Tappara
Most successful Finnish club with 21 league championships.
Tappara (pronounced [ˈtɑpːɑrɑ], Finnish for "Battle axe") is a professional ice hockey team from Tampere, Finland, that competes in the SM-liiga. Their home games are played at Nokia Arena. With 21 Finnish league championships, they are the most successful club in the country. The team carries on the legacy of Tammerfors Bollklub.
The club’s roots go back to 1932, when the Tampere Swedish School founded TBK (Tammerfors Bollklubb) as its own sports club. After TBK won Finnish championships in 1953, 1954, and 1955, its ice hockey department created Tappara in 1955. The goal was to make the club more welcoming to non-Swedish-speaking locals and allow it to grow. TBK’s ice hockey team then left the top level, and most of its players moved to Tappara, which took over TBK’s colors and league spot. Team president Harry Lindblad led the transition. Tappara played its first official game later that same year.
Between 1956 and 1964, Tappara enjoyed an early golden era, winning three championships (1959, 1961, 1964), three silver medals (1958, 1960, 1963), and three bronze medals (1956, 1957, 1962). A quieter spell followed, including a single season in the second tier (1965–1966) before an immediate return to the top flight. In 1965, the indoor arena Tampereen jäähalli opened in Hakametsä, becoming the home rink for Tappara, local rivals Ilves, and Koo-Vee. That same year, it hosted the 1965 World Ice Hockey Championships.
Success returned in the mid-1970s, thanks to legendary players like goaltender Antti Leppänen and defenseman Pekka Marjamäki. After bronze in 1973 and silver in 1974, Tappara won the championship in 1975. This successful period lasted longer than the first, with further titles in 1977, 1979, 1982, 1984, and three straight championships from 1986 to 1988. Many fans consider the late-1980s team, coached by Rauno Korpi, the strongest ever. Veterans like Timo Susi and Erkki Lehtonen were joined by young talents such as Teppo Numminen (later a long-time NHL defenseman) and Janne Ojanen (a Tappara icon). In 1988, Finland’s national team won Olympic silver in Calgary, with Tappara players forming a major part of the squad. Erkki Lehtonen and Janne Ojanen scored Finland’s goals in the decisive win over the Soviet Union.
The 1990s brought little success, aside from a third-place finish in 1990.
Quick Facts
- Team
- Tappara
- Text Colour
- #000000
- City
- Tampere
- League
- SM-liiga
- Founded
- 1932 (as Tammerfors Bollklubb) / 1955 (as Tappara)
- Arena
- Nokia Arena
- Owner
- Tamhockey Oy
- Gm
- Janne Vuorinen
- Coach
- Kari Jalonen
- Captain
- Otto Rauhala
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Tappara's predecessor, TBK (Tammerfors Bollklubb), was established in 1932 by the Tampere Swedish School. After winning Finnish championships in 1953, 1954 and 1955, the TBK ice hockey department founded Tappara in 1955 to make it more accessible to non-Swedish-speaking locals. Most players transferred from TBK to Tappara, which used TBK's colors and took its place in the top league. The transition was led by team president Harry Lindblad. Tappara played its first official game in 1955.
Tappara enjoyed an early period of success from 1956 to 1964, winning three championships (1959, 1961, 1964) and multiple silver and bronze medals. After a quieter spell that included one season at the second level (1965–66), the team returned to glory in a second successful period from 1975 to 1988, winning championships in 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1984, and three consecutive titles from 1986 to 1988. Many fans regard the late-1980s team, coached by Rauno Korpi, as the strongest of all time, featuring players like Timo Susi, Erkki Lehtonen, Teppo Numminen, and Janne Ojanen.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Tappara had mixed results, including silver medals in 2001 and 2002 and a surprise championship in 2003 under coach Jukka Rautakorpi. After a difficult period, the team reached the finals five consecutive times from 2013 to 2018, winning championships in 2016 and 2017. Later, Tappara won three consecutive championships from 2022 to 2024, plus a Champions Hockey League title against Luleå Hockey in 2023, and another gold in 2026, maintaining their reign as the most successful team in Finnish ice hockey history.
Reader's Guide
Tappara's significance lies in its unmatched success in Finnish ice hockey, with 21 league championships—the most of any club in Finland. The team's history is deeply tied to the city of Tampere and its predecessor TBK, which laid the foundation for Tappara's rise. The club has produced numerous legendary players, including Antti Leppänen, Pekka Marjamäki, Timo Susi, Erkki Lehtonen, Teppo Numminen, Janne Ojanen, and Timo Jutila, who captained Finland to its first world championship in 1995. Tappara's home arena, Nokia Arena, opened in 2021 and hosted the Ice Hockey World Championships in 2022 and 2023. The team's sustained excellence, including multiple championship streaks and a Champions Hockey League title, cements its legacy as a dominant force in European hockey. The club shares its arena with local rival Ilves, continuing a long-standing Tampere hockey tradition.
Did You Know?
- Tappara was founded in 1955 as a successor to TBK, which had won three Finnish championships in a row (1953–1955).
- The team's first official game was in 1955, the same year it was founded.
- Tappara won three consecutive Finnish championships from 1986 to 1988, and later three more from 2022 to 2024.
- Tappara won the Champions Hockey League title in 2022–23 against Luleå Hockey.
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