Malmö Redhawks
Encyclopedia
The Malmö Redhawks is an ice hockey
club from Malmö
, Sweden
. The team is currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. Malmö has played 16 seasons in the top Swedish league Elitserien
(1990–91 to 2004–05 and 2006–07).
became an own club. The Malmö Redhawks played in the Elitserien
from 1990–91 to 2004–05. They were the Swedish champions in 1992 and 1994 and European champions in 1992.
The Redhawks, previously known as "MIF" became famous in Sweden when they started buying very talented players to an anonymous team in the late eighties. They signed players such as Peter "Pekka" Lindmark, one of the greatest goaltenders all-time, Daniel Rydmark and Raimo Helminen and basically brought money into the sport in Sweden.
, lost and were relegated. Thus, as of the 2005–06 season, they played in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second division hockey league in Sweden
; at the end of the season, the top 4 teams played the qualification series with the bottom two teams of Elitserien. Malmö won the qualification round and played in Elitserien during the 2006–07 season with limited success. Finishing the season as 12th (last) meant playing Kvalserien
in order to avoid relegation for the second time in three years. On 1 April 2007, the Redhawks finished third in 2008-09 Kvalserien and was relegated to the Allsvenskan league.
) consisting of the top four teams of HockeyAllsvenskan and the bottom two teams from Elitserien
, having finished 12th in the 2007–08 Elitserien season
. Malmö were considered favourites alongside the second team from Elitserien, Skellefteå AIK
, but failed to re-qualify for Elitserien, falling two points behind Södertälje SK
. In 2008 the team once again managed to reach Kvalserien, and had a golden opportunity to advance to Elitserien, leading the series during a majority of rounds. The Redhawks, however, lost in overtime of the final round while their arch rivals, Rögle BK
, claimed the Elitserien spot with a margin of two points by scoring twice in the last minute of play. The Redhawks only managed to get 2 points in the 2008 Kvalserien's last four rounds, despite having gotten 15 points after the first six games.
before the premiere.
On 29 January 2009, while still playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the team released all its contracted players due to financial debt and to avoid bankruptcy. The players were made free to find and sign with new clubs. By then the Redhawks were ranked 10th in the league with only one month of games remaining to play, instead of the top three or seven required for Kvalserien
and possible Elitserien qualification. The team finished 8th and thus missed the playoffs, although the team was just one point short from reaching the playoffs.
in two straight games, and the Redhawks were now set to face Almtuna IS
for a series that would decide which would be HockeyAllsvenskan's fourth team in Kvalserien. The Redhawks started by beating Almtuna 2–1 at home in the first game, but lost the two following games (which the Redhawks played on away ice) and thus were eliminated from the playoffs. In the 2010–11 season, things went worse, as the Redhawks failed to reach the playoffs, finishing 8th and 4 points short from a playoff spot.
On 28 January 2011, during the 2010–11 season, the Redhawks announced that they had agreed to a 3-year 70-million SEK
($10.6 million USD
) deal with businessman
Hugo Stenbeck. The goal with the 3-year-long deal is to get Malmö Redhawks back in Elitserien.
Malmö's efforts to reach Elitserien started immediately prior to the 2011–12 season. Several players from higher divisions, including Hannu Toivonen
, Daniel Josefsson
, J.D. Forrest
, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre
and Linus Klasen
, joined the club. When Linus Klasen joined the team on May 17, 2011, he was immediately appointed the team's captain
. Linus Klasen's three-year contract with the club includes an annual salary of 4 million SEK ($0.6 million USD), making Klasen the best paid Swedish ice hockey player.
Alumni:
All with experience from their respective national teams.
The Malmö Redhawks is an ice hockey
club from Malmö
, Sweden
. The team is currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. Malmö has played 16 seasons in the top Swedish league Elitserien
(1990–91 to 2004–05 and 2006–07).
became an own club. The Malmö Redhawks played in the Elitserien
from 1990–91 to 2004–05. They were the Swedish champions in 1992 and 1994 and European champions in 1992.
The Redhawks, previously known as "MIF" became famous in Sweden when they started buying very talented players to an anonymous team in the late eighties. They signed players such as Peter "Pekka" Lindmark, one of the greatest goaltenders all-time, Daniel Rydmark and Raimo Helminen and basically brought money into the sport in Sweden.
, lost and were relegated. Thus, as of the 2005–06 season, they played in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second division hockey league in Sweden
; at the end of the season, the top 4 teams played the qualification series with the bottom two teams of Elitserien. Malmö won the qualification round and played in Elitserien during the 2006–07 season with limited success. Finishing the season as 12th (last) meant playing Kvalserien
in order to avoid relegation for the second time in three years. On 1 April 2007, the Redhawks finished third in 2008-09 Kvalserien and was relegated to the Allsvenskan league.
