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{{about|Finnish ice hockey club}}
{{Infobox ice hockey team
| team = Tampereen Ilves
| colour = background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#006934 5px solid; border-bottom:#FFCB05 5px solid;
| colour text = #000000
| logo = Ilves logo.svg
| logosize = 210px
| city = [[Tampere]]
| league = [[Liiga]]
| conference = 
| division = 
| founded = {{Start date|1931}}
| operated = 
| folded = 
| arena = [[Nokia Arena (Tampere)|Nokia Arena]]
| capacity = 13,455
| colours = Green, yellow, black<br />{{color box|#006934}} {{color box|#FFCB05}} {{color box|#000000}}
| owner = Ilves-Hockey Oy
| GM = [[Risto Jalo]]
| coach = [[Tommi  Niemelä]]
| captain = [[Eemeli Suomi]]
| affiliates = [[KOOVEE (ice hockey)|KOOVEE]]<br>[[Ilves Naiset]]
| parentclub = 
| farmclub =Koovee 
| championships = [[1935–36 SM-sarja season|1936]], [[1936–37 SM-sarja season|1937]], [[1937–38 SM-sarja season|1938]], [[1944–45 SM-sarja season|1945]], [[1945–46 SM-sarja season|1946]], [[1946–47 SM-sarja season|1947]], [[1949–50 SM-sarja season|1950]], [[1950–51 SM-sarja season|1951]], [[1951–52 SM-sarja season|1952]], [[1956–57 SM-sarja season|1957]], [[1957–58 SM-sarja season|1958]], [[1959–60 SM-sarja season|1960]], [[1961–62 SM-sarja season|1962]], [[1965–66 SM-sarja season|1966]], [[1971–72 SM-sarja season|1972]], [[1984–85 SM-liiga season|1985]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.ilves.com/|ilves.com}}
| uniform = [[File:Ilves uudet peliasut2.png|220px]]
}}
{{Ilves sections}}
'''Tampereen Ilves,''' commonly known as '''Ilves,''' ({{IPA|fi|ˈilʋes|pron}}; [[Finnish language|Finnish]] for "[[Eurasian lynx|Lynx]]") is a Finnish professional [[ice hockey]] team based in [[Tampere]]. They play in the [[Liiga]] at the [[Nokia Arena (Tampere)|Nokia Arena]].
[[File:Nokia Arenan avajaiset 14.jpg|thumb|The match between Ilves (yellow and green) and [[Tappara]] (blue and orange) on December 3, 2021 at [[Nokia Arena (Tampere)|Nokia Arena]] in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]]]
The colors of Ilves, green, yellow, and black, were taken from what was then the [[coat of arms]] of the city of Tampere.

==History==
With sixteen championships, Ilves is the second most successful hockey team in the Finnish championship league, the [[Liiga]], after their local rival [[Tappara]]. The club was founded in the spring of 1931, and it played its first game against Tampereen Palloilijat the next winter. In the late 1930s, Ilves won three Finnish championship titles as the first Tampere-based hockey team.<ref>[https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2022/wm/news/33601/22_great_tampere_moments 22 great Tampere moments] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405112706/https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2022/wm/news/33601/22_great_tampere_moments |date=2023-04-05 }} – [[IIHF]]</ref>

After [[World War II]], Ilves started playing its home games at the then new Koulukatu ice rink. It had another championship spree in 1945–1947 when it stayed undefeated for over four years (albeit playing only 36 games during that period).{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

In 1954, Ilves was for the first and so far only time [[relegation|relegated]] to the second highest level of Finnish hockey but managed to return to the top tier only one year later.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

The current logo was designed by Rauno Broms in 1963. In 1965, Ilves moved, along with its local rivals [[Tappara]] and [[KOOVEE (ice hockey)|KooVee]], to the new [[Tampere Ice Stadium|Hakametsä]] arena, where they played until 2021.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

The last Finnish Cup competition in hockey was held in 1971. Ilves won the title and has therefore been the reigning champion since. In 1972, it also won another league championship; its 15th championship in total.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

During the late 1970s, Ilves went through lean times. Finally, when Koovee, which was in no better condition, was relegated at the end of the 1979–80 season, the two clubs decided to sign an agreement of cooperation. The best players of Koovee moved to Ilves, the most notable of them being [[Risto Jalo]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

