HV71 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids HV71 |
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| City | Jönköping, Sweden |
| League | Swedish Hockey League |
| Founded | May 24, 1971 |
| Home arena | Husqvarna Garden |
| Colors | |
| General manager | Chris Abbott |
| Head coach | Anton Blomqvist |
| Captain | Olle Alsing |
| Website | hv71.se |
| Franchise history | |
| 1971 | Huskvarna/Vätterstads IF |
| 1971–present | HV71 |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | (5) (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011) |
| Le Mat Trophy | (5) (1995, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2017) |
 Current season |
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HV71 is a professional ice hockey team from Jönköping, Sweden. They play in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), which is the top ice hockey league in Sweden. The team is often called just HV by its fans.
HV71 has also played in big European tournaments like the Champions Hockey League. They have been in the top Swedish league almost every year since 1984. They only spent one year in the second league, HockeyAllsvenskan, in 2021–22, but quickly won their way back to the SHL!
Contents
History of HV71 Hockey
HV71 was started on May 24, 1971. It was formed when two local teams, Husqvarna IF and Vätterstads IK, joined together. At first, they were called Huskvarna/Vätterstads IF, but later that year, they changed their name to the shorter HV71.
The team first made it to Sweden's top league, then called Elitserien, in the 1978–79 season. They were sent down to a lower league after just one season. But they fought their way back up in 1984–85 and have been a strong team in the top league ever since. HV71 has won the Swedish championship five times: in 1995, 2004, 2008, 2010, and 2017. For a few years in the late 1990s, people sometimes called HV71 the Blue Bulls.
Many Swedish hockey fans remember HV71's old home, Rosenlundshallen. This was Sweden's very first indoor ice hockey arena, built in 1958. In 2000, a new and better arena, Kinnarps Arena, was built right on top of the old one! This meant HV71 played their games in a construction zone during the 1999–2000 season.
On December 6, 2006, something special happened. HV71 was at the top of the main league. At the same time, their two youth teams (under 20 and under 18 years old) were also leading their own leagues! This was a first in the club's history.
HV71's First Championship: 1994–95 Season
HV71 won their first national championship in the 1994–95 season. They were the last team to make it into the playoffs, finishing 8th in the regular season. This made their win even more amazing! They are the only team in Swedish history to win the finals after being the 8th seed.
In the first round, HV71 beat the top team, Djurgårdens IF Hockey, in three straight games. In the next round, the semi-finals, they were losing 2-0 to the defending champions, Malmö Redhawks. But HV71 made an incredible comeback, winning three games in a row to take the series 3-2!
The final was against Brynäs IF. It went to a fifth and deciding game. HV71 won in overtime in the fourth period, with Johan Lindbom scoring the winning goal. Goalie Boo Ahl and Finnish player Esa Keskinen were also big heroes during these playoffs.
HV71's Second Championship: 2003–04 Season
HV71 won their second championship in the 2003–04 season. They beat Modo Hockey and Frölunda HC in the earlier rounds. In the finals, they faced Färjestads BK and won the series 4-3.
In the quarter-finals, HV71 set a new Swedish record. They scored seven goals in just one period against Modo Hockey! They scored all seven goals in the last ten minutes of that period. The game ended with a huge 10–1 victory.
In the final series, HV71's goalie, Stefan Liv, was incredible. He didn't let in any goals in the four games that HV71 won. The last two games of the final ended 1-0 and 5-0, both shutouts for Liv. He even had a shutout in the last semi-final game, meaning he had five shutouts in a row for winning games!
Players and Team Members
Current Roster
| # | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
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Team Captains
Over the years, many great players have been captain of HV71, leading the team on the ice. The captain is a very important role, helping to guide the team and represent the players. The current captain is Olle Alsing.
Retired Numbers
When a team retires a player's number, it means that no other player on that team will ever wear that number again. It's a special way to honor players who have been incredibly important to the club. HV71 has retired several numbers to celebrate their legendary players.
| No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Fredrik Stillman | D | 1982–1995, 1996–1999, 2000–2001 | December 26, 2001 |
| 15 | Stefan Örnskog | LW | 1987–1998, 1999–2001 | December 26, 2001 |
| 7 | Per Gustafsson | D | 1988–1996, 1998–2010 | September 18, 2010 |
| 1 | Stefan Liv | G | 1999–2006, 2007–2010 | January 10, 2012 |
| 76 | Johan Davidsson | C | 1992–1997, 2001–2013 | September 27, 2014 |
| 22 | David Petrasek | D | 1993–2000, 2005–2010, 2011–2015 | January 27, 2017 |
| 10 | Martin Thörnberg | LW/RW | 1999–2011, 2015–2020, 2021 | January 5, 2023 |
Club Records and Leaders
Amazing Individual Records
HV71 players have set some impressive records over the years:
- Most Seasons Played: Per Gustafsson played for HV71 for 20 seasons!
- Most Goals in a Season: Kai Nurminen scored 31 goals in one season (1995–96), which is also a record for a rookie (first-year player) in the top league.
- Most Assists in a Season: Johan Davidsson had 46 assists in 2009–10.
- Most Points in a Season: Esa Keskinen earned 59 points (goals + assists) in 1995–96.
- Fastest Goal Scored: Per Gustafsson scored a goal just 6 seconds into a game (1991–92), an all-time league record!
- Longest Time Without Letting in a Goal: Goalie Hannau Lassila kept his net empty for 184 minutes and 6 seconds in 1979!
- Most Shutouts in a Season: Stefan Liv had 6 shutouts (games where he didn't let in any goals) in 2003–04.
Top Scorers in HV71 History
Many players have scored lots of points for HV71. Some of the top point-scorers in the club's history include Johan Davidsson, Hans Wallin, and Bengt Kinell. These players have scored many goals and assists over their careers with the team.
Trophies and Awards
HV71 has won many awards as a team and its players have won individual honors.
Team Trophies
- Le Mat Trophy (Swedish Champions): 1995, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2017
- Regular SHL Season Titles: 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011
- HockeyAllsvenskan (Second League Champions): 2022
Individual Player and Coach Awards
Many HV71 players and coaches have won special awards for their great performance:
- Coach of the Year: Awarded to coaches like Sune Bergman, Pär Mårts, and Kent Johansson.
- Guldhjälmen (Golden Helmet - Best Player Voted by Players): Won by players like Kari Eloranta, Esa Keskinen, Andreas Karlsson, and Johan Davidsson.
- Guldpucken (Golden Puck - Best Player in Sweden): Awarded to HV71 players like Ulf Dahlén, Johan Davidsson, and Stefan Liv.
- Honken Trophy (Best Goaltender): Won by goalies like Stefan Liv, Erik Ersberg, and Gustaf Wesslau.
- Rinkens riddare (Knight of the Rink - Most Fair Player): Johan Davidsson won this award three times!
- Rookie of the Year: Given to top new players like Peter Madach, William Karlsson, and Andreas Borgman.