) consisting of the top four teams of HockeyAllsvenskan and the bottom two teams from Elitserien
, having finished 12th in the 2007–08 Elitserien season
. Malmö were considered favourites alongside the second team from Elitserien, Skellefteå AIK
, but failed to re-qualify for Elitserien, falling two points behind Södertälje SK
. In 2008 the team once again managed to reach Kvalserien, and had a golden opportunity to advance to Elitserien, leading the series during a majority of rounds. The Redhawks, however, lost in overtime of the final round while their arch rivals, Rögle BK
, claimed the Elitserien spot with a margin of two points by scoring twice in the last minute of play. The Redhawks only managed to get 2 points in the 2008 Kvalserien's last four rounds, despite having gotten 15 points after the first six games.
before the premiere.
On 29 January 2009, while still playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the team released all its contracted players due to financial debt and to avoid bankruptcy. The players were made free to find and sign with new clubs. By then the Redhawks were ranked 10th in the league with only one month of games remaining to play, instead of the top three or seven required for Kvalserien
and possible Elitserien qualification. The team finished 8th and thus missed the playoffs, although the team was just one point short from reaching the playoffs.
in two straight games, and the Redhawks were now set to face Almtuna IS
for a series that would decide which would be HockeyAllsvenskan's fourth team in Kvalserien. The Redhawks started by beating Almtuna 2–1 at home in the first game, but lost the two following games (which the Redhawks played on away ice) and thus were eliminated from the playoffs. In the 2010–11 season, things went worse, as the Redhawks failed to reach the playoffs, finishing 8th and 4 points short from a playoff spot.
On 28 January 2011, during the 2010–11 season, the Redhawks announced that they had agreed to a 3-year 70-million SEK
($10.6 million USD
) deal with businessman
Hugo Stenbeck. The goal with the 3-year-long deal is to get Malmö Redhawks back in Elitserien.
Malmö's efforts to reach Elitserien started immediately prior to the 2011–12 season. Several players from higher divisions, including Hannu Toivonen
, Daniel Josefsson
, J.D. Forrest
, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre
and Linus Klasen
, joined the club. When Linus Klasen joined the team on May 17, 2011, he was immediately appointed the team's captain
. Linus Klasen's three-year contract with the club includes an annual salary of 4 million SEK ($0.6 million USD), making Klasen the best paid Swedish ice hockey player.
Alumni:
All with experience from their respective national teams.
The Malmö Redhawks is an ice hockey
club from Malmö
, Sweden
. The team is currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. Malmö has played 16 seasons in the top Swedish league Elitserien
(1990–91 to 2004–05 and 2006–07).
became an own club. The Malmö Redhawks played in the Elitserien
from 1990–91 to 2004–05. They were the Swedish champions in 1992 and 1994 and European champions in 1992.
The Redhawks, previously known as "MIF" became famous in Sweden when they started buying very talented players to an anonymous team in the late eighties. They signed players such as Peter "Pekka" Lindmark, one of the greatest goaltenders all-time, Daniel Rydmark and Raimo Helminen and basically brought money into the sport in Sweden.
, lost and were relegated. Thus, as of the 2005–06 season, they played in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second division hockey league in Sweden
; at the end of the season, the top 4 teams played the qualification series with the bottom two teams of Elitserien. Malmö won the qualification round and played in Elitserien during the 2006–07 season with limited success. Finishing the season as 12th (last) meant playing Kvalserien
in order to avoid relegation for the second time in three years. On 1 April 2007, the Redhawks finished third in 2008-09 Kvalserien and was relegated to the Allsvenskan league.
) consisting of the top four teams of HockeyAllsvenskan and the bottom two teams from Elitserien
, having finished 12th in the 2007–08 Elitserien season
. Malmö were considered favourites alongside the second team from Elitserien, Skellefteå AIK
, but failed to re-qualify for Elitserien, falling two points behind Södertälje SK
. In 2008 the team once again managed to reach Kvalserien, and had a golden opportunity to advance to Elitserien, leading the series during a majority of rounds. The Redhawks, however, lost in overtime of the final round while their arch rivals, Rögle BK
, claimed the Elitserien spot with a margin of two points by scoring twice in the last minute of play. The Redhawks only managed to get 2 points in the 2008 Kvalserien's last four rounds, despite having gotten 15 points after the first six games.
before the premiere.
On 29 January 2009, while still playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the team released all its contracted players due to financial debt and to avoid bankruptcy. The players were made free to find and sign with new clubs. By then the Redhawks were ranked 10th in the league with only one month of games remaining to play, instead of the top three or seven required for Kvalserien
and possible Elitserien qualification. The team finished 8th and thus missed the playoffs, although the team was just one point short from reaching the playoffs.
in two straight games, and the Redhawks were now set to face Almtuna IS
for a series that would decide which would be HockeyAllsvenskan's fourth team in Kvalserien. The Redhawks started by beating Almtuna 2–1 at home in the first game, but lost the two following games (which the Redhawks played on away ice) and thus were eliminated from the playoffs. In the 2010–11 season, things went worse, as the Redhawks failed to reach the playoffs, finishing 8th and 4 points short from a playoff spot.
