SM-liiga 1996/97

SM-liiga
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Master:	Jokerit Helsinki
• SM-liiga |  I-divisioona ↓

The 1996/97 season was the 22nd season of the SM-liiga . For the fourth time since the founding of the SM-liiga and for the fifth time in total, Jokerit Helsinki became Finnish ice hockey champion .

Regular season

mode

Each team had to play four times against every other team in the league and six additional times against local teams. Each game consisted of three thirds of 20 minutes each. In the event that a winner was not found after regular time, the game was considered a draw.

A win in regular time earned a team 2 points. A draw was rewarded with one point. There were no points for defeat.

Closing table

Abbreviations: Sp = games, S = wins, U = draws, N = defeats, T = goals, GT = goals conceded, TD = goal difference

Pl	team	Sp	S.	U	N	T	GT	TD	Points
1.	Jokerite	50	35	4th	11	192	116	+76	74
2.	TPS	50	32	7th	11	191	105	+86	71
3.	HPK	50	28	7th	15th	191	143	+48	63
4th	Ilves	50	26th	7th	17th	183	147	+36	59
5.	JYP	50	25th	6th	19th	163	136	+27	56
6th	K-Espoo	50	21st	9	20th	154	163	−9	51
7th	Ässät	50	19th	10	21st	171	181	−10	48
8th.	Tappara	50	18th	8th	24	139	171	−32	44
9.	HIFK	50	17th	8th	25th	159	171	−12	42
10.	Lukko	50	16	5	29	136	170	−34	37
11.	SaiPa	50	13	8th	29	118	181	−63	34
12.	KalPa	50	8th	5	37	116	228	−112	21st

Best scorer

Abbreviations: T = goals, A = assists

Pl	player	team	T	A.	Points
1.	Petri Varis	Jokerite	36	23	59
2.	Vladimír Vůjtek	Ässät	27	31	58
3.	Kimmo Rintanen	TPS	25th	28	53
4th	Mika Arvaja	Ilves	22nd	30th	52
5.	Thomas Sjogren	JYP	31	20th	51
6th	Timo Saarikoski	Jokerite	14th	36	50
7th	Raimo Helminen	Ilves	11	39	50
8th.	Jani Hassinen	HPK	19th	30th	49
9.	Vjačeslavs Fanduls	Ässät	18th	30th	48
10.	Peter Larsson	JYP	13	35	48

Play-offs

mode

Places 1-8 were automatically qualified for the play-offs. The teams that had won the most of five games in the quarter and semi-finals against their opponents qualified for the next round. The winners of the semi-finals made it to the final while the losers played for third place in the small final. Five games were also played in the final. Whoever won the most games was the winner of the season. Only one game was played in the round for third place. The respective opponents were put together so that the top ranked team plays against the worst, the second best, against the second worst, and so on. As in the main season, a game lasted a total of 60 minutes. After the regular time, extensions of 20 minutes each were played until a winner was found through a decisive goal.

Tournament tree

	Quarter finals				Semifinals				final
	March 15-18, 1997
	Jokerite	3
					March 25-28, 1997
	Tappara	0
					Jokerite	3
	March 15-20, 1997
					Ilves	0
	Ilves	3
									3-6 April 1997
	JYP	1
									Jokerite	3
	March 15-20, 1997
									TPS	0
	TPS	3
					25.3. - 1.4.1997
	Assät	1
					TPS	3			Game for third place
	March 15-20, 1997
					HPK	2
	HPK	3							HPK	1
	K-Espoo	1							Ilves	0
									3.4.1997

Quarter finals

Jokerite - Tappara March, 15 Jokerite Tappara 3-1 March 16 Tappara Jokerite 5-6 n.V. March 18th Jokerite Tappara 4-0 Jokerit wins the round 3-0.

Ilves - JYP March, 15 Ilves JYP 4-2 March 16 JYP Ilves 6-1 March 18th Ilves JYP 4-1 March, 20th JYP Ilves 2-5 Ilves wins the round 3-1.

TPS - Ässät March, 15 TPS Ässät 1-3 March 16 Ässät TPS 4-7 March 18th TPS Ässät 6-3 March, 20th Ässät TPS 2-4 TPS wins the round 3-1.

HPK - K-Espoo March, 15 HPK K-Espoo 3-0 March 16 K-Espoo HPK 3-4 March 18th HPK K-Espoo 2-3 March, 20th K-Espoo HPK 3-4 HPK wins the round 3-1.

