Ilves is a Finnish sports club nowadays mostly known for their youth work. The
ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team plays in the
SM-liigaThe SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
at the
Tampereen jäähalliTampereen jäähalli is a sports arena in Tampere, Finland. It is primarily used for ice hockey, and is the home arena of Ilves and Tappara of the SM-liiga...
in Hakametsä. The football team of Ilves plays in the third tier of the
Finnish football league systemThe Finnish football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in Finland. The three highest levels are managed by the Finnish FA while the higher leagues are managed by the regional departments of the FA.-The system:...
.
The colors of Ilves, green, yellow and black, were taken from what was then the
coat of armsA coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
the city of Tampere.
History
With 16 championships, Ilves is the most successful team in the Finnish championship league, the SM-liiga. The club was founded in the spring of 1931 and they played their first game against Tampereen Palloilijat the next winter. In the late 1930s, Ilves won three Finnish championship titles.
After the Second World War, Ilves started playing their home games at the then new Koulukatu ice rink. They had another championship spree in 1945–47 when they stayed undefeated for over four years (albeit playing only 36 games during that period).
In 1954 Ilves was for the first and so far only time relegated to the second highest level of Finnish hockey but managed to return to the top tier only one year later.
The current logo was designed by Rauno Broms in 1963. In 1965 Ilves moved, along with their local rivals
TapparaTappara is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Tampere, Finland at Tampereen jäähalli. The team have won 15 league championships ....
and
KooveeKOO-VEE is a Finnish sport club based at Tampere. It was founded at 1929 and soon it expanded to many different kinds of sports. Full name of the club is KOO-VEE Ry .Koovee is one of the biggest sport clubs in Finland....
, to the new Hakametsä arena where they still play.
The last Finnish Cup competition in hockey was held in 1971. Ilves won the title and has therefore been the reigning champion since. In 1972 they also won another league championship, their 15th in total.
During the late 1970s, Ilves went through lean times. Finally, when Koovee, which was in no better condition, was relegated at the end of the 1979–80 season, the two clubs decided to sign an agreement of co-operation. The best players of Koovee moved to Ilves, the most notable of them being
Risto JaloRisto Uolevi Jalo is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga and National Hockey League. He played for Ilves, HPK, and Edmonton Oilers. He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.-External links:*...
.
In 1985, Ilves claimed their 16th and most recent championship. Along with Risto Jalo, the key players of that team were
Raimo HelminenRaimo Ilmari Helminen is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He is often called "Raipe" or "Maestro" by his fans...
,
Mikko MäkeläMikko Matti Mäkelä is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey left wing. Known as the "Flying Finn", he was drafted in the fourth round, 65th overall, by the New York Islanders in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft....
,
Ville SirenVille Jussi Sirén is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey defender.He later began working as an ice hockey scout for the Washington Capitals and Ilves. He scouts for the St. Louis Blues.-External links:*...
and
Jukka TammiJukka Tammi , nicknamed "Taisto", is a retired Finnish ice hockey goaltender.Tammi is one of the few Finnish ice hockey players to have three or more Olympic medals. He was the "Ironman" of the Finnish SM-liiga, awarded to the player who plays the most consecutive games, and has been inducted into...
. Repeating this success proved difficult, however, when in the following summer four players left the team to play in the NHL.
In the late '80s, Ilves had another brief stint of moderate success when coached by Sakari Pietilä. They finished first after the regular season in 1988 but were eliminated in the first round of playoffs. The next year they came away with a bronze medal, and finally in 1990 they reached the finals, only to lose to
TPSTPS or Turun Palloseura is an ice hockey team and 11-time champion of SM-liiga. They play in Turku, Finland at the HK Arena. In terms of championships, TPS is the most successful team in SM-liiga history.-Team history:...
.
