Porin Ässät (men's ice hockey)

Ässät celebrating the 1971 championship

Ässät group photo from the 1970–71 SM-sarja season.

For the season 1970–71, Ässät got a high-class returnee from Helsinki when Veli-Pekka Ketola returned to Pori after playing for one season in Jokerit. Alpo Suhonen also returned to Ässät after Ketola. Ketola's return to his home club gave rise to a huge training enthusiasm in other players as well, and coach Lasse Heikkilä took the team on a training trip to Moscow before the start of the season. The trip to the Soviet Union started training very early, by the standards of the time, because there was no ice on Pori in early autumn. In the 1970–71 season Ässät finished third in the regular season after Jokerit and HIFK. In the final series, everything fell into place, Ässät lost only one of their ten matches and overtook the Helsinki clubs ahead. The gold medals were finally secured by a five-point difference to the Jokerit who came in second. The first championship came under the leadership of the forward trio Erkki Väkiparta - Veli-Pekka Ketola - Tapio Koskinen. Other lines behind No. 1 were also able to provide to the team. There were also big names in the defense, such as Antti Heikkilä and Pekka Rautakallio. Veli-pekka Ketola was the highest point scorer in the SM-sarja during the 1970–71 season with 42 points, of which 25 were goals and 17 were assists.[11] Ässät's captain during the season was Raimo Kilpiö. Ässät's number one goalie was Jorma Valtonen who played every game of the season. Valtonen finished the season with a .922 save percentage.[12][lower-alpha 2]

The 1977–78 season again raised hopes of success when Pekka Rautakallio and Veli-Pekka Ketola returned to Ässät from North America. In addition, promising young people played in the club, such as Arto Javanainen, Kari Makkonen, Tapio Levo and Harry Nikander. The aces finished second in the regular season after Tappara and defeated TPS 3–2 in the semi-finals. The final series against Tappara did not start promisingly, as Tappara won the first match in Tampere 8–0. However, Ässät won the rest of the games, and the club achieved its second Finnish Championship. The last match at the Porin jäähalli (now Isomäki Areena) was estimated to have been attended by more than 14,000 spectators, even though only 8,600 spectators should have been allowed into the arena at that time. There were more spectators in the auditorium than in any other previous hockey match played in Finland. In the early years of the SM-liiga[lower-alpha 3] in the second half of the 1970s, Ässät was one of the league's absolute top teams. The most important player on the team was the captain, center Veli-Pekka Ketola, who had returned from the North American WHA League. Ketola broke the point record in the playoffs at the time.[13]

The 2005–06 season was Ässät's 30th season in the SM-liiga and the 38th season at the highest level of ice hockey in Finland. The first game of the regular season was played on 15 August 2005 against the rival team Rauman Lukko.

Ässät finished 5th in the regular season and met Tappara in the quarter-finals. Tappara beat Ässät 3–2 in the first game.[14] The second game was played in Pori where Ässät managed to beat Tappara 3–1.[15] The heated matchup sent Ässät player Aki Uusikartano to the hospital after an elbow hit to the head by Tuukka Mäntylä.[16]

Tappara took the lead in the series again by defeating Ässät with a score of 5–2. Tappara scored three goals in the second period in just over a minute. Ässät forward Leo Komarov got himself a conduct penalty in the 3rd period after he collided with Mika Lehto, who had already covered the puck with his glove.[17] However, Ässät evened out the seires again the very next day with a 5–2 victory. A questionable was seen at the beginning of the second period, when Ässät player Patrik Forsbacka hit Tappara's Janne Grönvall out of the rink. The cleanliness of the hit divided opinions.

The situation particularly angered Tappara CEO Mikko Leinonen:

It's like the wild west in here for fuck's sake. Ortio (game supervisor) is talking and Toivola (Ässät head coach) is shouting on top of him. Doesn't anybody give the speaking turns here?

— Mikko Leinonen, "Ässien taistelu jatkuu".