Semifinals

Jokerite - Ilves 25th March Jokerite Ilves 7-3 26th of March Ilves Jokerite 1-2 28th March Jokerite Ilves 4-2 Jokerit wins the round 3-0.

TPS - HPK 25th March TPS HPK 1-4 26th of March HPK TPS 5-3 28th March TPS HPK 5-4 March 30 HPK TPS 1-2 n.V. April 1st TPS HPK 6-2 TPS wins the round 3-2.

third place

HPK - Ilves
3rd of April	HPK	Ilves	5-1
HPK wins bronze.

final

Jokerite - TPS
3rd of April	TPS	Jokerite	2-3 a.d.
April 5th	Jokerite	TPS	4-2
April 6th	Jokerite	TPS	4-0
Jokerit wins the championship 3-0. TPS receives silver.

Finnish champion

Finnish champion Jokerit Helsinki

Goalkeepers: Marko Rantanen , Ari Sulander Defenders: Antti Hulkkonen , Waltteri Immonen , Ismo Kuoppala , Antti-Jussi Niemi , Pasi Sormunen , Mika Strömberg , Daniel Tjärnqvist , Marko Tuulola Attackers: Mika Asikainen , Niko Halttunen , Otakar Janecký , Mikko Konttila , Tero Lehterä , Juha Lind , Jari Lindroos , Jani-Matti Loikala , Pasi Saarela , Timo Saarikoski , Keijo Säilynoja , Eero Somervuori , Antti Törmänen , Petri Varis Head coach: Curt Lundmark

Best scorer

Abbreviations: T = goals, A = assists

Pl	player	team	T	A.	Points
1.	Kimmo Rintanen	TPS	5	10	15th
2.	Otakar Janecký	Jokerite	2	13	15th
3.	Petri Varis	Jokerite	7th	4th	11
4th	Brian Rafalski	HPK	6th	5	11
5.	Antti Aalto	TPS	5	6th	11

SM liiga qualification

In order not to be relegated, the last placed team in the SM-liiga (in this case KalPa Kuopio) had to prove itself against three candidates for promotion from the second Finnish ice hockey league (1st division). The promotion candidates were the three best teams in the play-offs ( Haukat Järvenpää , Karhut and Kärpät Oulu ). There were two qualifying rounds, with the winners of the first competing in the second round. Whoever won the second round was allowed to stay in the SM-liiga or be promoted to it.

1 round

KalPa - Haukat March, 15 KalPa Haukat 6-4 March 16 Haukat KalPa 1-2 n.V. March 18th KalPa Haukat 5-4 n.V. KalPa wins the 1st round 3-0.

Karhut - Kärpät March, 15 Karhut Kärpät 2-6 March 16 Kärpät Karhut 5-1 March 18th Karhut Kärpät 2-6 Kärpät wins the 1st round 3-0.

2nd round

Pelicans - Kärpät
28th March	KalPa	Kärpät	5-1
26th of March	Kärpät	KalPa	1-2 n.V.
25th March	KalPa	Kärpät	5-4 n.V.
KalPa wins the 2nd round 3-0.

KalPa Kuopio was allowed to stay in the SM-liiga due to the result of the 2nd round. The remaining teams stayed in the 1st division.

Awards

Award	winner	team
Aarne Honkavaara Trophy	Petri Varis	Jokerite
Jari Kurri Trophy	Otakar Janecký	Jokerite
Jarmo Wasama Commemorative Trophy	Olli Jokinen	HIFK
Kalevi Numminen Trophy	Hannu Kapanen	HPK
Kultainen kypärä	Kimmo Rintanen	TPS
Lasse Oksanen Trophy	Jani Hurme	TPS
Matti Keinonen Trophy	Kimmo Timonen	TPS
Pekka Rautakallio Trophy	Brian Rafalski	HPK
Pentti Isotalo Trophy	Panu Bruun	-
Raimo Kilpiö Trophy	Kimmo Rintanen	TPS
Unto Wiitala Trophy	Seppo Mäkelä	-
Urpo Ylönen Trophy	Jani Hurme	TPS
Veli Pekka Ketola Trophy	Petri Varis	Jokerite

swell

• Championnat de Finlande de hockey sur glace 1996/1997