Helsinki Wolverines Explained

Helsinki Wolverines
Logosize:200px
Established:1995
Location:Helsinki, Finland
Stadium:Helsinki Velodrome
Coach: Pekka Lamminsalo
Website:helsinkiwolverines.com
League:Vaahteraliiga
League Champs:1 title (2011)
H Pattern H:_af
H Pattern B:_thingoldsides2
H Pattern S:_af
H Helmet:191970
H Leftarm:191970
H Body:191970
H Rightarm:191970
H Pants:191970
H Socks:191970
H Title:Home kit
A Pattern H:_af
A Pattern B:_thinmidnightbluesides
A Pattern S:_af
A Helmet:191970
A Leftarm:FFFFFF
A Body:FFFFFF
A Rightarm:FFFFFF
A Pants:191970
A Socks:191970
A Title:Away kit

Helsinki Wolverines is a Finnish American football club based in Helsinki and was founded in 1995. The clubs Top Men's Team plays in the Vaahteraliiga of the American Football Association of Finland which is the highest ranking level of American football in all of Finland. The league in Finland was established in 1980.

History

Helsinki Wolverines was founded on 10 October 1995. The team played its first official game in 1996 season of 2nd Division, a third tier american football league in Finland, against the Lahti Jets. The first Wolverines team was mainly made up of former Helsinki Whips players and the first head coach was Jimmy Lawson. In five seasons Wolverines rose from 2nd Division to Vaahteraliiga, the top american football league in Finland. The Wolverines have strong rivalry with other teams from Helsinki: the Roosters and the 69ers.[1] The Wolverines chose their colors, maize and blue, as an homage to the Michigan Wolverines of the University of Michigan.

Helsinki Wolverines took their only Vaahteraliiga (Maple League) title so far in 2011, when they beat Seinäjoki Crocodiles on Sonera Stadium in a close match by a score of 30–27. Stephen Stokes from Wolverines was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the final.[2]

Club structure

Wolverines' Men's first team plays in Vaahteraliiga (Maple League), the premier league of american football in Finland. Men's second team, Wolverines II, plays in 2nd Division, a third tier league. Men's third team plays in 4th Division, a fifth tier league. Wolverines also have 5 boys' youth teams: U20, U17, U15, U13 and U11.

Women's first team was founded again in 2014 after years of inactivity. The team participates in Women's Finnish Championship Series (Maple League) and has recently won 4 consecutive titles in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. The club also has two cheerleading teams.[3]

Season by season

Season League Tier Final position
1996 2nd Division III 4th*
1997 II 7th
1998 II 4th
1999 II 2nd
2000 II 1st*
2001 I 5th
2002 I 7th
2003 I 8th
2004 I 8th
2005 I 5th
2006 I 2nd
2007 I 4th
2008 I 4th
2009 I 6th
2010 I 3rd
2011 I 1st
2012 I 2nd
2013 I 2nd
2014 I 7th
2015 II 4th
2016 II 2nd
2017 II 2nd
2018 II 1st*
2019 I 3rd
2020 I 2nd
2021 I 5th
2022 I 3rd

Updated as of season 2020.[4] [5]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Historia. helsinkiwolverines.com. Helsinki Wolverines Ry.. 25 November 2014. Finnish.
  2. Web site: Vaahteramaljat 2010-2014. salj.fi. American Football Association of Finland. 26 November 2014. Finnish. https://archive.today/20141011235259/http://www.sajl.fi/sarjat/miehet/vaahteraliiga/mestarit/vaahteramaljat-2010-2014/. 11 October 2014. dead.
  3. Web site: Naiset. helsinkiwolverines.com. Helsinki Wolverines. 25 November 2014. Finnish.
  4. Web site: Mestari. sajl.fi. American Football Association of Finland. 25 November 2014. Finnish. 20 July 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110720194142/http://www.sajl.fi/sarjat/miehet/vaahteraliiga/mestarit/. dead.
  5. Web site: Sarjataulukot. sajl.org. American Football Association of Finland. 25 November 2014. Finnish.