Tuesday, 01. July 2025 |
KalPa Kuopio: Finnish Liiga champions for the first time this year Fifth CHL appearance for Finland's top team// CHLKalPa Kuopio, originally founded in 1929 as Sortavalan Palloseura in Sortavala, has developed into a respected member of the Liiga, Finland's top professional league.KalPa Kuopio plays its home games in the Olvi Areena, which seats around 5,300 fans and is known for its rousing atmosphere. This strong local support gives KalPa a real home advantage. EC Red Bull Salzburg will also play KalPa Kuopio at the Olvi Areena in Finland.
Head Coach Manny Viveiros:
"The Finnish champions are as strong as any team in Europe. They are deep with talent and andhave four lines that can come at you in waves of pressure. It will be exciting to see where we stand up against such a good opponent."
Successful history
Since its foundation, KalPa Kuopio has celebrated numerous successes. Some of the biggest achievements include silver medals in the 1990/91 and 2016/17 Liiga seasons, a bronze medal in 2008/09 and winning the Spengler Cup in 2018. But the highlight came this year when KalPa won the Liiga title for the first time and became Finnish champions.
The club has produced numerous top players who have gone on to NHL careers, including Sami Kapanen, Kimmo Timonen, Olli Jokinen, Kasperi Kapanen, Artturi Lehkonen and Alexandre Texier. KalPa has deep roots in the Kuopio community. This is also reflected in the fact that former NHL stars Sami Kapanen, Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell invest in the club and thus contribute to its growth and success. In addition, the entire coaching and support staff as well as the club's board members are all Finnish.
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KalPa Kuopio | Factbox
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Founded: 1929
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League: Liiga (FIN)
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Stadium: Olvi Areena / 5,300 spectators
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Season 2024/25: Solid performance in the main round
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Successes: First Liiga title 2025
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CHL 2024/25: Group stage, eliminated
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CHL participations: four
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WEB: www.kalpa.fi
CHL | Regular Season of the Red Bulls
Fri, 29.08.25 | 20:20 | Red Bull Salzburg - GKS Tychy
Sun, 31.08.25 | 17:30 | Red Bull Salzburg - Pinguins Bremerhaven
Thu, 04.09.25 | 17:30* | Ilves Tampere - Red Bull Salzburg
Sat, 06.09.25 | 16:00* | KalPa Kuopio - Red Bull Salzburg
Wed, 08.10.25 | 19:00 | Odense Bulldogs - Red Bull Salzburg
Wed, 15.10.25 | 20:20 | Red Bull Salzburg - Eisbären Berlin
* Start times in CEST
Mit Galerie
Ilves Tampere is back on the international stage// CHL
Mit Galerie
First opponent in the CHL: Polish champions GKS Tychy// CHL
Mit Galerie
Pinguins Bremerhaven with respectable success in the CHL// CHL