On 28 January 2011, during the 2010–11 season, the Redhawks announced that they had agreed to a 3-year 70-million SEK
($10.6 million USD
) deal with businessman
Hugo Stenbeck. The goal with the 3-year-long deal is to get Malmö Redhawks back in Elitserien.
Malmö's efforts to reach Elitserien started immediately prior to the 2011–12 season. Several players from higher divisions, including Hannu Toivonen
, Daniel Josefsson
, J.D. Forrest
, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre
and Linus Klasen
, joined the club. When Linus Klasen joined the team on May 17, 2011, he was immediately appointed the team's captain
. Linus Klasen's three-year contract with the club includes an annual salary of 4 million SEK ($0.6 million USD), making Klasen the best paid Swedish ice hockey player.
Alumni:
All with experience from their respective national teams.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
club from Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The team is currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. Malmö has played 16 seasons in the top Swedish league Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
(1990–91 to 2004–05 and 2006–07).
History
The team was founded on 28 February 1972 when the ice hockey section of the Swedish sports club Malmö FFMalmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
became an own club. The Malmö Redhawks played in the Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
from 1990–91 to 2004–05. They were the Swedish champions in 1992 and 1994 and European champions in 1992.
The Redhawks, previously known as "MIF" became famous in Sweden when they started buying very talented players to an anonymous team in the late eighties. They signed players such as Peter "Pekka" Lindmark, one of the greatest goaltenders all-time, Daniel Rydmark and Raimo Helminen and basically brought money into the sport in Sweden.
Decline by 2005
At the end of the 2004–05 season, the Redhawks played in the qualification series to stay in ElitserienElitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
, lost and were relegated. Thus, as of the 2005–06 season, they played in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second division hockey league in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
; at the end of the season, the top 4 teams played the qualification series with the bottom two teams of Elitserien. Malmö won the qualification round and played in Elitserien during the 2006–07 season with limited success. Finishing the season as 12th (last) meant playing Kvalserien
Kvalserien
Kvalserien, also known as Kvalserien till Elitserien, is the name of the Swedish round-robin ice hockey tournament to qualify for play in the next season of Elitserien, Sweden's top-level ice hockey league for men.-Teams:...
in order to avoid relegation for the second time in three years. On 1 April 2007, the Redhawks finished third in 2008-09 Kvalserien and was relegated to the Allsvenskan league.
Failed qualification efforts in 2007 and 2008
In 2007, Malmö Redhawks participated in a qualification series (KvalserienKvalserien
Kvalserien, also known as Kvalserien till Elitserien, is the name of the Swedish round-robin ice hockey tournament to qualify for play in the next season of Elitserien, Sweden's top-level ice hockey league for men.-Teams:...
) consisting of the top four teams of HockeyAllsvenskan and the bottom two teams from Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
, having finished 12th in the 2007–08 Elitserien season
2007–08 Elitserien season
The 2007–08 Elitserien season was the 33rd season of Elitserien. It began on September 24, 2007, with the regular season ending March 8, 2008. The playoffs of the 84th Swedish Championship ended on April 18, with HV71 taking the championship.-Rule changes:...
. Malmö were considered favourites alongside the second team from Elitserien, Skellefteå AIK
Skellefteå AIK
Skellefteå AIK Hockey is a Swedish professional ice hockey club from Skellefteå, playing in the Swedish elite league Elitserien.- History :...
, but failed to re-qualify for Elitserien, falling two points behind Södertälje SK
Södertälje SK
Södertälje Sportklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club playing in HockeyAllsvenskan. Södertälje were charter members of Elitserien when the league was founded in 1975 and have since played 24 seasons in the league...
. In 2008 the team once again managed to reach Kvalserien, and had a golden opportunity to advance to Elitserien, leading the series during a majority of rounds. The Redhawks, however, lost in overtime of the final round while their arch rivals, Rögle BK
Rögle BK
Rögle Bandyklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club. They currently play in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second highest league in Sweden. The team has previously played four seasons in Elitserien between 1992–93 and 1995–96 and between 2008–09 and 2009–10....
, claimed the Elitserien spot with a margin of two points by scoring twice in the last minute of play. The Redhawks only managed to get 2 points in the 2008 Kvalserien's last four rounds, despite having gotten 15 points after the first six games.
New arena and financial issues in 2009
During the 2008–09 season, Malmö Redhawks moved to the new Malmö Arena, a top-modern sports and entertainment venue. The club originally aimed on being back in ElitserienElitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
before the premiere.
On 29 January 2009, while still playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the team released all its contracted players due to financial debt and to avoid bankruptcy. The players were made free to find and sign with new clubs. By then the Redhawks were ranked 10th in the league with only one month of games remaining to play, instead of the top three or seven required for Kvalserien
Kvalserien
Kvalserien, also known as Kvalserien till Elitserien, is the name of the Swedish round-robin ice hockey tournament to qualify for play in the next season of Elitserien, Sweden's top-level ice hockey league for men.-Teams:...
and possible Elitserien qualification. The team finished 8th and thus missed the playoffs, although the team was just one point short from reaching the playoffs.
