Liiga Finals: Tappara Claims Fourth Championship Title in Five Years
In a thrilling conclusion to the 2025/26 Liiga Finals, Tappara has been crowned the champions of Finnish ice hockey once again, successfully retrieving the coveted Kanada-malja trophy. This victory marks an impressive fourth Liiga title within just five seasons, achieved after a closely contested 2-1 win against KooKoo in the decisive seventh game.
The matchup proved to be incredibly competitive, especially considering KooKoo’s momentum after their recent victory over Tappara in the same venue on May 9th, where they triumphed with a score of 1-2, positioning themselves just one win shy of clinching their inaugural Liiga title. However, Tappara responded powerfully with a tie-breaking win of the same scoreline just two days later in Kouvola, setting the stage for a decisive seventh game at their home arena.
Despite the advantage of the home crowd, the series had previously shown a tendency for away teams, as four out of the six preceding matches resulted in victories for visiting sides. However, early in the game, any doubts that Tappara might face were swiftly vanquished when Ondrej Pavel made a brilliant play, skating past KooKoo’s defensemen to score just four minutes after the opening faceoff.
KooKoo’s hopes of retaliating were further hindered when Marcus Davidsson received a hooking penalty shortly after the goal. Despite surviving the sustained pressure of Tappara during the power play, KooKoo struggled to regain control as they were vastly outmatched in the first period, allowing only one shot on goal while Tappara unleashed a staggering 14 shots.
As the first period drew to a close, Tappara seized the opportunity to extend their lead with just 90 seconds left, as Benjamin Rautiainen adeptly maneuvered behind KooKoo’s goal to assist Joachim Blichfeld, who scored his fourth goal in as many games. This successful finish was complemented by Jesper Mattila’s second assist of the night, further cementing Tappara’s dominance in the opening frame.
Halfway through the match, KooKoo faced a penalty for having too many players on the ice, but they once again showcased their resilience by holding off Tappara during the power play. However, the tide of the game took another turn when Tappara briefly found themselves with just three skaters due to penalties against Justin Addamo for tripping and Jyrki Jokkipakka for delay of game.
Even with a man disadvantage, Tappara weathered the storm until the closing seconds of the second period, during which KooKoo managed to cut the deficit. Following a fortunate rebound from Marcus Davidsson’s pass, Miska Siikonen capitalized, pulling KooKoo within one by scoring on Christian Heljanko from close range.
As the final period unfolded, KooKoo attempted to rally, edging the shot count but finding themselves hampered by penalties in the crucial last ten minutes. Ville Puhakka found himself in the penalty box for roughing, and another incident involving too many men on the ice left KooKoo one player short as the match approached its conclusion.
Ultimately, Tappara maintained their composure, holding onto their 2-1 lead and finishing the series with a 4-3 victory in a gripping final where they secured their 14th Finnish championship title while KooKoo’s quest for their first Kanada-malja continues.
