2010–11 SM-liiga season


The 2010–11 SM-liiga season was the 36th season of the SM-liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland, since the league's formation in 1975. The title was won by HIFK who defeated Espoo Blues in the finals. The title was 7th in team history.

Teams

TeamCityHead coachArenaCapacityCaptain
PoriPekka RautakallioPorin jäähalliMatti Kuparinen
BluesEspooPetri MatikainenBarona AreenaToni Kähkönen
HIFKHelsinkiKari JalonenHelsingin jäähalliVille Peltonen
HPKHämeenlinnaHarri RindellPatria-areenaMarko Tuulola
IlvesTampereJuha PajuojaTampereen jäähalliPasi Määttänen
JokeritHelsinkiErkka Westerlund*Hartwall AreenaOssi Väänänen
JYPRisto DufvaJyväskylän jäähalliJuha-Pekka Hytönen
KalPaKuopioPekka VirtaNiiralan monttuTommi Miettinen
KärpätOuluHannu Aravirta*Oulun Energia AreenaIlkka Mikkola
LukkoRaumaRauli UramaÄijänsuo ArenaTomi Pettinen
PelicansLahtiPari Räsänen*Isku AreenaJan Latvala
SaiPaLappeenrantaAri-Pekka SelinKisapuistoVille Koho
TapparaTampereSami HirvonenTampereen jäähalliPekka Saravo
TPSTurkuJukka Koivu*TurkuhalliVille Vahalahti

Each team played four times against every other team, getting to 52 games. Additionally, the teams were divided to two groups, where teams would play one extra game. One group included Blues, HIFK, Jokerit, JYP, KalPa, Pelicans and SaiPa, while other had HPK, Ilves, Kärpät, Lukko, Tappara, TPS and Ässät.
New addition to schedule was two games where teams could choose the opponents. These were played back-to-back in late January and the choices were made in December, with team with lowest point total to that date was able to choose first. These pairs were: TPS-Ilves, Pelicans-KalPa, SaiPa-Tappara, Kärpät-Blues, Jokerit-HIFK, Lukko-Ässät and HPK-JYP.
TeamGPWOTWOTLLGFGA+/−P
JYP6039441318697+89129
Ässät603011712176132+44119
HIFK603161211199140+59117
Lukko60276522175157+1898
KalPa60269223150141+998
Jokerit60256920165150+1596
HPK60254922154151+392
Kärpät60238425151161−1089
Blues60218724142151−986
Ilves60217428161192−3181
Tappara60177630142181−3971
SaiPa60164931137186−4969
TPS60128832134186−5260
Pelicans60172437133180−4759

Playoffs

Wild card round (best-of-three)

HPK – Ilves 0–2
Kärpät – Blues 1–2

Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)

JYP – Ilves 4–0
Ässät – Blues 2–4
HIFK – Jokerit 4–3
Lukko – KalPa 4–3

Semifinals (best-of-seven)

JYP – Blues 1–4
HIFK – Lukko 4–1

Bronze medal game

JYP-Lukko 2–4

Finals (best-of-seven)

HIFK-Blues 4–0