Failures to reach Kvalserien and started efforts
Malmö Redhawks finished fifth in HockeyAllsvenskan in the 2009–10 season and thus reached the playoffs, which was an improvement over last season. The Redhawks started the playoffs with knocking out Bofors IKBofors IK
Bofors IK is an ice-hockey club from Karlskoga in Sweden. They are currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. In 1963, the club IFK Bofors was merged with Karlskoga IF and formed KB 63 , which since 1978 is known under the current name Bofors IK.-External links:*...
in two straight games, and the Redhawks were now set to face Almtuna IS
Almtuna IS
Almtuna IS is a Swedish ice hockey club based in Uppsala and is currently playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second highest league of ice hockey in Sweden. Almtuna IS fan club is called "Red Lions"....
for a series that would decide which would be HockeyAllsvenskan's fourth team in Kvalserien. The Redhawks started by beating Almtuna 2–1 at home in the first game, but lost the two following games (which the Redhawks played on away ice) and thus were eliminated from the playoffs. In the 2010–11 season, things went worse, as the Redhawks failed to reach the playoffs, finishing 8th and 4 points short from a playoff spot.
On 28 January 2011, during the 2010–11 season, the Redhawks announced that they had agreed to a 3-year 70-million SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
($10.6 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) deal with businessman
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
Hugo Stenbeck. The goal with the 3-year-long deal is to get Malmö Redhawks back in Elitserien.
Malmö's efforts to reach Elitserien started immediately prior to the 2011–12 season. Several players from higher divisions, including Hannu Toivonen
Hannu Toivonen
Hannu Pekka Toivonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Malmö Redhawks in the HockeyAllsvenskan.-Professional:Toivonen started his pro career with HPK in the Finnish SM-liiga...
, Daniel Josefsson
Daniel Josefsson
Daniel Josefsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently with Malmö Redhawks in the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan league, having signed from Modo Hockey in the summer of 2011.- References :...
, J.D. Forrest
Justin Forrest
Justin D. Forrest is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who currently plays for Malmö Redhawks of the HockeyAllsvenskan.-External links:...
, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre
Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre
Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman playing for Malmö Redhawks of the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan ....
and Linus Klasen
Linus Klasen
Linus Klasen is a Swedish ice hockey player, currently playing in the Malmö Redhawks of the HockeyAllsvenskan.-Playing career:...
, joined the club. When Linus Klasen joined the team on May 17, 2011, he was immediately appointed the team's captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
. Linus Klasen's three-year contract with the club includes an annual salary of 4 million SEK ($0.6 million USD), making Klasen the best paid Swedish ice hockey player.
Notable players
Retired numbers- Nr 1 - Peter LindmarkPeter LindmarkPeter "Pekka" Lindmark is a former ice hockey goaltender. During his career he represented three teams in Elitserien: Timrå IK, Färjestads BK and Malmö Redhawks....
- Nr 18 - Patrik SylvegårdPatrik SylvegårdPatrik Sylvegård is a former ice hockey player. During his career he represented three teams Örebro IK, Malmö Redhawks and Limhamn Limeburners HC.-Playing career:...
- Nr 25 - Kaj Olsson
Alumni:
- Peter AnderssonPeter Andersson (ice hockey b. 1965)Anders Bengt Peter Andersson is a retired professional Swedish ice hockey defenceman. In his National Hockey League career, he played for the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers. In Europe, he represented Färjestads BK, Düsseldorf EG and IF Malmö Redhawks.Upon retiring in 2005, Andersson was...
- Róbert ŠvehlaRóbert ŠvehlaRóbert Švehla is a Slovak retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL for 9 seasons from 1995 until 2003.- Career :Švehla was drafted 78th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, but he did not play a game for them before moving on to the Florida Panthers...
(Slovakia) - Raimo HelminenRaimo HelminenRaimo Ilmari Helminen is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He is often called "Raipe" or "Maestro" by his fans...
(Finland) - Mats NäslundMats NäslundMats Näslund , nicknamed "Le Petit Viking", is a retired Swedish ice hockey player. He played as a left wing.-NHL career:...
- Mats HallinMats HallinMats Göran Hallin is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 152 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars. He would win one Stanley Cup with the Islanders in 1983.-References:...
- Fedor Fedorov (Russia)
- Andreas LiljaAndreas LiljaAndreas Lilja is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Professional hockey:...
- Kim JohnssonKim JohnssonKim Johnsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent.-Playing career:...
- Juha RiihijärviJuha RiihijärviJuha Riihijärvi is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played his last season for Bolzano-Bozen Foxes in Italian Serie A.-Career in Finland:...
(Finland) - Daniel RydmarkDaniel RydmarkDaniel Rydmark is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played during his career for VIK Västerås HK, Färjestads BK, Malmö IF Redhawks and Phoenix Roadrunners. He won three Swedish Championships during his career. One with Färjestads in 1988 and two with Malmö in 1992 and 1994...
