Espoo Blues

SM-liiga Team
team_name = Blues
bg_color = #272A3E
text_color = white
logo_

league = SM-liiga
founded = 1984
history = Kiekko-Espoo
1984 - 1998
Blues
1998 - present
arena = LänsiAuto Areena (capacity 7,036)
city = Espoo, Finland
colors = Blue, white, yellow
headcoach = Petri Matikainen
teamcaptain = Rami Alanko

The Blues are an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Espoo, Finland at the LänsiAuto Areena.

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 by beating Joensuun Kiekkopojat with wins 3-2 in best-of-five-series.

Kiekko-Espoo ended its first two seasons in SM-liiga in 11th place within 12 teams. In 1994-95 season team made playoffs for the first time, losing to Lukko in quarter-finals. In 1997-98 season Kiekko-Espoo caused huge upset by beating regular season winner TPS in quarter-finals. Kiekko-Espoo ended the season in fourth place. In the next summer, team name was changed. The name came from the dominant colour of their home jersey.

During the 1998-99 season, team moved to its current home, LänsiAuto Areena. The first seasons in their new home were difficult despite team signing many big names. Blues missed the playoffs in 2001 and 2005. In 2002-03 season Blues had its best regular season until that day with fourth place, only to lose against eventual champions Tappara in overtime of the seventh quarter-final.

The team took step forward in 2006-07 when they reached the semi-finals for the first time in nine years, although they lost against Kärpät straight in three games and bronze medal game against HPK. During 2007-08 Blues set a new team record by winning 12 games in a row. They finally ended the regular season in 2nd place and beat HIFK in quarter-finals and Jokerit in semi-finals, proceeding to the finals and thus ensuring the first medal in franchise history. The team eventually ended up second after losing the finals to Kärpät.

Roster for 2008-09 season

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 to date)

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

*Peter Ahola (juniors-1989, 1994-1995, 1999-2001)
*Juha Ikonen (juniors-1990, January 1993-1999)
*Tommy Kiviaho (juniors-1991, 1992-1993, 1998-2000)
*Jere Lehtinen (juniors-1993)
*Tero Lehterä (juniors-1994, 1997-1998, 2001-2002)
*Timo Hirvonen (juniors-2003, 2005-2006, junior coach 2006 to date)
*Kari Haakana (juniors-1992, 1993-1998, 2004-November 2005)
*Mariusz Czerkawski (1994-95 NHL lockout)
*Ilkka Sinisalo (January 1995-1996, in organization 1996-1999)
*Jiri Vykoukal (1998-2003)
*Arto Laatikainen (juniors-2008)
*Arto Kuki (1993-2000, 2007-2008)
*Jan Caloun (2001-2004)
*Mike Ribeiro (2004-05 NHL lockout)
*Mikko Lehtonen (juniors-2008)
*Bernd Brückler (January 2006 to date)

Retired Numbers

*33 Timo Hirvonen

External links

* [http://www.blues.fi Blues official web site]
* [http://www.espooblues.net Blues unofficial web site]
* [http://www.bluesfanclub.net Blues official fan club]