SaiPa
Finnish Liiga club based in Lappeenranta, known as Sputniks.
SaiPa, short for Saimaan Pallo, competes in the Finnish Liiga and calls Kisapuisto in Lappeenranta home. The club goes by several nicknames, including "The Sputniks," "Sputnik," "Miracle of the East," and "Eastern Giant." On home ice, the team wears yellow jerseys, black pants, yellow socks, and black helmets. For away games, the uniform is mostly the same, though a black version of the jersey is also used. The franchise’s finest finish came in the 2024–25 Liiga season, when it claimed silver. Before that, the best result was a bronze medal in the 1965–66 SM-sarja season. SaiPa also reached bronze medal games in 1998–99 and 2013–14, but fell to HPK (7–2) and Lukko (3–2), respectively. SaiPa has made two Champions Hockey League appearances. In the 2014–15 edition, the team survived the quarterfinals, where they lost the return match against Oulun Kärpät. During the 2016–17 campaign, SaiPa won its opening games by 11 points, with Eisbären Berlin and Luleå HF finishing as runners-up. Seven players developed by SaiPa have gone on to play in the NHL: Antti Aalto, Jussi Markkanen, Petteri Nokelainen, Petri Skriko, Jussi Timonen, Vesa Viitakoski, and Niklas Bäckström. Jussi Markkanen was a part owner of the club until May 2024.
Domestic: - Liiga: 2nd place (1): 2024–25; 3rd place (1): 2025–26 - SM-sarja: 3rd place (1): 1965–66
Pre-season: - Finnish Cup: Runners-up (3): 1958, 1965, 1971
**Players**
Current roster as of September 5, 2026. Retired numbers and NHL alumni are listed separately.
**External links** - SaiPa official website (in Finnish) - SaiPa Fan Club (archived 2006-02-22) (in Finnish) - Idän Ihme fan site (in Finnish)
Quick Facts
- Team
- SaiPa
- Text Colour
- #000000
- City
- Lappeenranta, Finland
- League
- Liiga
- Arena
- Kisapuisto / (capacity: 4,820)
- Ceo
- Jani Valkeapää
- Gm
- Harri Aho
- Coach
- Raimo Helminen
- Captain
- Samuli Niinisaari
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
SaiPa's best achievement is silver in the 2024–25 Liiga season. Previous best result was from the 1965–1966 season, when they won bronze medals for placing third. SaiPa also played in a bronze medal game in the 1998–1999 and 2013–14 seasons, but lost the games to HPK (7–2) and Lukko (3–2). SaiPa has participated twice in the Champions Hockey League. During the 2014–2015 season, the team survived the quarterfinals, where they lost the return match against Oulun Kärpät. During the 2016–17 season, SaiPa won their initial games by 11 points. Eisbären Berlin and Luleå HF were the runners-up. SaiPa has produced seven players who have played in the National Hockey League (NHL): Antti Aalto, Jussi Markkanen, Petteri Nokelainen, Petri Skriko, Jussi Timonen, Vesa Viitakoski, and Niklas Bäckström. Jussi Markkanen was a part owner of the club until may 2024.
Reader's Guide
SaiPa is a Finnish Liiga team based in Lappeenranta, playing at Kisapuisto. Its significance lies in its long history and recent breakthrough: after decades without a top-two finish, the club won silver in the 2024–25 Liiga season, its best ever result. Earlier, the team earned bronze in the 1965–66 SM-sarja and lost bronze medal games in 1998–99 and 2013–14. In European competition, SaiPa twice entered the Champions Hockey League, reaching the quarterfinals in 2014–15 and winning its initial games by 11 points in 2016–17. The club has produced seven NHL alumni, including Jussi Markkanen, who was a part owner until May 2024. SaiPa's nicknames—'The Sputniks', 'Sputnik', 'Miracle of the East', and 'Eastern Giant'—reflect its regional identity. The team's home uniform consists of a yellow shirt, black pants, yellow socks, and a black helmet; the away uniform is mostly the same but includes a black jersey version. The club also has a history in the Finnish Cup, finishing as runners-up three times (1958, 1965, 1971).
Did You Know?
- The team has seven NHL alumni, including Jussi Markkanen and Niklas Bäckström.
- SaiPa's home arena is Kisapuisto in Lappeenranta, Finland.
More in KHL and European Hockey Clubs, Part 2 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced