Kärpät Oulu

	Kärpät Oulu
City:	Oulu, Finland
League:	SM-Liiga
Founded:	1946
Home Arena:	Oulun Energia Areena; (6,614 places)
Colors:	Black and yellow
General Manager:	Juha Junno
Head Coach:	Matti Alatalo
Captain:	Ilkka Mikkola
Championships
Playoff Championships:	5 (1981, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008)

The Kärpät Oulu (Oulu Stoats) is a professional ice hockey club based in Oulu, Finland and playing in the SM-liiga. The club was founded in 1946 and has won so far the league five times, in 1981, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. The team also won five Arra-Cup tournaments (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)

History[]

In the spring of 1946, three young men decided to found a new sports club in Oulu. At the constitutional meeting on May 15, the club was named Oulun Kärpät 46. At first, Kärpät played football and its first winter sport was bandy.

In the first annual meeting in January 1947, an ice hockey section was established. At the beginning of the new decade, Kärpät was somewhat successful in ice hockey and it became the main sport of the club. The first game at the highest level was played on the December 4, 1960 against HJK but the visit to the highest level was short and Kärpät lost their position in the series. They made it to the highest level again in 1965-66, but lost their position again. The third try in 1967-68 did not produce a better performance, as Kärpät lost all their games.

From the first years on, junior work was important for Kärpät. E-juniors won the first Finnish Championship for Kärpät in the spring of 1971. When the SM-liiga was founded in August 1975, Kärpät started in the first division. Their goal was to rise to the league. It didn’t happen in the first season, but in 1976. In the next season Kärpät was 7th and then last, but they still remained at the league with ease. After Kärpät acquired some good players, they won the bronze medals in 1980.

In the following year, Kärpät was third in the regular series but in the finals they defeated Tappara. Next year, the weakened team had to settle for 5th place, and the following year they were almost relegated. With a new coach, the goal was to win a medal and finally Kärpät won the bronze. The next goal was to win the championship, but Kärpät only managed to get bronze for the following two years. Kärpät won the regular series in 1987 but they lost to Tappara in the finals. Hopes were high for the next season, but Kärpät fell from the league. In the 2005 finals Kärpät beat Jokerit in Helsinki to win their second consecutive championship with 3 wins to 1. Kärpät facing off against Blues in 2006 playoffs.

The goal was to rise again shortly but it did not work out. Due to financial constraints, Kärpät went into bankruptcy, but in the fall of 1995 they made it to the first division again. In the first year they came 8th and lost in the play offs. Next year they went against KalPa for a place in the league but lost. In the following year, they lost against KalPa again. For the 1998-99 season, Kärpät acquired coach Juhani Tamminen. After they played very well in the regular series they lost to TuTo in the play offs.

The next year, Kärpät finally qualified to the SM-liiga by beating Pelicans Lahti in the qualification series. The first season in the Elite league was full of ups and downs but Kärpät finished 4th, and 6th the following season. After that they finally made it to the finals but lost against Tappara just like in 1987. In the 2003-04 season, Kärpät played in the finals against TPS and finally won their second Finnish Championship. In 2004-05, Kärpät won the Finnish Championship again when they defeated Jokerit in the finals, winning the best-of-five series 3-1. They retained the championship title in the 2006-07 season by beating Jokerit in the finals (3 wins to none) and winning all their games in the playoffs. The first three championships of the 2000s have been celebrated in Oulu with feasts, each gathering tens of thousands of people to rejoice. In the 2007-2008 season, the organization won its second consecutive championship title, and the fourth within the last five years, by defeating Espoo Blues in the finals with four wins to one.

When Oulun Kärpät Oy was founded in 2000 it took the responsibility off the representative team and A-juniors. Oulun Kärpät 46 ry focuses on other junior work.