- Jani HurmeJani HurmeJani Hurme is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for Ilves in the Finnish SM-liiga. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the third round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft with the 58th overall pick....
(Finland) - Tomas SandströmTomas SandströmTomas Sandström is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League from 1984 to 1999. He grew up in Fagersta, Sweden....
All with experience from their respective national teams.
External links
- Malmö Redhawks Official website
- Redhawks Support supporter's club
The Malmö Redhawks is an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
club from Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The team is currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. Malmö has played 16 seasons in the top Swedish league Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
(1990–91 to 2004–05 and 2006–07).
History
The team was founded on 28 February 1972 when the ice hockey section of the Swedish sports club Malmö FFMalmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
became an own club. The Malmö Redhawks played in the Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
from 1990–91 to 2004–05. They were the Swedish champions in 1992 and 1994 and European champions in 1992.
The Redhawks, previously known as "MIF" became famous in Sweden when they started buying very talented players to an anonymous team in the late eighties. They signed players such as Peter "Pekka" Lindmark, one of the greatest goaltenders all-time, Daniel Rydmark and Raimo Helminen and basically brought money into the sport in Sweden.
Decline by 2005
At the end of the 2004–05 season, the Redhawks played in the qualification series to stay in ElitserienElitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
, lost and were relegated. Thus, as of the 2005–06 season, they played in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second division hockey league in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
; at the end of the season, the top 4 teams played the qualification series with the bottom two teams of Elitserien. Malmö won the qualification round and played in Elitserien during the 2006–07 season with limited success. Finishing the season as 12th (last) meant playing Kvalserien
Kvalserien
Kvalserien, also known as Kvalserien till Elitserien, is the name of the Swedish round-robin ice hockey tournament to qualify for play in the next season of Elitserien, Sweden's top-level ice hockey league for men.-Teams:...
in order to avoid relegation for the second time in three years. On 1 April 2007, the Redhawks finished third in 2008-09 Kvalserien and was relegated to the Allsvenskan league.
Failed qualification efforts in 2007 and 2008
In 2007, Malmö Redhawks participated in a qualification series (KvalserienKvalserien
Kvalserien, also known as Kvalserien till Elitserien, is the name of the Swedish round-robin ice hockey tournament to qualify for play in the next season of Elitserien, Sweden's top-level ice hockey league for men.-Teams:...
) consisting of the top four teams of HockeyAllsvenskan and the bottom two teams from Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
, having finished 12th in the 2007–08 Elitserien season
2007–08 Elitserien season
The 2007–08 Elitserien season was the 33rd season of Elitserien. It began on September 24, 2007, with the regular season ending March 8, 2008. The playoffs of the 84th Swedish Championship ended on April 18, with HV71 taking the championship.-Rule changes:...
. Malmö were considered favourites alongside the second team from Elitserien, Skellefteå AIK
Skellefteå AIK
Skellefteå AIK Hockey is a Swedish professional ice hockey club from Skellefteå, playing in the Swedish elite league Elitserien.- History :...
, but failed to re-qualify for Elitserien, falling two points behind Södertälje SK
Södertälje SK
Södertälje Sportklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club playing in HockeyAllsvenskan. Södertälje were charter members of Elitserien when the league was founded in 1975 and have since played 24 seasons in the league...
. In 2008 the team once again managed to reach Kvalserien, and had a golden opportunity to advance to Elitserien, leading the series during a majority of rounds. The Redhawks, however, lost in overtime of the final round while their arch rivals, Rögle BK
Rögle BK
Rögle Bandyklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club. They currently play in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second highest league in Sweden. The team has previously played four seasons in Elitserien between 1992–93 and 1995–96 and between 2008–09 and 2009–10....
, claimed the Elitserien spot with a margin of two points by scoring twice in the last minute of play. The Redhawks only managed to get 2 points in the 2008 Kvalserien's last four rounds, despite having gotten 15 points after the first six games.
New arena and financial issues in 2009
During the 2008–09 season, Malmö Redhawks moved to the new Malmö Arena, a top-modern sports and entertainment venue. The club originally aimed on being back in ElitserienElitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
before the premiere.
On 29 January 2009, while still playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the team released all its contracted players due to financial debt and to avoid bankruptcy. The players were made free to find and sign with new clubs. By then the Redhawks were ranked 10th in the league with only one month of games remaining to play, instead of the top three or seven required for Kvalserien
Kvalserien
Kvalserien, also known as Kvalserien till Elitserien, is the name of the Swedish round-robin ice hockey tournament to qualify for play in the next season of Elitserien, Sweden's top-level ice hockey league for men.-Teams:...
and possible Elitserien qualification. The team finished 8th and thus missed the playoffs, although the team was just one point short from reaching the playoffs.
