SaPKo explained

Team:SaPKo
Colour:background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#1e264e 5px solid; border-bottom:#ba313b 5px solid;
Colour Text:black
Logosize:100px
City:Savonlinna, Finland
Founded:1929
Gm:Jan-Erik Wasenius[1]
Coach:Juho Nykäne[2]
Captain:Juuso Forsström
Affiliates:KalPa (SM-liiga)
League:Suomi-sarja

Savonlinnan Pallokerho (SaPKo) is an ice hockey team from Savonlinna, Finland, they currently play in the Suomi-sarja. It plays its home matches at the Talvisalo ice rink.

The sports club Savonlinnan Pallokerho was founded in 1929. First it consisted football and bandy sections, but since the 1960s ice hockey has been the main sport.

In 1960s SaPKo played four seasons in the highest tier of Finnish ice hockey SM-sarja but was relegated to Suomi-sarja in 1971. In 1974 the new First Division was formed and SaPKo was one of the teams participating. SaPKo soon established itself as the team of I-divisioona expect few visits to Second Division. In 1968 SaPKo worked its way to the final of Finnish Cup, but lost the final to KooVee 10–2.

Later bigger success came in the season 1994/1995 when SaPKo had very good regular season with players like Team Canada captain Brian Tutt and was close to promotion to the SM-liiga. It played tight promotion playoffs against Ilves but failed to promote. After the success started downtrend which culminated to relegation to Suomi-sarja. At the end of the 2005/2006 season SaPKo finally gained promotion back to the second tier, Mestis.

In 2022, the club filed for bankruptcy after acquiring a debt of 227,000 euros.[3] [4] However, fifteen entrepreneurs helped fund and re-establish the club for the 2023-24 season and they were approved to play in the Suomi-sarja, where they placed fourth that season.[5] [6]

Honours

Mestis

Suomi-sarja

Finnish cup

Notable players

Retired numbers

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Ylönen . Rauno . SaPKo Hockeyn hallituksen puheenjohtaja Wasenius Niko Erosen palkkakiistaan: "kaikki vaaditut velvoitteet hoidettu" . 22 July 2024 . Warkauden Lehti . 13 September 2023 . fi.
  2. Web site: Joukkue . SaPKo - U20 . 22 July 2024 . fi.
  3. News: Tynkkynen . Ossi . SaPKo oy hakeutuu konkurssiin . 22 July 2024 . ITA-SAVO . 21 June 2022.
  4. News: SaPKo hakeutui konkurssiin, puheenjohtaja raskain mielin: "Eihän tämä mukavaa ole missään tapauksessa." . 22 July 2024 . Yle Uutiset . 22 June 2022 . fi.
  5. News: Savonlinnan SaPKo sai vahvistuksen paluulle jääkiekon Suomi-sarjaan . 22 July 2024 . Yle Uutiset . 1 March 2023 . fi.
  6. Web site: Leijonat Tulospalvelu . tulospalvelu.leijonat.fi . 22 July 2024 . fi.