In 1985, Ilves claimed its 16th and most recent championship. Along with Risto Jalo, the key players of that team were [[Raimo Helminen]], [[Mikko Mäkelä (ice hockey)|Mikko Mäkelä]], [[Ville Siren]], and [[Jukka Tammi]]. Repeating this success proved difficult, however, when in the following summer four players left the team to play in the [[NHL]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

In the late 1980s, Ilves had another brief stint of moderate success when coached by [[Sakari Pietilä]]. It finished first after the regular season in 1988 but was eliminated in the first round of playoffs. The next year it came away with a bronze medal, and finally in 1990 it reached the finals, only to lose to [[TPS (ice hockey)|TPS]].{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

For most of the 1990s, the club struggled with financial problems and unclear issues concerning ownership. In sports performance, the low point was in the spring of 1995, when Ilves finished last in the SM-liiga and had to fight the lower league teams [[SaPKo]] and [[SaiPa]] for their place among the elite for the next year.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

Ilves managed to avoid relegation and was promptly reborn as a viable championship candidate, reaching the semifinals in 1997 and the finals a year after that.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

The 2000s were a fairly mediocre period in Ilves history. After their bronze medal win in 2001, Ilves lost in the first round of the playoffs in six of the next seven seasons and missing the playoffs altogether in 2003. They managed to avoid relegation in 2010, 2012 and 2013.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

==Honors==

===SM-sarja===
* {{gold1}} [[SM-sarja]] [[Aaro Kivilinna memorial award]]: 1936, 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1952{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}
* {{gold1}} SM-sarja [[Kanada-malja]]: 1957, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1972{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}
* {{silver2}} SM-sarja Aaro Kivilinna memorial award: 1935, 1948, 1949{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}
* {{silver2}} SM-sarja Kanada-malja: 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}
* {{bronze3}} SM-sarja Aaro Kivilinna memorial award: 1934, 1939, 1941, 1943{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}
* {{bronze3}} SM-sarja Kanada-malja: 1963, 1964, 1967, 1974, 1975{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

===SM-liiga===
* {{gold1}} [[SM-liiga]] [[Kanada-malja]]: 1985
* {{silver2}} SM-liiga Kanada-malja: 1990, 1998
* {{bronze3}} SM-liiga Kanada-malja: 1983, 1989, 2001, 2022, 2023 
{{clear}}

==Players==
===Current roster===
{{Ilves roster}}

[[Image:Ilves banners.jpg|thumb|230px|Banners commemorating championships and retired player numbers of Ilves in Tampereen jäähalli.]]

===Honored members===
[[File:Ilves logo 1960s.jpg|thumb|Ilves 1960s jerseys]]
[[File:Camisolas Ilves.jpg|thumb|Ilves jerseys at the club's 90th anniversary exhibition]]
[[File:Ilves 1932 jersey.jpg|thumb|The first Ilves jersey from 1932]]
*'''2'''&nbsp; [[Jarmo Wasama]]
*'''7'''&nbsp; [[Aarne Honkavaara]]
*'''13'''&nbsp; [[Risto Jalo]]
*'''14'''&nbsp; [[Lasse Oksanen]]
*'''16'''&nbsp; [[Jorma Peltonen]], [[Marianne Ihalainen]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2019/ww/news/9487/marianne-ihalainen-to-be-honoured|title=Marianne Ihalainen to be honoured|date=2019-03-08|publisher=[[International Ice Hockey Federation|IIHF]]|language=en|access-date=2020-02-26}}</ref>
*'''30'''&nbsp; [[Jukka Tammi]]
*'''41'''&nbsp; [[Raimo Helminen]]

Source: Ilves-Historia<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ilveshistoria.com/ilves-hockey-legends/|title=Ilves Hockey Legends|publisher=Ilves-Hockey Oy|language=fi|access-date=2020-02-26|archive-date=2020-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226202943/https://www.ilveshistoria.com/ilves-hockey-legends/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Number '''24''' has not been officially retired, but is not in use. It was last worn by [[Veikko Suominen]], who died during the 1978–79 season.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

==Coaches==

===Current staff===
{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}
* '''Head Coach:''' {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Tommi Niemelä]]
* '''Assistant Coach:''' {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Joonas Tanska]]
* '''Assistant Coach:''' {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Pasi Saarinen]]
* '''Assistant Coach:''' {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Jarkko Näppilä]]
* '''Goaltending Coach:''' {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Markus Korhonen]]
* '''Team Manager:''' {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Timo Peltomaa]]

