Tappara Tampere are a Finnish club that was founded in 1932 as TBK (Tammerfors Bollklubb). Between 1953 and 1955 they won three championships in a row. After these titles, the club decided to change its Swedish name to the Finnish Tappara Tampere, which it has used ever since.
The club won three more titles in the late 50s and early 60s, but had to wait until 1975 for another to come.
During the 1970s, Tappara revolutionised hockey coaching methods and founded a very successful youth academy with alumni such as Teppo Numminen, Pekka Marjamäki, Janne Ojanen, Ville Nieminen, Timo Jutila, or Aleksander Barkov. They win Finnish titles in 1975, 1977, 1979 and in 1982 and 1984.
After another three titles between 1986 and 1988, Tappara had to wait 15 years before winning the Liiga again in 2003. They have won the league five more times since - in 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023 and most recently in 2024. The club won seven consecutive medals from 2013 to 2019: two gold, four silver and one bronze. In recent years Tappara also surpassed local rivals Ilves as Finnish record champions with a total of 20 national titles.
Tappara are a regular CHL participant, having never missed a season in the pan-European competition since 2014/15. They have qualified for the Playoffs in all but their most recent season but had a spell of first-round Playoff knockouts between 2015 and 2020 before going all the way to the Final in 2021/22, where they faced SHL side Rögle Ängelholm but lost 1-2.
In 2022/23, the Finnish team ended a spectacular season with their first title of European Club Champions, as they beat Luleå Hockey 3-2.
"Tappara is made of steel!"Official motto of Tappara Tampere
Quick Facts
- Have qualified for every CHL season since 2014/15
- 2023 CHL Champions
- Two-time CHL Finalists
CHL Record
Season | Stage |
2014/15 | Round of 16 |
2015/16 | Round of 16 |
2016/17 | Round of 32 |
2017/18 | Round of 16 |
2018/19 | Round of 16 |
2019/20 | Round of 16 |
2021/22 | Final |
2022/23 | Champions |
2023/24 | Regular Season |