SM-liiga 1997/98

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

The SM-liiga season 1997/98 was the 23rd season in the SM-liiga . For the third time since the founding of the SM-liiga and for the sixth time in total, HIFK Helsinki became Finnish ice hockey champion .

Regular season

mode

Each team had to play four times against every other team in the league and four times against local teams. Each game consisted of three thirds of 20 minutes each. If no winner was found after regular time, the game was counted as a draw.

One team won 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.	TPS	48	30th	6th	12	162	111	+51	66
2.	HIFK	48	29	5	14th	179	115	+64	63
3.	Ilves	48	27	6th	15th	184	138	+46	60
4th	Jokerite	48	24	5	19th	139	137	+2	53
5.	Tappara	48	22nd	7th	19th	157	147	+10	51
6th	SaiPa	48	21st	7th	20th	135	142	−7	49
7th	Ässät	48	20th	8th	20th	163	156	+7	48
8th.	K-Espoo	48	20th	6th	22nd	153	139	+14	46
9.	Lukko	48	20th	6th	22nd	131	143	−12	46
10.	HPK	48	18th	5	25th	148	181	−33	41
11.	JYP	48	17th	3	28	135	167	−28	37
12.	KalPa	48	6th	4th	38	91	201	−110	16

Best scorer

Abbreviations: T = goals, A = assists

Pl	player	team	T	A.	Points
1.	Peter Larsson	Ilves	19th	39	58
2.	Jan Čaloun	HIFK	22nd	26th	48
3.	Raimo Helminen	Ilves	12	36	48
4th	Let Pirjetä	Tappara	24	22nd	46
5.	Allan Measures	Ilves	19th	25th	44
6th	Dale McTavish	SaiPa	25th	18th	43
7th	Vjačeslavs Fanduls	Ässät	15th	27	42
8th.	Mika Nieminen	Jokerite	16	25th	41
9.	Alexander Barkow	Tappara	12	29	41
10.	Kimmo Rintanen	TPS	17th	23	40

Play-offs

mode

Places 1-8 were qualified for the play-offs. The teams that had won the most of five games in the quarter-finals against their opponents qualified for the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, the best-of-5 mode was also played. The winners of the semi-finals made it to the final while the losers played for third place in the small final. In the final five games were played again. 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
	TPS	1
	K-Espoo	3
					HIFK	3
					K-Espoo	0
	HIFK	3
	Ässät	0
									HIFK	3
									Ilves	0
	Ilves	3
	SaiPa	0
					Ilves	3			Game for third place
					Jokerite	0
	Jokerite	3							Jokerite	1
	Tappara	1							K-Espoo	0

Quarter finals

TPS - Kiekko-Espoo TPS K-Espoo 5-1 K-Espoo TPS 6-0 TPS K-Espoo 1-4 K-Espoo TPS 2-1 Kiekko-Espoo wins the round 3-1.

HIFK - Ässät HIFK Ässät 5-4 Ässät HIFK 2-8 HIFK Ässät 6-3 HIFK wins the round 3-0.

Ilves - SaiPa Ilves SaiPa 10-2 SaiPa Ilves 0-1 Ilves SaiPa 5-1 Ilves wins the round 3-0.

Jokerite - Tappara Jokerite Tappara 6-3 Tappara Jokerite 7-5 Jokerite Tappara 3-1 Tappara Jokerite 0-4 Jokerit wins the round 3-1.

Semifinals

HIFK - Kiekko-Espoo HIFK K-Espoo 3-0 K-Espoo HIFK 3-7 HIFK K-Espoo 6-0 HIFK wins the round 3-0.

Ilves - Jokerite Ilves Jokerite 4-3 Jokerite Ilves 2-4 Ilves Jokerite 3-2 Ilves wins the round 3-0.

third place

Jokerite - Kiekko-Espoo
Jokerite	K-Espoo	8-0
Jokerit wins bronze.

final

HIFK - Ilves
HIFK	Ilves	2-0
Ilves	HIFK	1-7
HIFK	Ilves	2-1 a.d.
HIFK wins the championship 3-0. Ilves receives silver.

Finnish champion

Finnish champion HIFK Helsinki

Goalkeepers: Sakari Lindfors , Tim Thomas Defenders: Bob Halkidis , Santeri Heiskanen , Mikko Jokela , Jere Karalahti , Jarno Kultanen , Pertti Lehtonen , Kaj Linna , Jani Nikko , Lauri Puolanne , Brian Rafalski , Kari Rajala , Kimmo Timonen Attackers: Olli Ahonen , Jan Čaloun , Johan Davidsson , Miika Elomo , Niklas Hagman , Markku Hurme , Olli Jokinen , Kari Kalto , Mika Kortelainen , Kimmo Kuhta , Tom Laaksonen , Christian Ruuttu , Jarkko Ruutu , Toni Sihvonen , Marko Tuomainen , Mikko Vesterinen Head coach: Erkka Westerlund

Best scorer

Abbreviations: T = goals, A = assists

Pl	player	team	T	A.	Points
1.	Jan Čaloun	HIFK	6th	11	17th
2.	Johan Davidsson	HIFK	3	10	13
3.	Jarkko Ruutu	HIFK	7th	4th	11
4th	Brian Rafalski	HIFK	5	6th	11
5.	Robert Burakovsky	Ilves	7th	3	10

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 of the 1st division ( Kärpät Oulu , Hermes Kokkola and Pelicans Lahti ). 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 - Pelicans March 21st KalPa Pelicans 0-1 March 22 Pelicans KalPa 2-3 March 24th KalPa Pelicans 2-4 26th of March Pelicans KalPa 2-3 28th March KalPa Pelicans 3-2 a.d. KalPa wins the 1st round with 3: 2.

Kärpät - Hermes March 21st Kärpät Hermes 8-3 March 22 Hermes Kärpät 4-1 March 24th Kärpät Hermes 3-2 a.d. 26th of March Hermes Kärpät 5-4 n.V. 28th March Kärpät Hermes 6-2 Kärpät wins the 1st round with 3: 2.

2nd round

KalPa - Kärpät
March 31	KalPa	Kärpät	3-1
2nd of April	Kärpät	KalPa	3-1
3rd of April	KalPa	Kärpät	3-2 a.d.
April 5th	Kärpät	KalPa	2-4
KalPa wins the 2nd round with 3: 1.

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	Dale McTavish	SaiPa
Jari Kurri Trophy	Olli Jokinen	HIFK
Jarmo Wasama Commemorative Trophy	Pasi Puistola	Tappara
Kalevi Numminen Trophy	Erkka Westerlund	HIFK
Kultainen kypärä	Raimo Helminen	Ilves
Lasse Oksanen Trophy	Raimo Helminen	HIFK
Matti Keinonen Trophy	Olli Jokinen	HIFK
Pekka Rautakallio Trophy	Allan Measures	Ilves
Raimo Kilpiö Trophy	Kimmo Rintanen	TPS
Urpo Ylönen Trophy	Tim Thomas	HIFK
Veli Pekka Ketola Trophy	Peter Larsson	Ilves

swell

• Championnat de Finlande de hockey sur glace 1997/1998