Leksands IF facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leksands IF |
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| City | Leksand, Sweden |
| League | Swedish Hockey League |
| Founded | 13 August 1919 |
| Home arena | Tegera Arena |
| Colours | |
| General manager | Thomas Johansson |
| Head coach | Björn Hellkvist |
| Captain | Patrik Zackrisson |
| Affiliate(s) | Leksands IF Dam |
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Website leksandsif.se |
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| Franchise history | |
| Championship wins | 4 (1969, 1973, 1974, 1975) |
| Runners-up | 5 (1959, 1964, 1971, 1972, 1989) |
Leksands Idrottsförening, often called Leksands IF, is a professional ice hockey team from Leksand, a town in Sweden. They play in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), which is the top ice hockey league in Sweden. Their home games are played at Tegera Arena, a large stadium that can hold 7,650 fans. The team earned its spot in the SHL after doing well in the 2019 SHL qualifiers.
Contents
History of Leksands IF
Leksands IF was started on August 13, 1919. At first, the club played other sports like bandy and ski competitions. In 1920, they also started playing football.
The first ice hockey game for Leksands IF was in 1938. They won that game against Mora IK with a score of 11–0. Today, ice hockey is the only sport the club plays.
A Popular Team from a Small Town
Even though the town of Leksand has only about 6,000 people, Leksands IF is one of the most popular ice hockey teams in Sweden. Many fans come to watch their games. Even when they played in the second-tier league, they often had over 4,000 fans at each home game.
Leksand played in Sweden's top hockey division for a long time, from 1951 until 2001. They were very successful between 1969 and 1975, winning the Swedish championship four times. These wins were in 1969, 1973, 1974, and 1975.
Before the current top league, the SHL, was formed in 1975, Leksand had also finished as runners-up four times. They were close to winning in 1959, 1964, 1971, and 1972.
Challenges and Comebacks
Leksand has never won the SHL championship, even though they finished first in the regular season three times (1980, 1994, and 1997). They were also runners-up in the SHL in 1989. In 2001, they had played in the highest division for many years in a row.
After 2001, the team sometimes moved between the top league and the second league, HockeyAllsvenskan. This is called being "relegated" (moving down) or "promoted" (moving up).
In the 2007–08 season, Leksand signed a famous former NHL goalie named Ed Belfour. They hoped he would help them get back to the top league. They won the second league easily that year. However, they did not succeed in the final qualification stage to get promoted. Ed Belfour retired after that season.
Leksand kept trying to get back to the top league. They won the second league again in 2008–09 and 2009–10. But each time, they just missed out on promotion in the final qualification games.
Finally, after winning the regular season in 2012–13, Leksand succeeded! They were promoted back to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for the first time since the 2005–06 season. This was a big moment for the team and its fans.
Players and Coaches
Retired Numbers
Some players were so important to Leksands IF that their jersey numbers were retired. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again.
- 2 Åke Lassas
- 18 Jonas Bergqvist
Honored Numbers
Other players have had their numbers honored. This means their number is special because of their contributions to the team.
- 1 Christer Abrahamsson
- 2 Tomas Jonsson
- 3 Vilgot Larsson
- 6 Thommy Abrahamsson
- 8 Magnus Svensson
- 12 Mats Åhlberg
- 15 Dan Söderström
- 16 Niklas Eriksson
- 22 Nisse Nilsson
Honored Coaches
Coaches who have made a big impact on the team are also honored.
- Rune Mases
Hockey Hall of Famers
Some players from Leksands IF have even been recognized in the Hockey Hall of Fame, which is a very high honor in ice hockey.
- Ed Belfour – Class of 2011
Images for kids
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Leksands IF team logo
See also
In Spanish: Leksands IF para niños