Failures to reach Kvalserien and started efforts
Malmö Redhawks finished fifth in HockeyAllsvenskan in the 2009–10 season and thus reached the playoffs, which was an improvement over last season. The Redhawks started the playoffs with knocking out Bofors IKBofors IK
Bofors IK is an ice-hockey club from Karlskoga in Sweden. They are currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. In 1963, the club IFK Bofors was merged with Karlskoga IF and formed KB 63 , which since 1978 is known under the current name Bofors IK.-External links:*...
in two straight games, and the Redhawks were now set to face Almtuna IS
Almtuna IS
Almtuna IS is a Swedish ice hockey club based in Uppsala and is currently playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second highest league of ice hockey in Sweden. Almtuna IS fan club is called "Red Lions"....
for a series that would decide which would be HockeyAllsvenskan's fourth team in Kvalserien. The Redhawks started by beating Almtuna 2–1 at home in the first game, but lost the two following games (which the Redhawks played on away ice) and thus were eliminated from the playoffs. In the 2010–11 season, things went worse, as the Redhawks failed to reach the playoffs, finishing 8th and 4 points short from a playoff spot.
On 28 January 2011, during the 2010–11 season, the Redhawks announced that they had agreed to a 3-year 70-million SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
($10.6 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) deal with businessman
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
Hugo Stenbeck. The goal with the 3-year-long deal is to get Malmö Redhawks back in Elitserien.
Malmö's efforts to reach Elitserien started immediately prior to the 2011–12 season. Several players from higher divisions, including Hannu Toivonen
Hannu Toivonen
Hannu Pekka Toivonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Malmö Redhawks in the HockeyAllsvenskan.-Professional:Toivonen started his pro career with HPK in the Finnish SM-liiga...
, Daniel Josefsson
Daniel Josefsson
Daniel Josefsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently with Malmö Redhawks in the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan league, having signed from Modo Hockey in the summer of 2011.- References :...
, J.D. Forrest
Justin Forrest
Justin D. Forrest is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who currently plays for Malmö Redhawks of the HockeyAllsvenskan.-External links:...
, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre
Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre
Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman playing for Malmö Redhawks of the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan ....
and Linus Klasen
Linus Klasen
Linus Klasen is a Swedish ice hockey player, currently playing in the Malmö Redhawks of the HockeyAllsvenskan.-Playing career:...
, joined the club. When Linus Klasen joined the team on May 17, 2011, he was immediately appointed the team's captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
. Linus Klasen's three-year contract with the club includes an annual salary of 4 million SEK ($0.6 million USD), making Klasen the best paid Swedish ice hockey player.
Notable players
Retired numbers- Nr 1 - Peter LindmarkPeter LindmarkPeter "Pekka" Lindmark is a former ice hockey goaltender. During his career he represented three teams in Elitserien: Timrå IK, Färjestads BK and Malmö Redhawks....
- Nr 18 - Patrik SylvegårdPatrik SylvegårdPatrik Sylvegård is a former ice hockey player. During his career he represented three teams Örebro IK, Malmö Redhawks and Limhamn Limeburners HC.-Playing career:...
- Nr 25 - Kaj Olsson
Alumni:
- Peter AnderssonPeter Andersson (ice hockey b. 1965)Anders Bengt Peter Andersson is a retired professional Swedish ice hockey defenceman. In his National Hockey League career, he played for the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers. In Europe, he represented Färjestads BK, Düsseldorf EG and IF Malmö Redhawks.Upon retiring in 2005, Andersson was...
- Róbert ŠvehlaRóbert ŠvehlaRóbert Švehla is a Slovak retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL for 9 seasons from 1995 until 2003.- Career :Švehla was drafted 78th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, but he did not play a game for them before moving on to the Florida Panthers...
(Slovakia) - Raimo HelminenRaimo HelminenRaimo Ilmari Helminen is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He is often called "Raipe" or "Maestro" by his fans...
(Finland) - Mats NäslundMats NäslundMats Näslund , nicknamed "Le Petit Viking", is a retired Swedish ice hockey player. He played as a left wing.-NHL career:...
- Mats HallinMats HallinMats Göran Hallin is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 152 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars. He would win one Stanley Cup with the Islanders in 1983.-References:...
- Fedor Fedorov (Russia)
- Andreas LiljaAndreas LiljaAndreas Lilja is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Professional hockey:...
- Kim JohnssonKim JohnssonKim Johnsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent.-Playing career:...
- Juha RiihijärviJuha RiihijärviJuha Riihijärvi is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played his last season for Bolzano-Bozen Foxes in Italian Serie A.-Career in Finland:...
(Finland) - Daniel RydmarkDaniel RydmarkDaniel Rydmark is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played during his career for VIK Västerås HK, Färjestads BK, Malmö IF Redhawks and Phoenix Roadrunners. He won three Swedish Championships during his career. One with Färjestads in 1988 and two with Malmö in 1992 and 1994...
- Jani HurmeJani HurmeJani Hurme is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for Ilves in the Finnish SM-liiga. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the third round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft with the 58th overall pick....
(Finland) - Tomas SandströmTomas SandströmTomas Sandström is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League from 1984 to 1999. He grew up in Fagersta, Sweden....
All with experience from their respective national teams.
