2004–05 UPC-ligaen season

The 2004–05 UPC-ligaen was the 66th season of Norway's premier ice hockey league, Eliteserien, which as of this season became known as the UPC-ligaen after UPC had acquired the naming rights for five years.[1] Vålerenga won both the League Championship and the Norwegian Championship, completing their nineteenth "double". A total of ten teams contested the league, including newcomers Comet who competed at the highest level for the first time.

2004–05 UPC-ligaen season
League	UPC-ligaen
Sport	Ice hockey
Number of teams	10
Regular-season winner	Vålerenga
Champions	Vålerenga

The regular season commenced on 19 September 2004 and concluded on 20 February 2005.[2] Vålerenga clinched their twenty-fifth league title after winning 3–2 in overtime against the Sparta Warriors on 17 February.[3] This left them with an unassailable lead of seven points over the Trondheim Black Panthers, with only one round left to play. The result also confirmed Trondheim as runners-up ahead of the Storhamar Dragons.

The playoffs to determine the 2005 Norwegian Ice Hockey Champions were contested from 22 February to 20 March 2005.[4] Vålerenga were crowned champions for the twenty-third time after defeating Trondheim by 4 games to 1 in the best-of-seven Final.[5]

Regular season

Final standings

	Team	GP	W	OTW	SOW	OTL	SOL	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	Vålerenga (C)	42	26	4	2	0	3	7	210	113	93
2	Trondheim Black Panthers	42	25	1	2	1	1	12	154	101	83
3	Storhamar Dragons	42	24	0	2	1	2	13	138	87	79
4	Stjernen	42	22	2	2	1	1	14	144	113	76
5	Frisk Tigers	42	20	3	3	0	4	12	143	137	76
6	Sparta Warriors	42	17	1	3	3	1	17	125	143	63
7	Stavanger Oilers	42	16	1	0	1	4	20	132	148	55
8	Lillehammer	42	11	0	4	2	1	24	116	161	44
9	Comet	42	11	0	0	2	2	27	109	174	37
10	Bergen Flyers	42	6	0	2	1	1	32	114	212	24

GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTW = Overtime Wins; OTL = Overtime Losses; SOW = Shootout Wins; SOL = Shootout Losses; PCT = Percent of possible points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PIM = Penalties in Minutes; Pts = Points; C = Champions
Source: hockey.no

Statistics

Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the regular season.[6]

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	+/–	PIM
Ilya Dubkov	Trondheim Black Panthers	42	27	42	69	+32	52
Nick Smith	Trondheim Black Panthers	38	28	32	60	+32	81
Lars Erik Spets	Trondheim Black Panthers	42	29	26	55	+33	12
Tomi Pöllänen	Frisk Tigers	40	19	32	51	+18	22
Markku Takala	Sparta Warriors	41	19	31	50	−8	62
Tomáš Sršeň	Lillehammer	41	20	27	47	0	102
Teemu Kohvakka	Stavanger Oilers	42	18	24	42	+8	30
Tomi Suoniemi	Stavanger Oilers	37	16	25	41	+14	39
Ondřej Steiner	Stjernen	37	16	24	40	+9	41
Michal Kaňka	Lillehammer	42	25	14	39	+9	20
Vegar Barlie	Vålerenga	37	19	20	39	+24	22
Kenneth Larsen	Vålerenga	42	15	24	39	+30	18

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Leading goaltenders

The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the conclusion of the regular season.[7]

Player	Team	GP	TOI	W	L	GA	SO	Sv%	GAA
Chris Mason	Vålerenga	20	1,203:56	–	–	36	1	93.5	1.79
Jonas Norgren	Storhamar Dragons	35	2,028:03	21	14	61	6	93.4	1.80
Joakim Wiberg	Trondheim Black Panthers	31	1,847:22	–	–	73	2	91.6	2.37
Kimmo Kytölaakso	Stjernen	38	2,243:44	–	–	95	4	91.5	2.54
Arne Villy Skrøder	Sparta Warriors	18	1,018:25	–	–	48	0	90.2	2.83

GP = Games Played; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; Sv% = Save Percentage; GAA = Goals Against Average

