SM-liiga 1998/99

SM-liiga
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Master:	TPS Turku
Relegated:	KalPa Kuopio
• SM-liiga |  I-divisioona ↓

The 1998/99 season was the 24th season of the SM-liiga . For the seventh time since the founding of the SM-liiga and for the eighth time in total, TPS Turku became Finnish ice hockey champion .

Regular season

mode

Each team had to play four times against every other team in the league and ten 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.	TPS	54	37	7th	10	179	107	+72	81
2.	HIFK	54	34	6th	14th	209	104	+105	74
3.	Jokerite	54	31	3	20th	171	140	+31	65
4th	HPK	54	27	6th	21st	192	152	+40	60
5.	Ilves	54	30th	0	24	180	143	+37	60
6th	SaiPa	54	25th	4th	25th	141	135	−12	54
7th	blues	54	21st	7th	26th	146	183	−37	49
8th.	JYP	54	22nd	4th	28	137	157	−20	48
9.	Tappara	54	21st	6th	27	148	196	−48	48
10.	Ässät	54	20th	6th	28	152	178	−26	46
11.	Lukko	54	16	7th	31	126	176	−50	39
12.	KalPa	54	9	6th	39	95	187	−92	24

Best scorer

Abbreviations: T = goals, A = assists

Pl	player	team	T	A.	Points
1.	Jan Čaloun	HIFK	24	57	81
2.	Pasi Saarela	Jokerite	38	20th	58
3.	Tomáš Vlasák	HPK	28	29	57
4th	Brian Rafalski	HIFK	19th	34	53
5.	Peter Larsson	Ilves	20th	32	52
6th	Roman Šimíček	HPK	24	27	51
7th	Raimo Helminen	Ilves	20th	32	52
8th.	Leonīds Tambijevs	Lukko	26th	23	49
9.	Mika Nieminen	HIFK	20th	28	48
10.	Janne Ojanen	Tappara	14th	32	46

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
	25.3. -? .3.1999
	TPS	3
					3.4. - 6.4.1999
	JYP	0
					TPS	3
	25.3. -? .3.1999
					SaiPa	0
	Jokerite	0
									April 13-18, 1999
	SaiPa	3
									TPS	3
	25.3 - 30.3.1999
									HIFK	1
	HIFK	3
					3.4. - 6.4.1999
	Espoo	1
					HIFK	3			Game for third place
	25.3 - 30.3.1999
					HPK	0
	HPK	3							HPK	1
	Ilves	1							SaiPa	0
									9.4.1999

Quarter finals

TPS - JYP 25th March TPS Ilves 8-0 Ilves TPS 2-3 TPS Ilves 5-1 TPS wins the round 3-0.

Jokerite - SaiPa 25th March Jokerite SaiPa 1-4 SaiPa Jokerite 4-3 n.V. Jokerite SaiPa 4-5 SaiPa wins the round 3-0.

HIFK - blues 25th March HIFK blues 3-4 blues HIFK 1-2 n.V. HIFK blues 5-2 March 30 blues HIFK 2-3 HIFK wins the round with 3: 1.

HPK - Ilves 25th March HPK Ilves 3-0 Ilves HPK 4-5 n.V. HPK Ilves 1-2 March 30 Ilves HPK 4-5 n.V. HPK wins the round 3-1.

Semifinals

TPS - SaiPa 3rd of April TPS SaiPa 4-0 SaiPa TPS 1-3 April 6th TPS SaiPa 7-3 TPS wins the round 3-0.

HIFK - HPK 3rd of April HIFK HPK 7-3 HPK HIFK 2-4 April 6th HIFK HPK 5-1 HIFK wins the round 3-0.

third place

HPK - SaiPa
9th April	HPK	SaiPa	7-2
HPK wins bronze.

final

TPS - HIFK
April 13th	TPS	HIFK	3-1
	HIFK	TPS	7-2
	TPS	HIFK	5-2
April 18	HIFK	TPS	0-1
TPS wins the championship 3-1. HIFK receives silver.

Finnish champion

Finnish champion TPS Turku

Goalkeepers: Miikka Kiprusoff , Fredrik Norrena Defenders: Peter Ahola , Aki-Petteri Berg , Kimmo Eronen , Marko Kiprusoff , Mika Lehtinen , Jouni Loponen , Ilkka Mikkola , Tommi Rajamäki , Simo Rouvali Attackers: Mika Alatalo , Miika Elomo , Teemu Elomo , Mikko Eloranta , Tomi Kallio , Jani Kiviharju , Joni Lius , Tommi Miettinen , Mikko Rautee , Kalle Sahlstedt , Marco Tuokko , Jani Väänänen , Ville Vahalahti , Tony Virta Head coach: Hannu Jortikka

Best scorer

Abbreviations: T = goals, A = assists

Pl	player	team	T	A.	Points
1.	Jan Čaloun	HIFK	8th	6th	14th
2.	Brian Rafalski	HIFK	5	9	14th
3.	Tony Virta	TPS	6th	6th	12
4th	Mika Kortelainen	HIFK	6th	5	11
5.	Mika Nieminen	HIFK	4th	7th	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 of the 1st division ( TuTo Turku , Pelicans Lahti and Sport Vaasa ). 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 - TuTo KalPa TuTo 6-3 TuTo KalPa 0-3 KalPa TuTo 6-2 KalPa wins the 1st round 3-0.

Pelicans - sport Pelicans Sports 3-1 Sports Pelicans 0-3 Pelicans Sports 2-1 a.d. The Pelicans win the 1st round 3-0.

2nd round

KalPa - Pelicans
KalPa	Pelicans	1-4
Pelicans	KalPa	3-1
KalPa	Pelicans	1-2
The Pelicans win the 2nd round 3-0.

The Pelicans were promoted to the SM-liiga based on the result of the 2nd round. KalPa Kuopio had to relegate to the 1st division.

Awards

Award	winner	team
Aarne Honkavaara Trophy	Pasi Saarela	Jokerite
Jari Kurri Trophy	Miikka Kiprusoff	TPS
Jarmo Wasama Commemorative Trophy	Timo Pärssinen	TPS
Kalevi Numminen Trophy	Hannu Jortikka	TPS
Kultainen kypärä	Brian Rafalski	HIFK
Lasse Oksanen Trophy	Jan Čaloun	HIFK
Matti Keinonen Trophy	Brian Rafalski	HIFK
Pekka Rautakallio Trophy	Brian Rafalski	HIFK
Pentti Isotalo Trophy	Panu Bruun	-
Raimo Kilpiö Trophy	Marko Kiprusoff	TPS
Unto Wiitala Trophy	Pekka Haajanen	-
Urpo Ylönen Trophy	Miikka Kiprusoff	TPS
Veli Pekka Ketola Trophy	Jan Čaloun	HIFK

swell

• Championnat de Finlande de hockey sur glace 1998/1999