Timrå IK | |
---|---|
City | Timrå, Sweden |
League | HockeyAllsvenskan (from 2013–14) |
Founded | 1938 (1928) |
Home arena | NHK Arena |
Colors | Red, white |
General manager |
Lars Nolander Club manager Kent Norberg Sports manager |
Head coach | Rolf Nilsson |
Captain | Andreas Molinder |
Franchise history | |
1942–1963 | Wifsta/Östrands IF |
1963–1966 | Wifsta/Östrand–Fagerviks IF |
1966–1990 | Timrå IK |
1990–1994 | Sundsvall/Timrå Hockey |
1994–1995 | ST Hockey |
1995–present | Timrå IK |
Timrå IK (Timrå Red Eagles) is a Swedish ice hockey team from Timrå. The team is currently playing in the second-tier league HockeyAllsvenskan since the 2013–14 season, after failing to re-qualify for the SHL/Elitserien in the 2013 Kvalserien. Seasons in the top division include 1956–57 to 1975–76, 1977–78, 1981–82, and 2000–01 to 2012–13.
The club origins from Wifstavarvs IK, founded in 1928, and Östrands IF, founded in 1931. Both clubs started playing ice hockey in 1938 and in the summer of 1942 they merged into Wifsta/Östrands IF, more commonly called W/Ö.
W/Ö made its first Swedish Championship appearance in 1943. The championships were played independently from the national league at the time.
Five seasons later, 1948–1949 the team was accepted for play in the national league system in Sweden. Starting in third league, Wifsta/Östrands IF won nine out of ten games and directly advanced to second league or Division II Norra (North Division).
In spring 1956, having spent seven seasons facing teams like Brynäs IF, Mora IK and Leksands IF, W/Ö qualified for the top national league on March 10, 1956. Meanwhile, the top league, Division I, nicknamed Allsvenskan by many, was expanded from 6+6 to 8+8 teams, a North and South Division.
In 1963, the local club Fagerviks GF was absorbed and W/Ö was renamed Wifsta/Östrand–Fagerviks IF or simply WÖF.
Starting with the 1958–1959 season, W/Ö was playing its home games on an artificial ice rink. Some years later an ice arena was built, and WÖF played its first indoor season 1965–1966 under the roof of what is now NHK Arena. Just one year later, the lengthy name Wifsta/Östrand–Fagerviks IF was finally replaced by Timrå IK as of 1966–1967.