MODO Hockey

Elitserien Team
team_name = MODO Hockey
logo_

logo_size = 125px
text_color = #ffffff
bg_color = #e02630
founded = 1921
history = Alfredshems IK 1921-1963 MoDo AIK
1964-86 MODO Hockey 1987-"present"
arena = Swedbank Arena
city = Örnsköldsvik
team_colors = Red, black, white, green
general_manager = flagicon|Sweden Jerry Häggström
head_coach = flagicon|Finland Harri Rindell
captain = flagicon|Sweden Per Svartvadet
swedish_champs = 1979, 2007

MODO Hockey is an ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The home arena was earlier Kempehallen, built in 1964, but from the 2006-07 season the men's team plays at the Swedbank Arena.

History

The club was founded in 1921 as "Alfredshems IK", but was later renamed after the main sponsor, industrial corporation Mo och Domsjö AB (commonly abbreviated MoDo). MODO Hockey became Swedish champions in 1979. The team had a hard time coming back to this level however, until in 1994 when the club reached the finals with a young team with stars like Peter Forsberg, who just had reached tremendous international fame for his play in the Lillehammer Olympics, and Niklas Sundström. However, they lost the finals to Malmö IF.Since then, MODO has been one of the teams to count on in Elitserien, reaching the finals again in 1999, 2000 and 2002, but never winning it, until 14 April 2007, when they again became Swedish champions.

Örnsköldsvik is quite a small town, but MODO has managed to raise several promising talents went on to play in the NHL. Peter Forsberg and Niklas Sundström belong to these, as do Markus Näslund and twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Anders Hedberg was one of the first Swedes to succeed in the NHL, back in the 1970s. During the NHL conflict in 2004-05 there were a few foreign NHL players representing the team, including Canadian Adrian Aucoin, American Dan Hinote and Czech František Kaberle (who also played for the team before he joined the NHL).

Rivalries

Modo's main rival is Timrå IK. The meeting between the teams are referred as The Battle of Västernorrland as the teams is located in the same county. The two teams are equal and the games are usually even. As the cities are located only one hour away from each other, the games are filled with many fans from both clubs. The rivalry begun to emerge in the 2000s as Timrå advanced to Elitserien after playing several years in Allsvenskan. In 2007, the teams met for the first time in the playoffs. The quarterfinal went to seven games with Modo winning in Sudden Death as Per Svartvadet scored. Timrå took their revenge in the following year, as they met Modo once again in the Elitserien 2008 Playoffs and this time winning with 4-1 in games.

Current roster

External links

* [http://www.modohockey.se/ MODO Hockey] - Official site
* [http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Rink/2670/ MODO Hockey] - Unofficial site in English
* [http://modoenfrance.xooit.com/index.php Modoenfrance.fr] - Forum Francophone du MODO Hockey Örnsköldsvik
* Meltzer, Bill. [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=300045 "Modo Mines Championship Gold" at NHL.com] . Retrieved 04-18-07.
* Meltzer, Bill. [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=286594 An emotional night in Sweden’s 'Heart of Hockey' at NHL.com] . Retrieved 01-03-07.
* Meltzer, Bill. * [http://www.nhl.com/features/pond/sweden062306.html Small Town, Big Draft Legacy at NHL.com] Retrieved 06-23-06.
* New York Times. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/03/sports/hockey/03sweden.html?ex=1178942400&en=80c63e2a0c4d7d37&ei=5070&emc=eta1 A Puck-Crazed Town in Sweden Churns Out N.H.L. Stars] Retrieved 05-04-07