For most of the 1990s the club struggled with financial problems and unclear issues concerning ownership. In sports performance the low point was in the spring of 1995 when Ilves finished last in the SM-liiga and had to fight the lower league teams Savonlinnan Pallokerho and Saimaan Pallo for their place among the elite for the next year.
Ilves managed to avoid relegation and was promptly reborn as a viable championship candidate, reaching the semifinals in 1997 and the finals a year after that. No trophies were brought home, however, and the heavy financial investments proved unsound as the club was suddenly facing the risk of bankruptcy in the fall of 1999. By selling players and cutting the wages of the entire organization, Ilves was able to stay afloat.
The 2000s have so far been a fairly mediocre period in Ilves history, with the high point being a bronze medal won in 2001. In 2003 Ilves again finished last in the league but was in no risk of relegation as the league was at that time closed. After that the team has consistently finished in the middle of the standings, being eliminated in the first or second round of the playoffs. The financial situation, however, seems to be more secure than in previous decades.
Current team
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Ville Kolppanen Ville Kolppanen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who played with Ilves in the SM-liiga during the 2010-11 season.-External links:...
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VaasaVaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Miika Wiikman Miika Wiikman is a Swedish-born Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for Ilves of the Finnish SM-Liiga.-Playing career:...
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MariestadMariestad Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Mariestad....
, SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
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Sami Aittokallio Sami Aittokallio is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Ilves of the SM-liiga. He was selected in the fourth round, 107th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft....
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Vesa ToskalaVesa Tapani Toskala is a professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for Ilves.-Early career:Toskala was selected by San Jose in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft . The Sharks also took fellow Finn Miikka Kiprusoff in the fifth round...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Konsta Mäkinen Konsta Mäkinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for Ilves of the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Nils Bäckström Nils Bäckström is a Swedish ice hockey player who currently plays for Ilves in the SM-Liiga.-Playing career:Bäckström began his junior hockey career in his native Sweden with Stocksund and later Djurgårdens IF Hockey. He was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 9th round, 290th overall, of the...
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StockholmStockholm Municipality or the City of Stockholm is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It is the largest of the 290 municipalities of the country in terms of population, but one of the smaller in terms of area, making it the most densely populated...
, SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
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Jyrki Jokipakka Jyrki Jokipakka is an Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for Ilves in the SM-liiga. He was selected by the Dallas Stars in the 7th round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.-External links:...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Niko Peltola Niko Peltola is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for Ilves of the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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HuittinenHuittinen is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the Satakunta region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Ryan Glenn Ryan Glenn is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for Ilves of the SM-liiga. He was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the 5th round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.-External links:...
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Port Coquitlam, British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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Teemu Kesä Teemu Kesä is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for Ilves of the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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HelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Arto TukioArto Tukio is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for Ilves in the SM-liiga.-Playing career:...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Martti Järventie Martti Järventie is a professional ice hockey player currently playing for Ilves in the SM-liiga.Järventie began his career with Ilves where he spent a total of nine years, beginning at junior level in 1992. In 1995 he had spells with KOO-VEE and Lukko before returning to Ilves. In 2001, he...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Ville Koistinen Ville Koistinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing with Ilves Tampere in SM-Liiga.-Playing career:...
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OuluOulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Ville Laine Ville Laine is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who played with Ilves in the SM-liiga during the 2010-11 season.-External links:...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Matias Myttynen Matias Myttynen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Ilves of the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Jesse NiinimäkiJesse Niinimäki is a Finnish ice hockey forward.Niinimäki played four seasons for Ilves in the Finnish SM-liiga, and was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, 15th overall. He spent the 2004–05 season with the Edmonton Road Runners and Ilves, and signed...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Masi MarjamäkiMasi Marjamäki is a Finnish ice hockey player who currently plays for Ilves Tampere of the SM-liiga.Marjamäki, a 6'2" 205 pound left wing, was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins as the 66th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft...
