HIFK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HIFK (Helsingfors IFK or Helsingin IFK, originally Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Helsingfors) is a sports association from Helsinki, Finland. HIFK has activities in many sports, including ice hockey, football, bandy, floorball, handball, athletics and bowling. It is the oldest IFK club in Finland, established in 1897.

Contents

[edit] Ice hockey

HIFK

[[Image:|center|100px|HIFK]]
League SM-liiga
Founded 1897
History HIFK
1897 - present

Hockey Section from 1927 - present
Arena Helsingin jäähalli (capacity 8,200)
City Helsinki, Finland, Finland
Team Colors Red, white, blue
General Manager Jukka Valtanen
Head Coach Kari Jalonen
Team Captain Kimmo Kuhta

The club undertook ice hockey activities after 1927. Since then, HIFK has won the Finnish National Championship title six times (1969, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1983, 1998).

The team plays in Helsinki, Finland at the Helsingin jäähalli. The derbys against local rivals Helsingin Jokerit are often sold out and are one of the fiercest in Nordic hockey.

HIFK's general manager starting from May 1st 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.

The last Finnish championship title is from 1998, when the team was widely recognized as one of the best ever to have skated together in the top flight of Finnish ice hockey.

Players who featured 1998 championship team included a number of future (and former) NHL stars – including Tim Thomas (Boston), Jan Caloun (Columbus), Johan Davidsson (Anaheim), Miika Elomo (Washington), Bob Halkidis (Buffalo, Detroit), *Olli Jokinen (Florida), *Jere Karalahti (LA Kings), Jarno Kultanen (Boston), *Brian Rafalski (New Jersey), Christian Ruuttu (Buffalo, Chicago), *Jarkko Ruutu (Vancouver, Pittsburgh), Kimmo Timonen (Nashville) and Marko Tuomainen (LA Kings).

[edit] 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 to the way hockey is played in Finland led to his posthumous induction to the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

[edit] Players

Current Players


30 Aleksis Ahlqvist

33 Jani Nieminen

- Juha Pitkämäki(note:number is not sure yet) |- 2 Matias Loppi

9 Kimmo Kuhta

14 Mikko Turunen

18 Markus Kankaanperä

21 Jerry Ahtola

24 Jemmu Porthen

27 Eetu Poysti

29 Jussi Pesonen

32 Lennart Petrell

34 Joni Haverinen

36 Ilkka Pikkarainen

39 Arttu Luttinen

44/-Kim Hirschovits

44/-Max Warn

45 Janne Keranen

47 Joni-Petteri Purolinna

48 Hannu Pikkarainen

49 Ilkka Heikkinen

50 Aleksis Holmberg

[edit] Notable Players

[edit] Other notables

[edit] Former HIFK players currently in NHL

[edit] Retired Numbers

[edit] External links