Tampereen jäähalli
Encyclopedia
Tampereen jäähalli is a sports arena
in Tampere
, Finland
. It is primarily used for ice hockey
, and is the home arena of Ilves and Tappara
of the SM-liiga
. It was built in 1965, and currently the capacity for hockey games is 7800 spectators (6600 seats, 1200 standing).
As there are several ice hockey venues in Tampere, this primary one is usually called "Hakametsän jäähalli" (after the district where it is located) or, more precisely, "Hakametsä 1" to distinguish it from the two smaller halls nearby.
Finland was awarded the opportunity to host the 1965 ice hockey World Championships, and Helsinki
was to build an arena for the tournament. However, Helsinki did not manage to finish the project in time, and Tampere was asked to build an arena and host the games instead.
The first game in the arena was an all-star game
between Tampere and the rest of Finland, played on January 29, 1965. The score was tied at 4-4. The first league game was played by the local teams Ilves and Tappara on January 31, with Ilves taking a 5-3 win.
Originally, the spectator capacity of the Tampereen jäähalli was 10,200 people, with only 1,573 seats on the eastern side of the rink.
The stands in the arena are of a rather rectangular shape, and are composed of a single level main stand and an overhanging balcony on the western side. On the eastern side there are 20 suites as well as facilities for the media. The last remaining standing places are located in the far corners of the stands. Currently the majority of the seats are padded, with some unpadded plastic seats remaining in both ends and on the balcony.
In 2007, a new video screen cube was installed in the arena. Of note is the fact that the balcony hanging over the B stand blocks the view to the screen from there. This has been augmented by placing TV monitors under the balcony that mirror the output of the scoreboard.
Around the concourse under the stands there are several bars, restaurants and fast food joints, as well as the merchandise shops and VIP clubs of the two local hockey teams.
built in Helsinki in 1997. However, these plans did not come to fruition, and the Hakametsä arena continues to serve as the primary hockey venue in the city. In May 2010, the Tampere City Council approved plans for the Tampereen Keskusareena
to start.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. It is primarily used for 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...
, and is the home arena of Ilves and Tappara
Tappara
Tappara is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Tampere, Finland at Tampereen jäähalli. The team have won 15 league championships ....
of the SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
. It was built in 1965, and currently the capacity for hockey games is 7800 spectators (6600 seats, 1200 standing).
As there are several ice hockey venues in Tampere, this primary one is usually called "Hakametsän jäähalli" (after the district where it is located) or, more precisely, "Hakametsä 1" to distinguish it from the two smaller halls nearby.
History
Tampereen jäähalli is the oldest ice hockey arena in the country.Finland was awarded the opportunity to host the 1965 ice hockey World Championships, and Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
was to build an arena for the tournament. However, Helsinki did not manage to finish the project in time, and Tampere was asked to build an arena and host the games instead.
The first game in the arena was an all-star game
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
between Tampere and the rest of Finland, played on January 29, 1965. The score was tied at 4-4. The first league game was played by the local teams Ilves and Tappara on January 31, with Ilves taking a 5-3 win.
Originally, the spectator capacity of the Tampereen jäähalli was 10,200 people, with only 1,573 seats on the eastern side of the rink.
Features
In 2007, a new video screen cube was installed in the arena. Of note is the fact that the balcony hanging over the B stand blocks the view to the screen from there. This has been augmented by placing TV monitors under the balcony that mirror the output of the scoreboard.
Around the concourse under the stands there are several bars, restaurants and fast food joints, as well as the merchandise shops and VIP clubs of the two local hockey teams.
Other uses
Besides hockey, the venue has been used to host several other sports events, including the European and World Championships of boxing, wrestling, judo, and karate, and international matches of volleyball. Over the years there have also been several concerts by both domestic and international artists in the hall.Future
In the late 1990s and early 2000s there were plans to build a new multi-purpose arena in Tampere, following the example of the Hartwall AreenaHartwall Areena
Hartwall Areena is a large multifunctional indoor arena located in Helsinki, Finland...
built in Helsinki in 1997. However, these plans did not come to fruition, and the Hakametsä arena continues to serve as the primary hockey venue in the city. In May 2010, the Tampere City Council approved plans for the Tampereen Keskusareena
Tampereen Keskusareena
Tampereen Keskusareena is an indoor arena located in Tampere, Finland that is currently in the planning stages. If approved and completed by schedule in 2013, it will have a seating capacity of 10,000 spectators. It will host ice hockey games and will be the home of Ilves and Tappara of the...
to start.