Ässät won the series with two consecutive 3–2 victories.

Ässät's met the Oulun Kärpät in the semifinals. Ässät beat Kärpät 3–1 in 2 consecutive games. Ässät's winning streak came to an end with a 6-3 loss in game 3. Ässät beat Kärpät 4–3 in the fourth and final matchup of the semifinals.

Ässät's final opponent was HPK Hämeenlinna. HPK beat Ässät 1–0 i the first game with a goal by Janis Sprukts.[18] Ässät managed to win the second game 5–4 at home but then went on to lose the next two matches and lose the final series. Ässät's season ended in silver medals.[19]

Stephen Dixon playing for Ässät

The 2012–13 season went differently for Ässät. It started the season strongly, but by the turn of the year had fallen below the playoff line. The team sold its No. 1 center, Stephen Dixon to a KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.[20][21] At the end of January Ässät started the longest winning streak in their history, ending only in the last previous round of the regular season with an overtimetime loss against Oulu Kärpät. The standings rose from twelfth to fourth. In the quarterfinals, Ässät beat KalPa 4–1 in the best of 7 series. Semifinals against JyP Ässät started with an overtime win when Michael Ryan scored the winning time in 92.51. Ässät won the second match in Pori 2–0 and the third in Jyväskylä 1–4. JyP narrowed the situation with their 1–2 away victory, but Ässät won the fifth match 0-1 and advanced to the finals. Tappara won the first final 2–1 after Jukka Peltola scored five seconds before the end of regulation time. The second final match in Pori was won by Ässät 5–1. In the third match, Tappara was better with the score of 3-2, and the winning goal was scored by Niclas Lucenius just one second before the end of regulation time. Ässät won the fourth match 4–0 in their home arena. In the fifth final match, Ässät took away the victory with a final score of 2-1. Veli-Matti Savinainen finished the winning goal from Ville Uusitalo's pass in the third overtime in 108.59. The match was the longest final match in SM-liiga history and the third longest in all playoffs. Ässät won the Finnish Championship after beating Tappara in the sixth final 3–2 with Jyri Marttinen's goal, and at the same time the whole series was won by Ässät 4–2. The Pori team had won their previous championship in 1978.[22][23] A real generational change was seen after the match, when the captain of the 1978 championship team, Veli-Pekka Ketola, came on the ice to hand over the Kanada malja to captain Ville Uusitalo.[24]

Ässät celebrating a victory against Jukurit on 15.10 2022. Ässät wore special black-white-pink jerseys and donated to a cancer research charity.[25]

Ässät signed players considered as top tier players like Jesse Joensuu,[26] Roope Talaja,[27] Jan-Mikael Järvinen,[28] Ian McCoshen, Dominic Turgeon, Niklas Rubin and Joachim Rohdin. Ässät also picked up some of their own junior players from the U20 league.[29] Ässät also published their future plans like the player budgets for example.[30] Ässät named Jesse Joensuu as captain. Alexander Ruuttu, Niklas Appelgren and Jan-Mikael Järvinen were named as assistant captains. Ässät hired a new sports manager, Janne Vuorinen, to replace Tommi Kerttula.[31][32]

Ässät started the 2022–23 season by winning the Pitsiturnaus tournament for the first time since 2004.[33] Ässät's first regular season game was against Ilves, Ässät lost 3–0.[34] Ässät's first victory came at a home in a game against JYP HT, Ässät won 5–0.[35] The first Satakunnan derby game was played in the West Areena on 21 October 2022, the game ended in Lukko's 2–6 victory.[36]

On February 13, Ässät announced that it had signed goaltender Cody Porter to a contract covering the rest of the season due to Niklas Rubin's injury on 8 February. Porter was later sent back to RoKi on a loan.

On 4 March 2023, Ässät secured a playoff spot with a 2–1 win against Lukko in the last Satakunta derby of the regular season. Ässät and Lukko played 6 regular season games against each other with 3–3 wins and 9–9 points.