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PoriPori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Henri Tuominen Henri Tuominen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for Ilves in the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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Turku Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Kai Kantola Kai Kantola is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Ilves of the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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RaleighRaleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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Ville Korhonen Ville Korhonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Ilves of the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Mark Lee Mark Lee is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for Ilves of the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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, CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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Matias Sointu Matias Sointu is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Ilves of the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Michael Keränen Michael Keränen is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who played with Ilves in the SM-liiga during the 2010-11 season.-External links:...
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StockholmStockholm Municipality or the City of Stockholm is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It is the largest of the 290 municipalities of the country in terms of population, but one of the smaller in terms of area, making it the most densely populated...
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Jaakko Pellinen Jaakko Pellinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Ilves of the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Joonas Rask Joonas Rask is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for Ilves in the SM-liiga. He was selected by the Nashville Predators in the 7th round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. He is the younger brother of goaltender Tuukka Rask who currently plays for the Boston Bruins...
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Savonlinna Savonlinna is a town and a municipality of inhabitants in the southeast of Finland, in the heart of the Saimaa lake region. The Finnish name of the town means "Castle of Savonia" and the Swedish name means "Newcastle".- History :...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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NokiaNokia, Finland is a town and a municipality on the banks of the Nokianvirta River in the region of Pirkanmaa, some west of Tampere. As of it has a population of .-History:...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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StockholmStockholm Municipality or the City of Stockholm is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It is the largest of the 290 municipalities of the country in terms of population, but one of the smaller in terms of area, making it the most densely populated...
, SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
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Mikael Kuronen |
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Roope Nikkilä Roope Nikkilä is a Finnish professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for Ilves in the SM-liiga.-External links:...
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TampereTampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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NokiaNokia, Finland is a town and a municipality on the banks of the Nokianvirta River in the region of Pirkanmaa, some west of Tampere. As of it has a population of .-History:...
, FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
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Team management
Accomplishments
Ilves is the most decorated club in Finnish hockey. In addition to having won more men's championship titles than any other club, they also have that distinction in every junior level (with the exception of junior C (U-16) where
JokeritJokerit is an ice-hockey team from Helsinki, Finland, playing in the Finnish Elite League, SM-liiga. The team has won 6 league championships...
has one more), and also the most women's hockey championships. In total, Ilves has won 67 national championship titles which is 30 more than the second best has.
In the SM-liiga (and the preceding SM-sarja), Ilves has won the following medals:
- Gold (16 total): 1936, 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1972, and 1985
- Silver (9 total): 1935, 1948, 1949, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1990, and 1998
- Bronze (12 total): 1934, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1974, 1975, 1983, 1989, and 2001
Head coaches
- Niilo Tammisalo 1931–37
- Risto Lindroos 1937–41, 1942–46, 1949–53
- Aarne Honkavaara
Aarne Väinö Edward Honkavaara is a former Finnish ice hockey player and coach.-Playing career:Aarne Honkavaara played his first game of Ice hockey when he was 12 years old...
1952–61, 1967–68
- Henry Kvist 1946–49
- Seppo Helle 1961–64
- Rauli Virtanen
Rauli Virtanen is a Finnish freelance journalist and television producer. He has covered wars and conflicts since the days of Vietnam in more than 30 countries. He was a roving correspondent based in New York and London before having his own program "This is Rauli Virtanen reporting" on MTV3 in...
1964–65
- Erkki Koiso
Erkki Antero Koiso was a professional ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga. He played for Ilves. He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.-External links:*...
1965–66
- Raimo Vasama 1968–71, 1972–75
- Juhani Ruusunen 1971–72, 1976–80
- Len Lunde
Leonard Melvin Lunde was a professional ice hockey player who played 321 games in the National Hockey League and 72 games in the World Hockey Association...
1972–73
- Matti Reunamäki
Matti Johannes Reunamäki is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga. He played for KooVee. He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986.-External links:*...
