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.
Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna, Helsingfors | |
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City | Helsinki |
League | Liiga |
Founded | 1897 |
Home arena | Helsingin jäähalli |
Colours | Red, white, dark blue |
Owner(s) | HIFK Ligaföreningen rf. |
General manager | Jukka Valtanen |
Head coach | Jarno Pikkarainen |
Captain | Jere Sallinen |
Parent club(s) | HIFK |
Farm club(s) | Jokipojat |
Championships | 1969, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1983, 1998, 2011 |
Website | hifk |
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Active departments of HIFK | ||
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Bandy | Floorball | Football |
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Handball | Ice hockey (men's) | Ice hockey (women's) |
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Athletics | Bowling | Golf |
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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-sarja Kanada-malja: 1969, 1970, 1974
SM-sarja Kanada-malja: 1973, 1975
SM-sarja Kanada-malja: 1955, 1959, 1971, 1972
SM-liiga
International
Ahearne Cup (1): 1970
Tampere Cup (2): 1994, 2015
IIHF European Cup (1): 1980–81
Nordic Trophy (1): 2008
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 |
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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
- 1 Stig Wetzell, 1972–83
- 5 Heikki Riihiranta, 1967–83
- 7 Simo Saarinen, 1980–96
- 17 Matti Murto, 1964–83
- 20 Matti Hagman, 1972–92
- 22 Mika Kortelainen, 1987–2002
- 23 Pertti Lehtonen, 1976–98
- 35 Sakari Lindfors, 1985–2002
![](../I/Ville_Peltonen_2.jpg.webp)
NHL alumni
Peter Ahola
Tom Askey
Keith Aulie
Yohann Auvitu
Jamie Baker
Shawn Bates
Jaroslav Bednar
Emil Bemström
Ladislav Benysek
Sean Bergenheim
Tim Bergland
Tom Bissett
Henrik Borgström
Luciano Borsato
Darren Boyko
Kip Brennan
Carl Brewer
Alex Broadhurst
Niklas Bäckström
Jan Čaloun
Sébastien Centomo
Dale Clarke
Johan Davidsson
Tom Draper
Parris Duffus
Corey Elkins
Miika Elomo
Rico Fata
Joe Finley
Trevor Gillies
Raymond Giroux
Nikolai Goldobin
Markus Granlund
Mikael Granlund
Steve Guolla
Matti Hagman
Niklas Hagman
Bob Halkidis
Jeff Hamilton
Brett Harkins
Ilkka Heikkinen
Miro Heiskanen
Roope Hintz
Jan Hrdina
Ville Husso
Hannes Hyvönen
Kari Jalonen
Mikko Jokela
Olli Jokinen
Martti Järventie
Iiro Järvi
Jari Kaarela
Sami Kapanen
Jere Karalahti
Michael Keränen
Otto Koivula
Jarno Kultanen
Teemu Laakso
Kevin Lankinen
Lucas Lessio
Joona Luoto
Ross Lupaschuk
Toni Lydman
John Madden
Ivan Majesky
Anssi Melametsä
Sandy Moger
Johan Motin
Cory Murphy
Raymond Murray
Todd Nelson
Mika Noronen
Patrick O'Sullivan
Joni Ortio
Iiro Pakarinen
Ville Peltonen
Joël Perrault
Mathieu Perreault
Janne Pesonen
Lennart Petrell
Ilkka Pikkarainen
Lasse Pirjetä
Andrej Podkonicky
Timo Pärssinen
Kyle Quincey
Brian Rafalski
Joonas Rask
Pekka Rautakallio
Christian Ruuttu
Tuomo Ruutu
Jarkko Ruutu
Simo Saarinen
Tony Salmelainen
Tommi Santala
Ryan Savoia
Robert Schnabel
Roman Simicek
Ilkka Sinisalo
Ville Sirén
Martin Spanhel
Antti Suomela
Ryan Thang
Tim Thomas
Billy Tibbetts
Esa Tikkanen
Kimmo Timonen
Brad Thiessen
Marko Tuomainen
Ryan Vesce
Tomáš Vokoun
Roman Vopat
Peter White
Petteri Wirtanen
Marek Židlický
References
- "HIFK vei ikuisen Stadin herruuden (in Finnish)". Ilta-Sanomat. 1 March 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
- https://www.liiga.fi/fi/joukkueet/hifk/
External links
- Official website (in Finnish)