SHL

FINLAND

Helsinki’s two top-flight hockey teams could not be more different. Once fierce rivals, Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Helsingfors (Helsinki Sporting Society Comrades, or HIFK) and Jokerit don’t cross paths much anymore.

NORWAY

Storhamar Ishockey

Lillehammer grabbed the glory of hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics, but 38 miles (61 km) to the south, the town of Hamar shared in the fun. Two decades plus later, Norway’s 20th-largest city still keeps its two Olympic venues active, and both absolutely warrant a visit.

SWEDEN

Almtuna IS

Uppsala is planning a new arena. It could potentially open as soon as 2017. When it does, no one will be surprised if Almtuna IS becomes a force in Swedish ice hockey. For now though, hockey-mad Sweden’s 4th-largest city boasts only a 2nd-tier team playing in a third-rate arena. There’s nothing really wrong with any of this, but it is a bit shocking. You’d expect hockey to be a bigger deal here in Uppsala.

Brynas IF

Gävle, pronounced “Yeh-vluh,” is Sweden’s 13th largest city…more or less. Internationally, the town is probably best known for the giant straw goat that it builds every year at Christmastime and for the arsonists who subsequently make a sport of burning it down. But Gävle has a few other claims to fame: Läkerol lozenges and Ahlgrens Bilar (candy) are Swedish staples that originate here. And there’s the hockey team, Brynäs IF (BIF). Despite being a small market team, BIF is something of a powerh

Malmo Redhawks

The Malmö Redhawks are a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Malmö, founded in 1972. The club has won two Swedish Championship titles, in 1992 and 1994, and the 1993 European championship. The club is currently playing in Sweden’s premier hockey league, the SHL and they play their home games at Malmö Arena.