===All-time head coaches===
{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}{{div col}}
*[[Niilo Tammisalo]] 1931–37
*[[Risto Lindroos]] 1937–46, 1949–53
*[[Aarne Honkavaara]] 1952–61, 1967–68
*[[Henry Kvist]] 1946–49
*[[Seppo Helle]] 1961–64
*[[Rauli Virtanen]] 1964–65
*[[Erkki Koiso]] 1965–66
*[[Raimo Vasama]] 1968–71, 1972–75
*[[Juhani Ruusunen]] 1971–72, 1976–80
*[[Len Lunde]] 1972–73
*[[Matti Reunamäki]] 1974–75
*[[Esko Mäkinen]] 1974–76
*[[Raimo Määttänen]] 1980–82
*[[Seppo Hiitelä]] 1982–87, 1990–91
*[[Matti Kaario]] 1986–87, 1990–91, 1999*
*[[Sakari Pietilä]] 1987–90, 2006–2009
*[[Anatoli Bogdanov (ice hockey)|Anatoli Bogdanov]] 1991–93
*[[Jukka Jalonen]] 1992–95
*[[Heikki Vesala]] 1994–95
*[[Vladimir Jursinov Jr.]] 1995–99
*[[Heikki Mälkiä]] 1999–2001, 2009–10*
*[[Ari-Pekka Selin]] 2001–03
*[[Teijo Räsänen]] 2002–03
*[[Vaclav Sykora]] 2003–05
*[[Curt Lindström]] 2004–05
*[[Kari Eloranta]] 2005–06
*[[Petteri Hirvonen]] 2006*
*[[Sakari Pietilä]] 2006–09
*[[Juha Pajuoja]] 2010–12*
*[[Seppo Hiitelä]] 2011–12
*[[Raimo Helminen]] 2012–2013
*[[Tuomas Tuokkola]] 2013–2016 January
*[[Kari Heikkilä]] 2016 January–March
*[[Kari Kivi]] 2017–2020 September 
*[[Jouko Myrrä]] 2020 October–2022 October
*[[Antti Pennanen]] 2022 October–2024 March
*[[Tommi Niemelä]] 2024 May-present
{{div col end}}

<gallery>
File:Ilveksen mestaruusjoukkue vuodelta 1938.jpg|(1938)
File:Tampereen Ilveksen joukkue helmikuussa 1945.jpg|(1945)
File:Suomen mestari 1946 Ilves.jpg|(1946)
File:Suomen mestari 1958 Ilves.jpg|(1958)
File:Suomen mestari 1960 Ilves.jpg|(1960)
File:Suomen mestari 1966 Ilves.jpg|(1966)
File:Ilves champion of Finland 1972.jpg|(1972)
File:Ali Saadetdin Ilves.jpg|Ali Saadetdin, [[Finnish Tatars|Finnish Tatar]]
File:Ilveksen Jorma Peltonen.jpg|[[Jorma Peltonen]]
File:Helminen Raimo Vintage Jersey.jpg|[[Raimo Helminen]]
File:Hulkkonen Antti Ilves 2009 1.jpg|Antti Hulkkonen
File:Tampereen Ilves vs Stavanger Oilers.jpg|(2022)
</gallery>

==Other sports==
{{further|Ilves (football)}}
In addition to hockey and football, Ilves has a [[futsal]] team in Finnish league which has won the Finnish championship five times (2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, and 2011) and the cup competition twice (2006, 2010), a [[floorball]] team at second highest level and a [[ringette]] team competing in the [[Ringette Finland#Semi-professional league|SM Ringette]] league. It has numerous boys' and girls' junior teams in ice hockey, soccer, floorball (boys only), and ringette (girls only), making the organization the largest sports club in Finland.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

In the past, Ilves has also competed in [[American football]], [[basketball]], [[bowling]], [[figure skating]], [[team handball|handball]], and [[volleyball]]. It has won a bronze medal in American football and a silver one in handball. Also, Ilves has won the Finnish Cup in handball.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}

==See also==
*[[Tappara]]
*[[Koovee (ice hockey)|Koovee]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.ilves.com}} {{in lang|fi}}

{{Liiga}}

[[Category:Sport in Tampere]]
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Pirkanmaa]]
[[Category:Liiga teams]]
[[Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1931]]
[[Category:1931 establishments in Finland]]