HIFK (ice hockey)

This article is about the ice hockey team. For other sports clubs using the same name, see HIFK.
Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Helsingfors
HIFK
City Helsinki
League SM-liiga
Founded 1897 (1928 first official match, 1945 ice-hockey section)
Home arena Helsingin jäähalli (capacity 8,200)
Colours               
Owner(s) HIFK Ligaföreningen rf.
General manager Finland Jukka Valtanen
Head coach Finland Antti Törmänen
Captain Finland Ville Peltonen
Parent club(s) Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Helsingfors - HIFK
Farm club(s) HC Keski-Uusimaa (de facto)

Website
www.hifk.fi

HIFK (a traditional abbreviation of Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Helsingfors, English: "Sports Club Comrades in Helsinki") is an ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland. The team plays at Helsinki Ice Hall. It was founded in 1897. Since then, HIFK has won the Finnish National Championship title seven times (1969, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1983, 1998 and 2011).

The derbys against local rivals Jokerit are often sold out and are one of the fiercest in Nordic hockey.

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 championship title in the season of 2010-2011 against 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 (Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers), Jan Čaloun (Columbus Blue Jackets), Johan Davidsson (Anaheim Ducks), Bob Halkidis (Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings), *Olli Jokinen (Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets), *Jere Karalahti (Los Angeles Kings), Jarno Kultanen (Boston Bruins), *Brian Rafalski (New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings), Christian Ruuttu (Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks), *Jarkko Ruutu (Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Anaheim Ducks), Kimmo Timonen (Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers) and Marko Tuomainen (Los Angeles Kings).

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

Players

Current roster

Updated February 16, 2015.[1]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
18 France Auvitu, YohannYohann Auvitu D L 25 2014 Ivry-sur-Seine, France
68 Finland Blomqvist, SamiSami Blomqvist LW L 24 2014 Espoo, Finland
91 United States Elkins, CoreyCorey Elkins C L 30 2013 West Bloomfield, Michigan
12 Russia Goldobin, NikolayNikolay Goldobin RW L 19 2016 Moscow, Russia
8 Sweden Grillfors, DanielDaniel Grillfors D L 32 2014 Enköping, Sweden
3 Finland Heikkinen, EemeliEemeli Heikkinen D R 20 2019 Helsinki, Finland
44 Finland Honkaheimo, OttoOtto Honkaheimo (C) D L 29 2014 Rauma, Finland
34 Finland Husso, VilleVille Husso G L 20 2013 Helsinki, Finland
28 Finland Ikonen, JasseJasse Ikonen LW L 24 2013 Kuopio, Finland
49 Finland Juutinen, JanneJanne Juutinen F L 21 2016 Hyvinkää, Finland
11 Finland Kuparinen, MattiMatti Kuparinen C R 30 2013 Pori, Finland
77 Finland Lamberg, MattiMatti Lamberg RW R 22 2014 Kiiminki, Finland
Template:Player 4
46 Finland Ramstedt, TeemuTeemu Ramstedt C L 27 2014 Helsinki, Finland
88 Finland Rask, JoonasJoonas Rask (A) C/RW R 25 2014 Savonlinna, Finland
89 Finland Salmi, JuusoJuuso Salmi D L 23 2018 Helsinki, Finland
26 Finland Söderholm, ToniToni Söderholm D L 37 2009 Kauniainen, Finland
56 Finland Taipalus, LauriLauri Taipalus D L 27 20120 Alavus, Finland
27 Finland Tamminen, HenriHenri Tamminen RW R 22 2014 Espoo, Finland
43 Finland Teppo, MiihkaliMiihkali Teppo D L 22 2013 Helsinki, Finland
67 Slovakia Zaborsky, TomasTomas Zaborsky LW L 27 2014 Trenčín, Czechoslovakia
10 Finland Åsten, MickeMicke Åsten LW L 22 2018 Helsinki, Finland
25 Finland Öfverström, JanneJanne Öfverström LW L 24 2018 Helsinki, Finland

Honored members

HIFK (in white) warm-up prior to a game vs. HPK.

NHL alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Joukkue & pelaajatiedot - HIFK" (in Finnish). www.hifk.fi. Retrieved 2012-12-09.

External links