HIFK Helsinki



HIFK (IFK Helsingfors) 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, 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.

The Finnish championship title from 1998, came with a team that 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 Bruins), Jan Čaloun (Columbus Blue Jackets), Johan Davidsson (Anaheim Ducks), Miika Elomo (Washington Capitals), Bob Halkidis (Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings), *Olli Jokinen (Los Angeles Kings, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes), *Jere Karalahti (Los Angeles Kings), Jarno Kultanen (Boston Bruins), *Brian Rafalski (Detroit Red Wings), Christian Ruuttu (Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks), *Jarkko Ruutu (Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators), Kimmo Timonen (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 to the way hockey is played in Finland led to his posthumous induction to the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

Notable players



 * Tony Arima
 * Terry Ball
 * Darren Boyko
 * Carl Brewer
 * Jan Čaloun
 * Johan Davidsson
 * Matti Forss
 * Steve Guolla
 * Matti Hagman
 * Bob Halkidis
 * Raimo Hirvonen
 * Esa Isaksson
 * Iiro Järvi
 * Hannu Kapanen
 * Sami Kapanen
 * Jere Karalahti
 * Valeri Krykov
 * Kimmo Kuhta
 * Kari Laitinen
 * Ross Lupaschuk
 * Hannu Lassila
 * Pertti Lehtonen
 * Sakari Lindfors
 * Harri Linnonmaa
 * Anssi Melametsä


 * Lauri Mononen
 * Cory Murphy
 * Raymond Murray
 * Matti Murto
 * Frank Neal
 * Timo Pärssinen
 * Lalli Partinen
 * Esa Peltonen
 * Lasse Pirjetä
 * Brian Rafalski
 * Juha Rantasila
 * Pekka Rautakallio
 * Heikki Riihiranta
 * Christian Ruuttu
 * Simo Saarinen
 * Tommi Salmelainen
 * Tony Salmelainen
 * Ilkka Sinisalo
 * Toni Söderholm
 * Juhani Tamminen
 * Esa Tikkanen
 * Pekka Tuomisto
 * Stig Wetzell
 * Carey Wilson

Former HIFK players currently in NHL

 * Niklas Bäckström
 * Olli Jokinen
 * Toni Lydman
 * John Madden
 * Brian Rafalski
 * Jarkko Ruutu
 * Tuomo Ruutu
 * Kimmo Timonen
 * Tomáš Vokoun
 * Marek Židlický
 * Tim Thomas

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