Ässät finished 8th in the regular season with 91 points and faces HC TPS in the first round of the playoffs in a best-of-three series. Ässät beat TPS in the first game 2–1.[37][38] TPS beat Ässät in the 2nd game 2–1.[39] TPS scored their winning goal in the last minutes of the third period after a rather questionable penalty when TPS player Taneli Ronkainen pushed Ässät player Emil Erholtz on TPS goaltender Lassi Lehtinen, wich got Erholtz a 2 minute penalty, during wich TPS scored their goal.[40][41][42] The linesman director of Liiga, Jyri Rönn, admitted the mistake and apologized to Ässät after the incident.[43] Ässät beat TPS in the last game 2–1 and faced Ilves in the 2nd round.[44][45][46] Ässät's first game against Ilves ended in a 5–1 loss. The second game ended in Ässät's 5–2 victory. Ilves beat Ässät 4–1 in thr third and the fourth game. Ässät's season came to an end after a 3–2 loss against Ilves.[4]

Ässät started the work on the 2023–24 season by promoting Jere Härkälä to head coach. On the 4th of April, Ässät's sporting manager announced that it did not use the additional year on Eemeli Virtanen's and Samuli Aaltonen's 2+1 style contracts, but it did use Will Graber's additional year on his 1+1 contract.[47] On the same article it was told that Ässät's training will start on the 2nd of May 2023 and all contracts will be published throughout April.[48] Ässät's elite goaltender, Niklas Rubin, had already signed a one year extension to his contract during the 2022–23 season.[49][50] Defenceman Nikolas Matinpalo extended his contract by two years,[51] but has a high chance of going into an NHL organization.[52] If Matinpalo ends up in the NHL, Ässät would get paid 199 500 USD (approx. 183 000 EUR).[53] Jami Virtanen also signed a two-year extension.[54] Ässät signed junior players from Jokerit, Jukurit and Kärpät to compete for a spot in the Liiga roster. These juniors were Nestor Noiva, Topi Vuori, Topias Rovio and Otso Ylitalo. Ässät signed the defenceman of the year award winner of the Fjordkraftligaen, Martin Lefebvre, to a one-year deal.

Ässät's primary logo is a spade (♠️) inside a black ring. Ässät has used that logo from 1967 to 1982. It was taken into use again in 1994. The logo was designed by Vesa Antikainen[55]

Niklas Rubin wearing Ässät's 2022–23 home jersey on March 1st 2023

Ässät's home uniform during the 2022–23 season is red with a small white stripe on the bottom part of the jersey and with white on the shoulders. Ässät wears red pants, red socks with a white stripe and use a white helmet.[56] The away jersey is white with a red stripe on the bottom and with red on the shoulders. Ässät wears red pants, white socks with a red stripe and a white helmet.

Ässät's mascot has been Rysty Mesikämmen since 2017.[57] Rysty Mesikämmen is a brown bear who wears an ice hockey helmet and Ässät's jersey with the number 67.[58]

• Sari Marjamäki (née Fisk) (four-time European champion and six-time World Championship bronze medallist)[60]
• Sofianna Sundelin (Olympic bronze medallist and a World Championship bronze medallist)[63]
• Anne Haanpää (née Bäckman) (4-time European champion)[64]
• Sanna Kanerva (1995 European champion)
• Sanna Sainio (top-three point scorer for Ässät)
• Tatyana Tsaryova (first-time World Championship bronze medallist)[65]

• Lena Kofod 1999-2000
• Violetta Simanova 1999-2000
• Tatjana Tikhonov 1999-2000
• Sandra Toon 1999-2000
• Tatyana Tsaryova 1999-2000

Loan players written in italic text.

