Linköping HC facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Linköping HC |
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| City | Linköping, Sweden |
| League | Swedish Hockey League |
| Founded | 4 August 1976 |
| Home arena | Saab Arena Capacity: 8,190 |
| Colors | |
| General manager | Peter Jakobsson |
| Head coach | Klas Östman |
| Captain | Oscar Fantenberg |
| Website | lhc.eu |
| Franchise history | |
| 1932–1976 | BK Kenty |
| 1976–2019 | Linköpings HC |
| 2019–present | Linköping HC |
Linköping Hockey Club, often called LHC or Cluben by its fans, is a professional ice hockey team from Linköping, Sweden. It was started in 1976. The team plays its home games at the Saab Arena, which can hold 8,190 fans.
LHC plays in the top Swedish ice hockey league, the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). The club is currently ranked twelfth in the league's all-time standings.
Contents
Team History
How the Club Started (1942–1975)
The story of Linköping HC began in 1942. Football players from a club called BK Kenty created an ice hockey team named BK Robbi. They mostly played friendly games on the frozen Stångån river during winter.
In 1945, BK Robbi joined with BK Kenty. Playing hockey depended a lot on the weather back then. By the late 1950s, Kenty became a strong team in Division 2, which was the second-highest league. They also got a permanent home rink at Folkungavallen. In 1969, Kenty merged with another local club, IK Terra. In the 1970s, Kenty faced some problems because parts of the club wanted to focus more on football than ice hockey.
LHC's Beginning and Rise (1976–1998)
Linköping HC was officially founded on August 4, 1976. It was created as a separate club from BK Kenty. The new team moved into the brand-new indoor arena, Stångebro Ishall.
Playing in the Top League (1999–Present)
Linköping HC first played in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), which used to be called Elitserien, in the 1999–2000 season. Since the 2001–02 season, they have been a regular team in the top division.
The team has made it to the playoffs many times. LHC reached the final championship game for the first time in the 2006–07 season. They played against Modo Hockey but lost. In the 2007–08 season, Linköping HC made it to the final again. This time, they played against HV71 and also finished as runners-up, winning the silver medal.
Recent Seasons
Here's a quick look at Linköping HC's performance in the last few seasons in the SHL:
| Season | Position | Average Home Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | 12th | 6,079 |
| 2019–20 | 11th | 6,306 |
| 2020–21 | 12th | 0 (Due to health restrictions) |
| 2021–22 | 11th | 4,987 |
| 2022–23 | 12th | 6,045 |
Team Players and Special Members
Current Team Captain
The current captain of Linköping HC is Oscar Fantenberg. He wears the "C" on his jersey.
Honored Players
Linköping HC has honored several players by retiring their jersey numbers. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again. It's a special way to remember players who made a huge impact on the club.
| No. | Player | Position | Years Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Magnus Johansson | Defenceman | 1990–1997, 2004–2007, 2009–2015 |
| 10 | Mats Andersson | Center | 1976–1989 |
| 15 | Stefan Jakobsson | Forward | 1988–1999 |
| 16 | Mike Helber | Winger | 1992–2002 |
| 33 | Fredrik Emvall | Forward | 1999–2010 |
Club Records
Top Scorers of All Time
These players have scored the most points for Linköping HC in the top league (Elitserien and SHL) since the 1975–76 season. Points are counted by adding goals and assists.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; = current Linköpings HC player
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnus Johansson | D | 463 | 63 | 223 | 286 | 0.62 |
| Broc Little | F | 340 | 148 | 136 | 284 | 0.83 |
| Tony Mårtensson | C | 312 | 85 | 192 | 277 | 0.88 |
| Mikael Håkanson | RW | 416 | 84 | 134 | 218 | 0.52 |
| Jonas Junland | D | 401 | 39 | 135 | 174 | 0.43 |
| Niklas Persson | C | 316 | 64 | 103 | 167 | 0.53 |
| Jaroslav Hlinka | C | 180 | 41 | 126 | 167 | 0.93 |
| Pär Arlbrandt | RW | 162 | 61 | 100 | 161 | 0.99 |
| Jan Hlaváč | LW | 172 | 81 | 78 | 159 | 0.92 |
| Andrew Gordon | RW | 261 | 65 | 87 | 152 | 0.58 |
Most Games Played
These players have played the most games for Linköping HC in the top league (Elitserien and SHL) since the 1975–76 season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; = current Linköpings HC player
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian Karlsson | C | 514 | 56 | 52 | 108 | 0.21 |
| Fredrik Emvall | LW | 497 | 66 | 68 | 134 | 0.27 |
| Magnus Johansson | D | 463 | 63 | 223 | 286 | 0.62 |
| Mikael Håkanson | RW | 416 | 84 | 134 | 218 | 0.52 |
| Jonas Junland | D | 401 | 39 | 135 | 174 | 0.43 |
| Andreas Pihl | D | 377 | 21 | 36 | 57 | 0.15 |
| Henrik Törnqvist | RW | 349 | 52 | 58 | 110 | 0.31 |
| Broc Little | F | 340 | 148 | 136 | 284 | 0.83 |
| Niklas Persson | C | 316 | 64 | 103 | 167 | 0.53 |
| Tony Mårtensson | C | 312 | 85 | 192 | 277 | 0.88 |
Other Sports Teams
Linköping HC also supports other sports teams. The city's women's football team, Linköpings FC, is connected to and gets money from Linköping HC. Also, the top men's and women's volleyball teams from Team Valla joined Linköping HC in 2008, becoming Linköpings Volleyboll Club.
