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.
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[edit] Ice hockey
| HIFK | |
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[[Image:|center|125px|HIFK]] |
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| League | SM-liiga |
| Founded | 1897 |
| History | HIFK 1897 - present Hockey Section from 1927 - present |
| Arena | Helsingin jäähalli (capacity 8,200) |
| City | Helsinki, Finland |
| Team Colors | Red, white, blue |
| General Manager | Jukka Valtanen |
| Head Coach | Paul Baxter |
| Team Captain | Rem Murray/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 it's 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
[edit] Notable Players
[edit] Other notables
- Esa Tikkanen
HIFK (in white) warm-up prior to a game vs. HPK.
- Darren Boyko
- Christian Ruuttu
- Jere Karalahti
- Bob Halkidis
- Lauri Mononen
- Pekka Rautakallio
- Kimmo Kuhta
- Johan Davidsson
- Terry Ball
- Ilkka Sinisalo
- Lasse Pirjetä
- Tommi Salmelainen
- Tony Salmelainen
- Sakari Lindfors
- Cory Murphy
- Toni Söderholm
- Steve Guolla
- Raymond Murray
- Iiro Järvi
- Kari Laitinen
- Juha Rantasila
- Lalli Partinen
- Heikki Riihiranta
- Esa Peltonen
- Matti Murto
- Harri Linnonmaa
- Stig Wetzell
- Carey Wilson
- Juhani Tamminen
- Hannu Kapanen
- Pertti Lehtonen
- Matti Forss
- Simo Saarinen
- Frank Neal
- Anssi Melametsä
- Tony Arima
- Pekka Tuomisto
- Raimo Hirvonen
- Hannu Lassila
- Timo Pärssinen
- Valeri Krykov
- Esa Isaksson
[edit] Former HIFK players currently in NHL
- Olli Jokinen
- Sami Kapanen
- Tuomo Ruutu
- Jarkko Ruutu
- Brian Rafalski
- Marek Zidlicky
- Tomas Vokoun
- Toni Lydman
- Ville Peltonen
- John Madden
- Niklas Bäckström
[edit] Retired Numbers
- 1 Stig Wetzell, 1972-1983
- 5 Heikki Riihiranta, 1967-1983
- 7 Simo Saarinen, 1980-1996
- 17 Matti Murto, 1964-1983
- 20 Matti Hagman, 1972-1992
- 22 Mika Kortelainen, 1987-2002
- 23 Pertti Lehtonen, 1976-1998
- 35 Sakari Lindfors, 1985-2002
[edit] External links
- Meltzer, Bill. "Jokerit, HIFK Renew Longstanding Rivalry" at NHL.com. Retrieved 10-11-06.
- HIFK Hockey official web site
- HIFK Football official web site
 SM-liiga |
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|---|---|
| Current teams |
Ässät · Blues · HIFK · HPK · Ilves · Jokerit · JYP · KalPa · Kärpät · Lukko · Pelicans · SaiPa · Tappara · TPS |
| Former teams |
FPS · Jokipojat · KooKoo · Koo-Vee · Sport · TuTo |
| Trophies & Awards |
Kultainen kypärä · Kalevi Numminen trophy · Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy · Matti Keinonen trophy · Raimo Kilpiö trophy · Urpo Ylönen trophy · Pekka Rautakallio trophy · Aarne Honkavaara trophy · Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy · Lasse Oksanen trophy · Jari Kurri trophy |
| Finnish ice hockey |
Mestis · Suomi-sarja · 2. Divisioona · Finland national men's ice hockey team · Finland national women's ice hockey team · SM-sarja |
| Related articles: IIHF · IIHF Continental Cup · IIHF European Champions Cup | |