Updated May 7, 2023.[66][67]

No.	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
70		Marcus Davidsson	C	L	24	2023–24	Tyresö, Sweden
71		Jonathan Davidsson	RW	L	26	2023–24	Tyresö, Sweden
41		Niklas Rubin	G	L	27	2022–23	Kungsbacka, Sweden
37		Rami Määttä	D	L	21	2020–21	Oulu, Finland
93		Lassi Vanhatalo	LW	L	25	2023–24	Tampere, Finland
10		Jami Virtanen	F	R	22	2021–22	Pori, Finland
73		Eemil Erholtz	W	R	23	2021–22	Mikkeli, Finland
38		Verneri Hellman	D	L	20	2021–22	Pori, Finland
29		Lenni Hämeenaho	F	R	19	2022–23	Pori, Finland
44		Jan-Mikael Järvinen	F	R	35	2022–23	Pirkkala, Finland
6		Jesse Joensuu	LW	L	35	2022–23	Pori, Finland
19		Patrik Juhola	C	L	19	2021–22	Ylöjärvi, Finland
36		Karolus Kaarlehto	G	L	25	2023–24	Turku, Finland
15		Valtteri Karnaranta	LW	L	20	2021–22	Oulu, Finland
24		Jesperi Kaukonen	RW	L	18	2022–23	Paimio, Finland
16		Feetu Knihti	C	L	21	2021–22	Kiukainen, Finland
33		Nikolas Matinpalo	D	R	24	2020–21	Espoo, Finland
87		Kalle Myllymaa	C	L	21	2021–22	Pori, Finland
39		Eero Niemi	F	L	20	2021–22	Pori, Finland
–		Nestor Noiva	RW	R	19	2023–24	Helsinki, Finland
66		Joona Riekkinen	D	L	24	2023–24	Kuopio, Finland
–		Topias Rovio	G	L	19	2023–24	Turku, Finland
20		Roope Talaja	LW	L	34	2022–23	Kuopio, Finland
61		Leevi Viitala	RW	R	21	2021–22	Pomarkku, Finland
–		Topi Vuori	D	L	18	2023–24	Vihti, Finland
23		Will Graber	C/D	R	26	2022–23	Broomfield, U.S.
–		Otso Ylitalo	C	L	18	2023–24	Oulu, Finland
8		Libor Zábranský	D	R	22	2023–24	Brno, Czech Republic
40		Martin Lefebvre	D	L	30	2023–24	Terrebonne, Canada
26		Kasperi Ojantakanen	C	R	28	2023–24	Helsinki, Finland

Updated March 28, 2023

Joonas Korpisalo with the Columbus Blue Jackets

Joel Armia with the Winnipeg Jets

Erik Haula with the Vegas Golden Knights

Ässät players that play or have played in the National Hockey League, text in bold implies that the player currently plays for Ässät:

Player	Birth year	NHL club(s)
Joel Armia	1993	Buffalo Sabres (2014–2015) Winnipeg Jets (2015–2018) Montreal Canadiens (2018–)
Erik Haula	1991	Minnesota Wild (2013–2017) Vegas Golden Knights (2017–2019) Carolina Hurricanes (2019–2020) Florida Panthers (2019–2020) Nashville Predators (2020–2021) Boston Bruins (2021–2022) New Jersey Devils (2022–)
Arto Javanainen	1959	Pittsburgh Penguins (1984–1985)
Jesse Joensuu	1987	New York Islanders (2008–2011, 2012–2013) Edmonton Oilers (2013–2015)
Veli-Pekka Ketola	1948	Colorado Rockies (1981–1982)
Joonas Korpisalo	1994	Columbus Blue Jackets (2015–)
Jesperi Kotkaniemi	2000	Montreal Canadiens (2018–2021) Carolina Hurricanes (2021–)
Juho Lammikko	1996	Florida Panthers (2018–2019, 2020–2021) Vancouver Canucks (2021–2022)
Tapio Levo	1955	Colorado Rockies (1981–1982) New Jersey Devils (1982–1983)
Esa Lindell	1994	Dallas Stars (2015–)
Kari Makkonen	1955	Edmonton Oilers (1979–1980)
Masi Marjamäki	1985	New York Islanders (2005–2006)
Pekka Rautakallio	1953	Atlanta Flames (1979–1980) Calgary Flames (1980–1982)
Christian Ruuttu	1964	Buffalo Sabres (1986–1992) Chicago Blackhawks (1992–1995) Vancouver Canucks (1994–1995)
Jussi Rynnäs	1987	Toronto Maple Leafs (2011–2013) Dallas Stars (2014–2015)
Kari Takko	1962	Minnesota North Stars (1985–1991) Edmonton Oilers (1990–1991)

