HIFK

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.

Ice hockey

The club undertook ice hockey activities after 1927. Ever since, 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 general manager is 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 recognised 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).

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.

Players

Notable Players

• Carl Brewer
• Matti Hagman
• Jan Caloun

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
• 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
• Sakari Lindfors
• Pekka Tuomisto

Former HIFK players currently in NHL

• Olli Jokinen
• Sami Kapanen
• Tuomo Ruutu
• Jarkko Ruutu
• Brian Rafalski
• Marek Zidlicky
• Tomas Vokoun
• Toni Lydman
• Lasse Pirjetä
• Ville Peltonen
• John Madden
• Tony Salmelainen
• Niklas Bäckström

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

Not to be Forgotten

• Cory Murphy
• Janne Hauhtonen
• Toni Söderholm
• Peter White
• Steve Guolla
• Raymond Murray
• Jere Karalahti

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

Ice hockey in Finland
SM-liiga teams : Ässät | Blues | HIFK | HPK | Ilves | Jokerit | JYP | KalPa | Kärpät | Lukko | Pelicans | SaiPa | Tappara | TPS
Trophies and 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
Former teams : FPS | Jokipojat | KooKoo | Koo-Vee | Sport | TuTo
Other leagues and teams : Mestis | Suomi-sarja | 2. Divisioona | Finnish national men's ice hockey team | Finnish national women's ice hockey team

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