| Blues | |
|
[[Image:|center|125px|Blues]] |
|
| League | SM-liiga |
| Founded | 1984 |
| History | Kiekko-Espoo 1984 - 1998 Blues 1998 - present |
| Arena | LänsiAuto Areena (capacity 7,036) |
| City | Espoo, Finland |
| Team Colors | Blue, white, yellow |
| General Manager | {{{generalmanager}}} |
| Head Coach | Petri Matikainen |
| Team Captain | Rami Alanko |
The Blues are an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Espoo, Finland at the LänsiAuto Areena.
Contents |
Team History
The club was established in February 1984 as Kiekko-Espoo and played their first season in 1984-1985 in the Finnish Second Division. In 1988 they achieved promotion to the Finnish First Division and in 1992 celebrated their promotion to the SM-liiga. The club and the team changed their name in 1998. The name came from the dominant colour of their home jersey. The full name of the club is Blues Hockey Oy. In 2007 Espoo Blues won Tampere cup.
Current squad
| Goaltenders | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Catches | Contract Length | Place of Birth | |
| 30 |  |
Bernd Brückler | L | 2009 | Graz, Austria |
| 38 |  |
Jere Myllyniemi | L | 2009 | Kangasala, Finland |
| Defencemen | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Shoots | Contract Length | Place of Birth | ||
| 2 | |
Juha Gustafsson | L | 2009 | Helsinki, Finland | |
| 3 | |
Santeri Heiskanen | R | 2008 | Helsinki, Finland | |
| 5 | |
Miika Huczkowski | L | 2009 | Jyväskylä Municipality, Finland | |
| 6 | |
Mikael Kurki | L | 2009 | Helsinki, Finland | |
| 8 | |
Kimmo Pikkarainen | L | 2008 | Helsinki, Finland | |
| 9 |  |
Dale Clarke | R | 2009 | Belleville, Canada | |
| 15 | |
Patrik Lostedt | L | 2008 | Vantaa, Finland | |
| 22 | |
Rami Alanko | R | 2009 | Helsinki, Finland | |
| 34 | |
Ismo Kuoppala | L | 2009 | Espoo, Finland | |
| 42 | |
Arto Laatikainen | L | 2008 | Espoo, Finland | |
| Forwards | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Shoots | Position | Contract Length | Place of Birth | |
| 0 | |
Roope Ranta | R | F | A-junior | |
| 10 | |
Matti Uusivirta | R | F | 2008 | Helsinki, Finland |
| 12 | |
Joni Työkkälä | L | W | 2009 | Espoo, Finland |
| 18 | |
Erkki Rajamäki | L | RW | 2008 | Vantaa, Finland |
| 19 | |
Mikko Lehtonen | R | W | 2008 | Espoo, Finland |
| 20 | |
Pentti Nöyränen | R | W | 2009 | Espoo, Finland |
| 21 | |
Tero Koskiranta | L | C | 2008 | Paimio, Finland |
| 25 | |
Ryan Keller | R | RW | 2008 | Saskatoon, Canada |
| 26 | |
Oskar Osala | L | LW | 2008 | Vaasa, Finland |
| 29 | |
Carlo Grünn | L | RW | 2008 | Espoo, Finland |
| 39 | |
Ville Viitaluoma | L | C | 2008 | Espoo, Finland |
| 40 | |
Jaakko Uhlbäck | L | LW | 2009 | Kuopio, Finland |
| 41 |  |
Stefan Öhman | L | C | 2009 | Örnsköldsvik, Sweden |
| 44 |  |
Ben Eaves | R | C | 2008 | Minneapolis, USA |
| 52 | |
Camilo Miettinen | L | F | 2008 | Medellín, Colombia |
| 78 | |
Kari Kalto | L | C | 2008 | Espoo, Finland |
| 81 | |
Arto Kuki | L | C | 2008 | Espoo, Finland |
| 85 | |
Toni Kähkönen | L | F | 2008 | Espoo, Finland |
Team Captains (SM-liiga)
- Jan Långbacka (1992-94)
- Hannu Järvenpää (1994)
- Peter Ahola (1994-95)
- Jarmo Muukkonen (1995-96)
- Teemu Sillanpää (1996-97)
- Juha Ikonen (1997-99)
- Peter Ahola (1999-2001)
- Valeri Krykov (2001-02)
- Juha Ylönen (2002-03)
- Rami Alanko (2003-05)
- Timo Hirvonen (2005, stepped down as captain in November 2005)
- Markku Hurme (2005-2006, replaced Hirvonen as captain mid-season)
- Joakim Eriksson (2006)
- Markku Hurme, Ville Viitaluoma, Erkki Rajamäki, Kent Manderville (2006-07, rotating captaincy)
- Rami Alanko (2007-08)
Head coaches (SM-liiga)
- Martti Merra (1992-94, replaced in January)
- Hannu Saintula (1994, mid-season replacement)
- Harri Rindell (1994-96)
- Håkan Nygren (1996-98, replaced in February)
- Hannu Saintula (1998, mid-season replacement)
- Pekka Rautakallio (1998, replaced in November)
- Hannu Saintula (1998-99, mid-season replacement)
- Jukka Holtari (1999-2000, replaced in January)
- Jari Härkälä (2000, mid-season replacement)
- Timo Tuomi (2000-01, replaced in September of second season)
- Hannu Kapanen (2001-03, mid-season replacement, continued in the next season)
- Ted Sator (2003, replaced in October)
- Hannu Virta (2003-04, mid-season replacement, replaced in the October of second season)
- Pekka Rautakallio (2004-05)
- Kari Heikkilä (2005-07)
- Petri Matikainen (2007 to date)
Not to be Forgotten
- Tommy Kiviaho (juniors-1988, 1989-1992, 1998-2000)
- Kari Haakana (juniors-1990, 1993-1998, 2004-2006)
- Jere Lehtinen (juniors-1993)
- Tero Lehterä (juniors-1994, 1997-98, 2001-02)
- Ilkka Sinisalo (1994-96, in organization 1996-99)
- Peter Ahola (juniors-1989, 1994-95, 1999-2001)
- Juha Ikonen (juniors-1990, 1993-1999)
- Jiri Vykoukal (1998-2003)
- Jan Caloun (2001-04)
- Mike Ribeiro (2004-05 NHL lockout)
- Mariusz Czerkawski (1994-95 NHL lockout)
- Bernd Brückler (January 2006 to date)
- Timo Hirvonen (juniors-2003, 2005-2006)
Retired Numbers
- 33 Timo Hirvonen
External links
 SM-liiga |
|
|---|---|
| Current teams |
Ässät · Blues · HIFK · HPK · Ilves · Jokerit · JYP · KalPa · Kärpät · Lukko · Pelicans · SaiPa · Tappara · TPS |
| Defunct 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 · Finnish national men's ice hockey team · Finnish national women's ice hockey team · SM-sarja |
| Related articles: IIHF · Continental Cup · IIHF European Champions Cup (IIHF) | |