• Finnish Championship: Kanada-malja (3): 1970–71, 1977–78, 2012–13[68][69]
• First in regular season: Harry Lindbald Memorial Trophy (1): 1978–79
• Best ice hockey team in Finland: Aaro Kivilinna Memorial Trophy (1): 1979–80
• Runner-up (4): 1978–79, 1979–80, 1983–84, 2005–06[1]
• Bronze (2): 1975–76, 1994–95[1]

• I-Divisioona winner (predecessor to Mestis): 1989–90[70][6]

• Pitsiturnaus winner: Knypyl-pysti (5): 1994, 1995, 1999, 2004,[71] 2022[33]
• Pitsiturnaus runner-up (5): 1997, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2019[72][73][74][75][76]

• Winners (1): 1967[77][7]

• Bronze (1): 1978–79[78]

Veli-Pekka Ketola's number, 13, has been retired by Ässät

All Ässät's retired numbers are hanging from the rafters of the arena except for Jaroslav Otevrel's number.[79]

List of retired numbers:[80]

Text in bold implies that Ässät won the game.

Text in bold implies that Ässät won the game.[85][86]

Ässät played one season in the I-divisioona. They broke several records, but they only hold two records.

Most points by a player in a season: Arto Heiskanen, 110 points.[87]

Most goals by one team in a game: 20

Fastest overtime goal: Feetu Knihti, four seconds. (as of 24 February 2022)[88][89]

Isomäki areena's ice rink from the inside.

Isomäki ice rink in 1964

The Isomäki Areena was opened in 1964 as an outside artificial ice rink. The arena was finished in 1971 with a capacity of 8 000 spectators. As of 2022, the spectator capacity is 6 350–6 500 depending on which team is playing.[lower-alpha 8]

Today the Isomäki Areena is known for its close atmosphere and reputation as a difficult place for away teams. The arena is located in the Pori sporting center in the Isomäki district. It was last renovated in 2014–2016, and its name was officially changed to Isomäki Areena.[90][91] The current audience capacity of the arena is 6,350-6,500 people. The name of the arena was changed to West Areena for the 2022–23 season.[92]

Ässät's goal song is Patasydän by Nuoret vihaiset miehet featuring Olli Lindholm. Patasydän was specifically made for Ässät.[93]

In the start of every game the arena plays Isomäen legenda by Remix. The song is also made specifically for Ässät.[94]

Their entrance music (played when the players come on the ice) is "Touch and go" from Emerson, Lake & Powell.[95][96]

Ässät also uses different rock music like Hells Bells from AC/DC.[97]

Ässät mainly trains in the Isomäki Areena ice rink, but they also use the Astora Areena, wich was constructed in 2011. Astora Areena is in the ownership of Porin Ässät ry and is also used by all Ässät junior teams.

The Astora Areena has a kiosk, several dressing rooms, an ice hockey rink and a small stand that can hold up to 540 people. The Porin Ässät ry's office is also located in the arena

This list excludes all current or former Ässät players, unless a reason for inclusion is given.

• Olli Lindholm (1964–2019), Ässät fan and one of the singer of Ässät's goal song "Patasydän".[103][104]
• Simo Frangén,[105][106]
• Brent Burns, player for the Carolina Hurricanes.[107][108][109]