, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1983, 1998, 2011
Websitehifk.fi
Active departments of
HIFK
Bandy Floorball Football
Handball Ice hockey (men's) Ice hockey (women's)
Athletics Bowling Golf
eSports

History

The club was founded in 1897 and started participating in ice hockey in 1929. Since then, HIFK has won the Finnish national championship seven times (1969, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1983, 1998, and 2011). HIFK has the highest number of audience in the Liiga and is one of the wealthiest sports clubs in Finland.

The derbies against local rivals Jokerit were often sold out and were in the later years among the fiercest in Nordic ice hockey, but are no longer played following Jokerit's withdrawal from Liiga after the 2013–14 season to join the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Following a history of even series of games, HIFK won the game total with 106–105 after a 2–1 victory in a classical outdoor game in March 2014, claiming the title of Helsinki's dominion.[1]

HIFK's general manager starting from May 1, 2008, is Jukka Valtanen. He is the successor of Pentti Matikainen, who coached Team Finland to its first hockey Olympic medal (silver) in Calgary 1988.

HIFK won the Finnish national championship in the 2010–11 season when they defeated Espoo Blues.

The championship team from 1998 is widely recognized as one of the best ever to have skated together in the top flight of Finnish ice hockey. Players on the 1998 championship team included a number of future (and former) NHL players – including Tim Thomas, Jan Čaloun, Johan Davidsson, Bob Halkidis, Olli Jokinen, Jere Karalahti, Jarno Kultanen, Brian Rafalski, Christian Ruuttu, Jarkko Ruutu, Kimmo Timonen and Marko Tuomainen.

History

One of the major influences to HIFK was the NHL veteran and Stanley Cup winner Carl Brewer. Hired in 1968 as a playing coach, he advocated a North American style of play which has persisted in HIFK since. Brewer's influence on the way ice hockey is played in Finland led to his posthumous induction to the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

Honors

SM-sarja

SM-liiga

International

Other awards for the club:

  • Harry Lindblad trophy (SM-Liiga regular season winner, since 1975): 2016

Players

Current roster

Updated October 2020.[2]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
28 Rony Ahonen D L 34 Porvoo
87 Terry And F R 23 Helsinki
45 Micke-Max Åsten F L 28 Helsinki
72 Emil Bemström F R 21 Nyköping
25 Alex Broadhurst F L 27 Orland Park
54 Sebastian Dyk F R 28 Malmö
31 Niilo Halonen G L 22 Loppi
91 Elis Hede F L 20 Pori
43 Rasmus Heljanko F R 20 Porvoo
51 Juha Jääskä F L 22 Helsinki
4 Miro Karjalainen D R 24 Vihti
19 Juho Keränen F R 35 Keitele
12 Otto Koivula F L 22 Nokia
10 Mikko Kousa D R 32 Lahti
34 Aleksi Laakso D L 30 Seinäjoki
21 Ville Leskinen F R 26 Oulu
15 Anton Lundell F L 19 Espoo
68 Joona Luoto F L 23 Tampere
6 Joonas Lyytinen D L 25 Espoo
57 Johan Motin D R 31 Karlskoga
38 Wiljami Myllylä F R 19 Haapajärvi
78 Niklas Nordgren F R 20 Helsinki
32 Lennart Petrell F L 36 Helsinki
85 Jesse Saarinen F L 35 Lahti
76 Jere Sallinen F L 30 Espoo
11 Niko Seppälä D L 22 Helsinki
14 Antti Suomela F L 26 Espoo
18 Teemu Tallberg F L 29 Helsinki
24 Eero Teräväinen D L 21 Helsinki
50 Frans Tuohimaa G L 29 Helsinki
44 Miro Väänänen F L 22 Joensuu
8 Ville Varakas D L 36 Helsinki
61 Teemu Väyrynen F L 23 Joensuu
29 Tobias Winberg D L 22 Helsinki

Honored members
Ville Peltonen served as captain of HIFK in 2010–2014.

NHL alumni

References
  1. "HIFK vei ikuisen Stadin herruuden (in Finnish)". Ilta-Sanomat. 1 March 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  2. https://www.liiga.fi/fi/joukkueet/hifk/
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