Rauma, although a small town, has its own professional ice hockey team called Lukko (“lock” in English)! And Rauma’s icehockey team is the best in Finland!
On May 11th, 2021 the citizens of Rauma went crazy, as Lukko won the Finnish men’s ice hockey Championship Series for the first time in 58 years. The one and only gold medal before came in 1963.
Lukko beat TPS of Turku 6-2 in the fourth match of the final series. In 1963 they beat Tampere’s Tappara.
To avoid people from gathering in the city center, the champions drove around the city to greet their fans. Video by rauma.guide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuibI4lncNE
According to head coach Pekka Virta he had been building the team for four years with a focus on each player understanding their own role as well as the team’s culture, broadcaster C More reported. The good shape of the players was not a surprise.
“Our game was in good shape after last season, so we were able to invest in team spirit,” Virta said.
The coach spent 27 days in intensive care earlier that year after contracting coronavirus, and missed nearly two months of work in the lead up to the play-off series.
Although gatherings were prohibited due to corona restrictions in town, the town was full of joyful people. Many without a mask on the streets of old Rauma and on the rooftop of Tifosi pub. Bars and pubs were crowded and masks were not worn there either. The doctors of Rauma are worried .
You ask what Rauma men do on Wednesdays or Saturdays (the days before corona was introduced)? They go watch the game or take their kids to play ice hockey.
What do women do? Well, every 7th Rauma person participates at the art and handicraft courses of the local Adult Education Center Rauman Kansalaisopisto. Most of the fans of the fine arts are women.
Lukko plays in the Finnish Liiga, the top tier of Finnish ice hockey.
The club was founded in 1936 as the Rauma Wood saw mill’s league. The home icehall is Kivikylä Areena, which has a capacity of 4700 spectators.
Since 2011, Lukko has had a team in the Women’s Baseball Championship League (Superpesis).
The calender of Lukko icehockey games
Rauma private guide / Rauman opas 