AIK IF facts for kids

Allmänna Idrottsklubben Ishockeyförening (also known as AIK Hockey or just AIK) is the ice hockey team of the famous sports club AIK in Stockholm, Sweden.

Since 2014, AIK's men's team plays in HockeyAllsvenskan. This is the second-highest league for ice hockey in Sweden. Before that, they spent four years in the top league, the SHL. The women's team plays in the Swedish Women's Hockey League, which is the top division for women's ice hockey.

AIK plays most of its home games at Hovet arena, which can hold 8,050 fans. For bigger games, they sometimes play at Avicii Arena, which holds 13,850 people.

AIK has played 66 seasons in Sweden's top ice hockey division. They have won the Le Mat Trophy (the Swedish championship) seven times. These wins were in 1934, 1935, 1938, 1946, 1947, 1982, and 1984. They have also finished second six times.

History of AIK Hockey

Early Years (1921–1977)

AIK's ice hockey team started in 1921. It was created by Anton Johansson. The team won its first competition, called Träningsserien. However, the team closed down just two years later in 1923. Luckily, it was started again in 1925.

AIK played its first season in the top league (then called Elitserien) in 1930–31. They finished fifth and made it to the playoffs. They lost in the semifinal to Södertälje SK. The next season, AIK finished first in the league but again lost to Södertälje in the semifinal.

In 1934, AIK won its first championship! They beat their big rival, Djurgårdens IF, on their way to the final. In the final game, AIK played against Hammarby IF and won 1–0.

AIK and Hammarby often played each other in championship games. In 1935, AIK won the trophy again, beating Hammarby 2–1. But in 1936, Hammarby got their revenge, beating AIK in the final. In 1938, AIK won their third championship, again against Hammarby, with a 2–0 win.

In 1940, AIK lost the final to IK Göta. Four years later, in 1945, AIK reached the final again but lost to Södertälje. However, AIK won the championship in both 1946 and 1947.

After these successful years, AIK often moved between the top league (Division I) and the second league (Division II). This happened from 1954 to 1960. In 1960, AIK returned to the top division. But it would be almost 20 years before they reached another final. Their best result during this time was reaching the quarterfinal in the 1965–66 season.

Golden Era (1978–1984)

In 1978, AIK had an exciting semifinal series against Brynäs IF. After losing the first game, AIK won the second game 8–0 at Hovet. This forced a third game, which AIK won 3–2. They reached the final but lost to Skellefteå AIK.

After two tough seasons, AIK's "golden era" began. In the 1980–81 season, they finished second in the Elitserien. They easily won their semifinal games against Västra Frölunda IF. In the final, they played against Färjestads BK and lost, becoming the second-best team again.

The next season, AIK finished third. They faced Färjestad again in the semifinals and won both games. This sent them to the final against IF Björklöven. AIK lost the first game but won the next two. They had a chance to win the championship at Hovet, but Björklöven won that game. So, a fifth and final game was played. AIK won 3–2 and became Swedish champions for the first time in over 30 years!

The next season, Färjestad beat AIK in the semifinals. But AIK's fans didn't have to wait long for another celebration. AIK finished first in the 1983–84 Elitserien season. In the semifinals, they beat Södertälje.

The final was against their Stockholm rivals, Djurgården. This was the first and only time these two teams met in a Swedish Championship final. AIK won the first game 5–2 and the second 2–0. The final game ended 4–1 for AIK. They were crowned 1984 Swedish Champions, their seventh title. This is their most recent championship win.

Ups and Downs (1985–2006)

After their big win in 1984, AIK had a tough time. They didn't make the playoffs the next year. The year after that, they finished last and were moved down to Division 1, the second league. But they quickly bounced back! They won every game in their Division 1 group and then won the Allsvenskan league, earning their way back to Elitserien.

In 1988, AIK reached the quarterfinals in Elitserien playoffs, beating Djurgården. But Färjestad knocked them out in the semifinals.

In the 1992–93 season, AIK finished last in the first round and were sent to Allsvenskan. They lost a playoff series and were moved down to Division 1 again.