External links
- Malmö Redhawks Official website
- Redhawks Support supporter's club
The Malmö Redhawks is an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
club from Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The team is currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. Malmö has played 16 seasons in the top Swedish league Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
(1990–91 to 2004–05 and 2006–07).
History
The team was founded on 28 February 1972 when the ice hockey section of the Swedish sports club Malmö FFMalmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
became an own club. The Malmö Redhawks played in the Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
from 1990–91 to 2004–05. They were the Swedish champions in 1992 and 1994 and European champions in 1992.
The Redhawks, previously known as "MIF" became famous in Sweden when they started buying very talented players to an anonymous team in the late eighties. They signed players such as Peter "Pekka" Lindmark, one of the greatest goaltenders all-time, Daniel Rydmark and Raimo Helminen and basically brought money into the sport in Sweden.
Decline by 2005
At the end of the 2004–05 season, the Redhawks played in the qualification series to stay in ElitserienElitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
, lost and were relegated. Thus, as of the 2005–06 season, they played in the HockeyAllsvenskan, the second division hockey league in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
; at the end of the season, the top 4 teams played the qualification series with the bottom two teams of Elitserien. Malmö won the qualification round and played in Elitserien during the 2006–07 season with limited success. Finishing the season as 12th (last) meant playing Kvalserien
Kvalserien
Kvalserien, also known as Kvalserien till Elitserien, is the name of the Swedish round-robin ice hockey tournament to qualify for play in the next season of Elitserien, Sweden's top-level ice hockey league for men.-Teams:...
in order to avoid relegation for the second time in three years. On 1 April 2007, the Redhawks finished third in 2008-09 Kvalserien and was relegated to the Allsvenskan league.
Failed qualification efforts in 2007 and 2008
In 2007, Malmö Redhawks participated in a qualification series (KvalserienKvalserien
Kvalserien, also known as Kvalserien till Elitserien, is the name of the Swedish round-robin ice hockey tournament to qualify for play in the next season of Elitserien, Sweden's top-level ice hockey league for men.-Teams:...
) consisting of the top four teams of HockeyAllsvenskan and the bottom two teams from Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
, having finished 12th in the 2007–08 Elitserien season
2007–08 Elitserien season
The 2007–08 Elitserien season was the 33rd season of Elitserien. It began on September 24, 2007, with the regular season ending March 8, 2008. The playoffs of the 84th Swedish Championship ended on April 18, with HV71 taking the championship.-Rule changes:...
. Malmö were considered favourites alongside the second team from Elitserien, Skellefteå AIK
Skellefteå AIK
Skellefteå AIK Hockey is a Swedish professional ice hockey club from Skellefteå, playing in the Swedish elite league Elitserien.- History :...
, but failed to re-qualify for Elitserien, falling two points behind Södertälje SK
Södertälje SK
Södertälje Sportklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club playing in HockeyAllsvenskan. Södertälje were charter members of Elitserien when the league was founded in 1975 and have since played 24 seasons in the league...
. In 2008 the team once again managed to reach Kvalserien, and had a golden opportunity to advance to Elitserien, leading the series during a majority of rounds. The Redhawks, however, lost in overtime of the final round while their arch rivals, Rögle BK
Rögle BK
Rögle Bandyklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club. They currently play in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second highest league in Sweden. The team has previously played four seasons in Elitserien between 1992–93 and 1995–96 and between 2008–09 and 2009–10....
, claimed the Elitserien spot with a margin of two points by scoring twice in the last minute of play. The Redhawks only managed to get 2 points in the 2008 Kvalserien's last four rounds, despite having gotten 15 points after the first six games.
New arena and financial issues in 2009
During the 2008–09 season, Malmö Redhawks moved to the new Malmö Arena, a top-modern sports and entertainment venue. The club originally aimed on being back in ElitserienElitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
before the premiere.
On 29 January 2009, while still playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the team released all its contracted players due to financial debt and to avoid bankruptcy. The players were made free to find and sign with new clubs. By then the Redhawks were ranked 10th in the league with only one month of games remaining to play, instead of the top three or seven required for Kvalserien
Kvalserien
Kvalserien, also known as Kvalserien till Elitserien, is the name of the Swedish round-robin ice hockey tournament to qualify for play in the next season of Elitserien, Sweden's top-level ice hockey league for men.-Teams:...
and possible Elitserien qualification. The team finished 8th and thus missed the playoffs, although the team was just one point short from reaching the playoffs.
