Tappara
- Finnish Champion 1953, 1954, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2003
- Vice European Cup winners in 1980
Tappara is a Finnish professional ice hockey club based in Tampere, which plays in the SM- liiga. His home matches played in the Tappara Hakametsä. The club was founded in 1932 under the name Tampere Bollklubb, short TBK, and won 15 times in its history, the Finnish championship.
History
Beginnings as TBK
The association, which is now considered Tappara, was founded in 1932 as Tampere Bollklubb ( TBK ) and consisted mainly of students from the Swedish School in Tampere. The club then entertained departments for football, bandy and ice hockey. The first official Hockey game was played in 1934.
. 1942 TBK was added to the highest ice hockey league, the SM- sarja and achieved the first victory against Tarmo Hämeenlinna in January 1943 in 1946 took the team to third place in the championship and won - as in Finland usual - making it the first bronze medal in club history. The championship was won by local rivals Ilves, against the TBK during the season with 4:19 lost.
Initial success (1953-1964)
The first era of club successes were the 1950s, when TBK three times in a row - 1953 to 1955 - won the national championship. In 1955 the team changed its name in the original Swedish Finnish words for ax, Tappara to attract Finnish speaking players. In the following nine years Tappara won three additional championships ( 1959, 1961 and 1964 ), three vice - championships (1958, 1960 and 1963 ) and three bronze medals (1956, 1957 and 1962). This winning streak was ended in 1965, when Tappara for a season relegation to the second division, but its chances of promotion realized. In 1965, the Tampere Jäähalli was built for the World Ice Hockey Championship 1965, which was used after the tournament as the home venue for Tappara. Even today wear Tappara and their local rivals Ilves and Koo -Vee play their home games there.
The second wave of success (1975-1988)
It was not until the mid-1970s found Tappara the way back to success, mainly due to some of the legendary players like goalkeeper Antti Leppänen and defender Pekka Marjamäki. The team won the bronze medal in 1973 still followed the 1974 runner-up and 1975 the seventh championship in club history. This success was repeated Tappara 1977, 1979, 1982 and 1984 - so the club had won up to that point eleven championships. In 1980 Tappara successful in the European Cup and took part with two wins and one defeat in the final tournament in second place.
Between 1986 and 1988, won Tappara three times in a row, the Finnish Championship, therefore, the team of that era, which was trained by Rauno Korpi, regarded as the strongest of the club's history. Under the leadership of players like Timo Susi and Erkki Lehtonen matured young talents such as Teppo Numminen and Janne Ojanen, in this era to service providers.
1988 won the Finnish national team's first medal at the Winter Olympics, with some Tappara - players formed the trunk of the Finnish Olympic team. The Tappara player Erkki Lehtonen and Janne Ojanen scored the goals for Finland at the decisive 2-1 victory against the Soviet Union, which secured the second place and the silver medal.
Development since 1990
In the 1990s Tappara could, up to third place in the 1989/90 season, achieve any significant success. On the contrary - at the end of the season 1991/92 had until then so accustomed to success team in the play- downs against Kärpät Oulu fight to avoid relegation. 1995 Tappara player Timo Jutila was appointed captain of the Finnish national team, which won the gold medal at the World Championships the same year.
In the early 2000s Tappara returned to prosperous times and reached in the years 2001 and 2002 the vice-championship. In the season 2002/ 03 Tappara won the fifteenth Finnish Champion title under the leadership of Jukka Rautakorpi. Followed in 2008 with the third place in the SM- liiga another success, which was surpassed by the finals at the end of the 2012/13 season.
Achievements
- SM- sarja: 7x Finnish ice hockey champion: 1953, 1954, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1975
- 4x Finnish ice hockey runner-up: 1958, 1960, 1963, 1974
- 9x Bronze Medal: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1956, 1957, 1962, 1973
- 8x Finnish ice hockey champion: 1977, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2003
- 5x Finnish ice hockey runner-up: 1976, 1978, 1981, 2001, 2002
- 2x Bronze Medal: 1990, 2008
Locked back numbers
- Kalevi Numminen 2
- 3 Pekka Marjamäki
- 7 Timo Jutila
- Janne Ojanen 8
- 10 Timo Susi