All-time standings[]

Those standings may be incomplete. You can help make the Ice Hockey Wiki better by expanding them

Season	League	Regular season								Playoffs	Head coach
ALL-TIME STANDINGS
Season	League	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	Standing	Result	Head coach
1978-79	SM-Liiga	36	12	22	2	26	137	166	10th overall
1979-80	SM-Liiga	36	18	12	6	42	193	154	3rd overall	Bronze medalists
1980-81	SM-Liiga	36	23	10	3	49	196	129	3rd overall	Gold medalists
1981-82	SM-Liiga	36	16	14	6	38	177	185	5rd overall
1982-83	SM-Liiga	36	10	23	3	23	150	181	9th overall
1983-84	SM-Liiga	37	21	10	6	48	175	134	3rd overall	Bronze medalists
1984-85	SM-Liiga	36	22	12	2	46	153	105	2nd overall	Bronze medalists
1985-86	SM-Liiga	36	19	14	3	41	138	139	4th overall	Bronze medalists
1986-87	SM-Liiga	44	25	15	4	54	209	161	1st overall	Silver medalists
1987-88	SM-Liiga	44	22	20	2	46	187	172	7th overall
1988-89	SM-Liiga	44	14	28	2	30	152	212	11th overall;
1989-90	I.Divisioona	44	30	11	3	63	255	141	3rd overall
1990-91	I.Divisioona
1991-92	I. Divisioona
1992-93	I.Divisioona
1994-95	II.Divisioona
1995-96	I.Divisioona	44	21	19	4	46	180	165	8th overall
1996-97	I.Divisioona	44	26	14	4	56	196	154	2nd overall
1997-98	I.Divisioona	44	31	8	5	67	171	99	1st overall
1998-99	I.Divisioona	48	41	3	4	86	265	91	1st overall
1999-00	I.Divisioona	48	42	3	3	87	285	91	1st overall;
2000-01	SM-Liiga	56	23	25	8	54	165	178	8th overall
2001-02	SM-Liiga	56	25	21	9	60	156	148	6th overall
2002-03	SM-Liiga	56	27	10	14	73	187	141	3rd overall	Silver medalists
2003-04	SM-Liiga	56	29	7	14	78	194	129	2nd overall	Gold medalists
2004-05	SM-Liiga	56	35	10	11	121	190	122	1st overall	Gold medalists
2005-06	SM-Liiga	56	40	10	0	122	180	105	1st overall	Bronze medalists
2006-07	SM-Liiga	56	39	13	0	115	197	125	1st overall	Gold medalists
2007-08	SM-Liiga	56	42	9	0	121	205	129	1st overall	Gold medalists
2008-09	SM-Liiga	58	33	22	0	97	185	149	6th overall	Silver medalists

Current squad[]

Goalkeepers
	Player	Glove hand	Contract	Place of Birth
39	Petri Koivisto	L	2011	Kiiminki, Finland
33	Tomi Karhunen	L	2011	Oulu, Finland

Defenders
Number	Player	Lower hand	Contract	Place of Birth
5	Atte Ohtamaa	L	2012	Nivala, Finland
6	Ilkka Mikkola	L	2011	Oulu, Finland
25	Juho Jokinen	L	2012	Kalajoki, Finland
26	Mikko Lehtonen	L	2012	Kiiminki, Finland
28	Mikko Niemelä	R	2013	Oulu, Finland
50	Nico Lehto	L	2013	Oulu, Finland
77	Vladimir Sicak	L	2011	Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

Forwards
Number	Player	Lower hand	Contract	Place of Birth
11	Kimmo Koskenkorva	L	2011	Haukipudas, Finland
13	Julius Junttila	L	2013	Oulu, Finland
15	Veikko Karppinen	L	2011	Kajaani, Finland
16	Pavel Rosa	R	2011	Most, Czech Republic
17	Kristian Kuusela	R	2011	Seinäjoki, Finland
18	Mikko Alikoski	L	2012	Oulu, Finland
19	Juho Keränen	R	2011	Keitele, Finland
23	Joonas 5151516516	L	2013	Kajaani, Finland
24	Jari Viuhkola	L	2011	Oulu, Finland
27	Joonas Donskoi	R	2012	Raahe, Finland
30	Joonas Komulainen	L	2013	Kuhmo, Finland
37	Mika Viinanen	L	2011	Kaarina, Finland
49	Michal Milotinsky	L	2012	Jindrichuv Hradec, Czech Republic
71	Marko Luomala	L	2012	Vaasa, Finland
66	Jonathan Hedström	L	2011	Skellefteå, Sweden
78	Kamil Kreps	R	2011	Litomerice, Czech Republic