SaiPa explained

Team:	SaiPa
Colour:	background:white; border-top:#fee200 5px solid; border-bottom:#070605 5px solid;
Colour Text:	000000
Logosize:	240px
City:	Lappeenranta, Finland
League:	Liiga
Arena:	Kisapuisto (capacity: 4,820)
Colours:	Yellow, black
Gm:	Jussi Markkanen
Coach:	Raimo Helminen
Captain:	Jarno Koskiranta
Affiliates:	Imatran Ketterä (Mestis)

Saimaan Pallo (SaiPa) is an ice hockey team in the Finnish Liiga. They play their home games at Kisapuisto in Lappeenranta, Finland.SaiPa has many nicknames, such as "The Sputniks", "Sputnik", "Miracle of the East" and "Eastern Giant."

SaiPa play home games in the yellow shirt, black pants, yellow socks, and a black helmet. SaiPa play away games in mostly the same costumes as the home games, but also have a black version of the jersey.

History

The team's best achievement is 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 is also a part owner of the club.

Honours

Domestic

SM-sarja

3rd place (1): 1965–66

Pre-season

Finnish Cup

Runners-up (3): 1958, 1965, 1971

Players

Retired numbers

SaiPa retired numbers
width=40px	No.	width=130px	Player	width=40px	Position	width=150px	Career
3			1959–1969
8			2001–2020
9			1979–1984
20			1975–1986 1988–1992