Failures to reach Kvalserien and started efforts
Malmö Redhawks finished fifth in HockeyAllsvenskan in the 2009–10 season and thus reached the playoffs, which was an improvement over last season. The Redhawks started the playoffs with knocking out Bofors IKBofors IK
Bofors IK is an ice-hockey club from Karlskoga in Sweden. They are currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. In 1963, the club IFK Bofors was merged with Karlskoga IF and formed KB 63 , which since 1978 is known under the current name Bofors IK.-External links:*...
in two straight games, and the Redhawks were now set to face Almtuna IS
Almtuna IS
Almtuna IS is a Swedish ice hockey club based in Uppsala and is currently playing in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second highest league of ice hockey in Sweden. Almtuna IS fan club is called "Red Lions"....
for a series that would decide which would be HockeyAllsvenskan's fourth team in Kvalserien. The Redhawks started by beating Almtuna 2–1 at home in the first game, but lost the two following games (which the Redhawks played on away ice) and thus were eliminated from the playoffs. In the 2010–11 season, things went worse, as the Redhawks failed to reach the playoffs, finishing 8th and 4 points short from a playoff spot.
On 28 January 2011, during the 2010–11 season, the Redhawks announced that they had agreed to a 3-year 70-million SEK
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
($10.6 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
) deal with businessman
Businessperson
A businessperson is someone involved in a particular undertaking of activities for the purpose of generating revenue from a combination of human, financial, or physical capital. An entrepreneur is an example of a business person...
Hugo Stenbeck. The goal with the 3-year-long deal is to get Malmö Redhawks back in Elitserien.
Malmö's efforts to reach Elitserien started immediately prior to the 2011–12 season. Several players from higher divisions, including Hannu Toivonen
Hannu Toivonen
Hannu Pekka Toivonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Malmö Redhawks in the HockeyAllsvenskan.-Professional:Toivonen started his pro career with HPK in the Finnish SM-liiga...
, Daniel Josefsson
Daniel Josefsson
Daniel Josefsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player currently with Malmö Redhawks in the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan league, having signed from Modo Hockey in the summer of 2011.- References :...
, J.D. Forrest
Justin Forrest
Justin D. Forrest is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who currently plays for Malmö Redhawks of the HockeyAllsvenskan.-External links:...
, Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre
Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre
Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman playing for Malmö Redhawks of the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan ....
and Linus Klasen
Linus Klasen
Linus Klasen is a Swedish ice hockey player, currently playing in the Malmö Redhawks of the HockeyAllsvenskan.-Playing career:...
, joined the club. When Linus Klasen joined the team on May 17, 2011, he was immediately appointed the team's captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
. Linus Klasen's three-year contract with the club includes an annual salary of 4 million SEK ($0.6 million USD), making Klasen the best paid Swedish ice hockey player.
Notable players
Retired numbers- Nr 1 - Peter LindmarkPeter LindmarkPeter "Pekka" Lindmark is a former ice hockey goaltender. During his career he represented three teams in Elitserien: Timrå IK, Färjestads BK and Malmö Redhawks....
- Nr 18 - Patrik SylvegårdPatrik SylvegårdPatrik Sylvegård is a former ice hockey player. During his career he represented three teams Örebro IK, Malmö Redhawks and Limhamn Limeburners HC.-Playing career:...
- Nr 25 - Kaj Olsson
Alumni:
- Peter AnderssonPeter Andersson (ice hockey b. 1965)Anders Bengt Peter Andersson is a retired professional Swedish ice hockey defenceman. In his National Hockey League career, he played for the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers. In Europe, he represented Färjestads BK, Düsseldorf EG and IF Malmö Redhawks.Upon retiring in 2005, Andersson was...
- Róbert ŠvehlaRóbert ŠvehlaRóbert Švehla is a Slovak retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL for 9 seasons from 1995 until 2003.- Career :Švehla was drafted 78th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, but he did not play a game for them before moving on to the Florida Panthers...
(Slovakia) - Raimo HelminenRaimo HelminenRaimo Ilmari Helminen is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He is often called "Raipe" or "Maestro" by his fans...
(Finland) - Mats NäslundMats NäslundMats Näslund , nicknamed "Le Petit Viking", is a retired Swedish ice hockey player. He played as a left wing.-NHL career:...
- Mats HallinMats HallinMats Göran Hallin is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 152 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars. He would win one Stanley Cup with the Islanders in 1983.-References:...
- Fedor Fedorov (Russia)
- Andreas LiljaAndreas LiljaAndreas Lilja is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Professional hockey:...
- Kim JohnssonKim JohnssonKim Johnsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently an unrestricted free agent.-Playing career:...
- Juha RiihijärviJuha RiihijärviJuha Riihijärvi is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played his last season for Bolzano-Bozen Foxes in Italian Serie A.-Career in Finland:...
(Finland) - Daniel RydmarkDaniel RydmarkDaniel Rydmark is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played during his career for VIK Västerås HK, Färjestads BK, Malmö IF Redhawks and Phoenix Roadrunners. He won three Swedish Championships during his career. One with Färjestads in 1988 and two with Malmö in 1992 and 1994...
- Jani HurmeJani HurmeJani Hurme is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for Ilves in the Finnish SM-liiga. He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the third round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft with the 58th overall pick....
(Finland) - Tomas SandströmTomas SandströmTomas Sandström is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League from 1984 to 1999. He grew up in Fagersta, Sweden....
All with experience from their respective national teams.
External links
- Malmö Redhawks Official website
- Redhawks Support supporter's club