HV71

Lore & Background

HV71 was founded on May 24, 1971, as a merger between Husqvarna IF and Vätterstads IK, initially named Huskvarna/Vätterstads IF before being shortened to HV71. The club was first promoted to the top Swedish league in 1978–79 but was relegated after one season. They were promoted again in 1984–85 and have remained in the top division ever since, except for a one-year stint in the 2021–22 season in HockeyAllsvenskan, where they won the promotion playoffs. For a few years in the late 1990s, the team was also called the Blue Bulls.

The club's old arena, Rosenlundshallen, inaugurated in 1958 as Sweden's first indoor ice hockey arena, was replaced in 2000 by Kinnarps Arena, which was built around and on top of the old arena. During the 1999–2000 season, HV71 played its games on a construction site. On December 6, 2006, HV71 topped the Elitserien after a 5–2 win over Färjestads BK, and simultaneously, the club's two youth teams (under 20 and 18 years old) topped their leagues, an unprecedented event in club history.

Reader's Guide

HV71's significance in Swedish ice hockey is marked by its five national championships, the first of which came in the 1994–95 season when the team became the only one in Swedish history to win the playoffs after finishing 8th in the regular season. That championship run included a quarter-final sweep of top-seeded Djurgårdens IF, a comeback from 2–0 down in the semifinals against defending champion Malmö Redhawks, and a sudden-death victory in the final against Brynäs IF, with Johan Lindbom scoring the historic goal. The club's second championship in 2003–04 featured a Swedish record of seven goals in one period (the first period of the second quarter-final game against Modo Hockey) and goaltender Stefan Liv recording shutouts in five consecutive wins, including all four games won in the final series against Färjestads BK. HV71 also participated in the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League season and has taken part in the new Champions Hockey League since 2014–15, as well as the European Trophy from 2008 to 2013. The club has produced notable individual records, including Per Gustafsson's 20 seasons played, Hans Wallin's 45 goals in a season, and Stefan Liv's 43 career shutouts.

Did You Know?

• The club won its first national championship in 1994–95 after finishing 8th in the regular season, the only team in Swedish history to do so.
• Goaltender Stefan Liv recorded shutouts in five consecutive wins during the 2003–04 playoffs.
• HV71's old arena, Rosenlundshallen, was Sweden's first indoor ice hockey arena, inaugurated in 1958.