1974–75
- Esko Mäkinen 1974–76
- Raimo Määttänen 1980–82
- Seppo Hiitelä 1982–87, 1990–91
- Matti Kaario 1986–87, 1990–91, 1999*
- Sakari Pietilä 1987–90, 2006–2009
- Anatoli Bogdanov 1991–93
- Jukka Jalonen
Jukka Jalonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the current head coach of Finnish national men's ice hockey team....
1992–95
- Heikki Vesala 1994–95
- Vladimir Jursinov jr. 1995–99
- Heikki Mälkiä 1999–2001, 2009–
- Ari-Pekka Selin 2001–03
- Teijo Räsänen 2002–03
- Vaclav Sykora 2003–05
- Curt Lindström
Curt "Curre" Lindström is a Swedish ice hockey coach.-Career on international level:He coached Team Finland from 1993 to 1997, winning Finland's first Ice Hockey World Championships gold medal in 1995, and a silver world championships medal as well as Olympic bronze...
2004–05
- Kari Eloranta
Kari Eloranta is a retired footballer and professional ice hockey player who played 267 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues.- External links :...
2005–06
- Petteri Hirvonen 2006*
- Sakari Pietilä 2006–2009
- Heikki Mälkiä 2009–2010
- Juha Pajuoja 2010-
(* = interim coach)
The seasons 1939–40 and 1941–42 were cancelled because of the war.
Retired numbers
- 2 – Jarmo Wasama
Jarmo Sakari Wasama was an ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga. He played for Ilves. He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. Wasama won two championships , one silver and two bronzes...
- 7 – Aarne Honkavaara
Aarne Väinö Edward Honkavaara is a former Finnish ice hockey player and coach.-Playing career:Aarne Honkavaara played his first game of Ice hockey when he was 12 years old...
- 13 – Risto Jalo
Risto Uolevi Jalo is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga and National Hockey League. He played for Ilves, HPK, and Edmonton Oilers. He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.-External links:*...
- 14 – Lasse Oksanen
Lasse Kalevi Oksanen is a retired professional ice hockey player who mostly played in the SM-liiga. He played for Ilves...
- 16 – Jorma Peltonen
Jorma Kalevi Peltonen was a Finnish professional ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga. Born in Messukylä, he played for Ilves, Jokerit, and Lukko. He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987 and died in 2010 in Tampere.-External links:**...
- 41 – Raimo Helminen
Raimo Ilmari Helminen is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He is often called "Raipe" or "Maestro" by his fans...
Number 24 has not been retired officially but is not in use. It was last worn by
Veikko SuominenVeikko Suominen was an ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga for Upon Pallo, Kiekko-67 and Ilves from 1967 to 1978.-Death:...
who committed suicide during the 1978–79 season.
Other sports
Ilves also has a successful football (soccer) team. They won the Finnish league championship in 1983 and the Finnish Cup in 1979 and 1990. The soccer side run into financial trouble in the late nineties, and Ilves did not have a men's team from 1999 to 2000. Ilves is currently playing in the 2nd division (3rd highest level) and narrowly missed promotion to the 1st division in the 2010 season.
Ilves has, in addition to hockey and football, a
futsalFutsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
team in Finnish league which has won the Finnish championship five times (2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011) and the cup competition twice (2006, 2010), a
floorballFloorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
team at second highest level and a women's
ringetteRingette is a team sport played on an ice surface. Played primarily by females, Ringette requires the use of straight sticks to control a rubber ring; with the objective of the game being to score goals by shooting the ring into the opponent's net. It was introduced by Sam Jacks in North Bay,...
team. They have numerous boys' and girls' junior teams in ice-hockey, soccer, floorball (boys only) and ringette (girls only) making the organization the largest sports club in Finland.
In the past, Ilves has also competed in
American footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
,
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
,
bowlingBowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
,
figure skatingFigure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
,
handballHandball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, and
volleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. They have won a bronze medal in American football and a silver one in handball. Also Ilves has won the Finnish cup in handball.
External links