AIK didn't stay in Division 1 for long. They won their division and made it to the playoffs. They needed to beat Bodens IK by three goals in the last game to get back to Elitserien. In a memorable game, AIK won 3–0! Their goalie, Rolf Ridderwall, saved a penalty shot in the last minutes, which helped AIK return to the top league.

AIK didn't reach the playoffs in 1994–95 or 1995–96. But the next season, they made it to the semifinals after beating Djurgården. Luleå HF won the semifinal series against them.

In 1998, AIK had to play in a special series to stay in Elitserien. They won all five games and kept their spot. For the next two seasons, AIK missed the playoffs.

In the 2000–01 Elitserien season, AIK played their last playoff series in that league before being moved down. Djurgården beat them in the quarterfinals. The next season, AIK finished near the bottom and were moved down to Allsvenskan.

AIK spent the rest of that decade in leagues below Elitserien. They made it to the qualification series for Elitserien twice but couldn't get back in. In 2003–04, AIK had financial problems and were moved down to the third-tier league, Division 1.

The next season, AIK finished first in their division. Because of the NHL lockout, some NHL players like Mattias Norström and Georges Laraque played for AIK. This helped AIK win their qualification series and get promoted back to Allsvenskan.

Return to the Top League (2010)

Game between AIK vs. Djurgården Hockey

In 2008–09, AIK made a big effort to return to Elitserien. They hired Roger Melin, a former coach for the Swedish national team (Tre Kronor). Famous players like Dick Tärnström also joined the team.

AIK finished second in HockeyAllsvenskan and qualified for the 2009 Kvalserien (qualification series). They finished third, just missing out on promotion. The next season, they finished second again and made it to the Kvalserien. With only one game left, AIK was in the second and last spot for Elitserien. They won their final game 2–0 and returned to the top league after eight years!

AIK's first season back in Elitserien (2010–11) was a huge success. Many experts thought they would struggle, but they made it to the playoffs. AIK's goalie, Viktor Fasth, played a big part in this success and won an award called the Honken Trophy. In the quarterfinals, AIK surprisingly beat the regular season champions, HV71, 4–0. In the semifinals, they faced Färjestads BK and were knocked out.

In the 2011–12 season, AIK played even better, finishing 7th and making the playoffs again. Richard Gynge scored 28 goals and won the Håkan Loob Trophy. Robert Rosén led the league in points. Viktor Fasth won the Honken Trophy for the second year in a row. AIK beat the regular-season champions, Luleå HF, in the quarterfinals. They reached the semifinals for the second year but lost to Skellefteå AIK in a close seven-game series.

After the 2011–12 season, coach Roger Melin left. Per-Erik Johnsson became the new head coach.

KHL Invitation (2009)

In November 2009, AIK was invited to join the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). This is a big league with teams from several countries. The plan was for AIK to join in the 2010–11 season. AIK held a meeting with its fans to decide. However, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association (SIHA) did not allow AIK to join the KHL.

Players and Personnel

Team Captains

Honored Members

AIK retired numbers at Hovet arena.

AIK has honored several important players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team can wear that number again.

Trophies and Awards

Team Achievements

• Le Mat Trophy (7 times): 1934, 1935, 1938, 1946, 1947, 1982, 1984

Individual Player Awards

• Guldhjälmen (Best player voted by players)
  • Rikard Franzén: 1999–2000

• Guldpucken (Best player of the season)
  • Bert-Ola Nordlander: 1966–67
  • Leif Holmqvist: 1967–68, 1969–70
  • Rolf Edberg: 1977–78
  • Per-Erik Eklund: 1983–84
  • Bo Berglund: 1987–88
  • Viktor Fasth: 2010–11

• Honken Trophy (Best goaltender)
  • Viktor Fasth: 2010–11, 2011–12

• Håkan Loob Trophy (Top goal scorer)
  • Robert Burakovsky: 1989–90

• Elitserien Rookie of the Year (Best new player in the top league)
  • Michael Nylander: 1991–92

• Rinkens riddare (Most sportsmanlike player)
  • Leif Holmqvist: 1967–68
  • Mats Lindberg: 1999–2000

See also

• Allmänna Idrottsklubben