Attendance

For the 2004–05 season, the league attendance totaled 292,711 spectators for an average of 1,394.[8] This was a 9.3% increase from the previous season's total of 267,707 spectators and average of 1,275.[9]

Team	Arena	Capacity	Total	Games	Average	% of Capacity
Storhamar Dragons	Hamar OL-Amfi	6,091	44,175	21	2,104	34.5%
Vålerenga	Jordal Amfi	4,450	38,486	21	1,833	41.2%
Sparta Warriors	Sparta Amfi	3,707	27,285	21	1,299	35.0%
Lillehammer	Kristins Hall	3,194	23,679	21	1,128	35.3%
Bergen Flyers	Bergenshallen	3,000	12,133	21	578	19.3%
Trondheim Black Panthers	Leangen Ishall	3,000	39,076	21	1,861	62.0%
Stavanger Oilers	Siddishallen	2,582	37,665	21	1,794	69.5%
Stjernen	Stjernehallen	2,473	31,105	21	1,481	59.9%
Frisk Tigers	Askerhallen	2,400	23,210	21	1,105	46.0%
Comet	Halden Ishall	1,200	15,897	21	757	63.1%

Total	Games	Average
292,711	210	1,394

Playoffs

Bracket

	Quarter-finals					Semi-finals					Finals
	1	Vålerenga	3
	7	Stavanger Oilers	0
						1	Vålerenga	3
						4	Stjernen	0
	2	Trondheim Black Panthers	3
	8	Lillehammer	0
		(Pairings are re-seeded after the first round)									1	Vålerenga	4
											2	Trondheim Black Panthers	1
	3	Storhamar Dragons	3
	6	Sparta Warriors	1
						2	Trondheim Black Panthers	3
						3	Storhamar Dragons	0
	4	Stjernen	3
	5	Frisk Tigers	1

Source: hockey.no

Norwegian Champions 2005
Vålerenga 23rd title

Qualifying for UPC-ligaen 2005–06

Final standings

	Team	GP	W	OTW	SOW	OTL	SOL	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	Comet (Q)	6	4	0	1	0	0	1	30	9	14
2	Manglerud Star (Q)	6	2	0	1	0	1	3	13	16	9
3	Bergen Flyers	6	3	0	0	0	0	3	17	20	9
4	Furuset	6	1	0	0	0	1	4	13	28	4

GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTW = Overtime Wins; OTL = Overtime Losses; SOW = Shootout Wins; SOL = Shootout Losses; PCT = Percentage of possible points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PIM = Penalties in Minutes; Pts = Points; Q = Qualified
Source: speaker.no

Game log

Qualifying for UPC-ligaen 2005–06 Game Log

Rounds 1–6 Round 1 24 February 2005 18:30 CET Comet 8–2 (2–2, 5–0, 1–0) Furuset Halden Ishall, Halden Game reference Referee: Eirik Hansen 24 min Penalties 8 min 29 Shots 25 24 February 2005 18:30 CET Manglerud Star 1–4 (0–2, 1–0, 0–2) Bergen Flyers Manglerudhallen, Oslo Game reference Referee: Hans Petter Berg 8 min Penalties 12 min 22 Shots 20 Round 2 27 February 2005 17:00 CET Furuset 3–6 (0–2, 0–3, 3–1) Bergen Flyers Furuset Forum, Oslo Game reference Referee: Eirik Hansen 16 min Penalties 18 min 34 Shots 25 27 February 2005 17:00 CET Manglerud Star 1 – 2 (SO) (1–0, 0–0, 0–1, 0–0, 2/5–3/5) Comet Manglerudhallen, Oslo Game reference Referee: Per Gustav Solem 22 min Penalties 18 min 15 Shots 51 Round 3 3 March 2005 18:30 CET Bergen Flyers 1–7 (1–1, 0–3, 0–3) Comet Bergenshallen, Bergen Game reference Referee: Eirik Hansen 14 min Penalties 12 min 33 Shots 28 3 March 2005 19:00 CET Furuset 2 – 3 (SO) (0–0, 2–1, 0–1, 0–0, 1/5–2/5) Manglerud Star Furuset Forum, Oslo Game reference Referee: Hans Petter Berg 6 min Penalties 6 min 29 Shots 29 Round 4 6 March 2005 17:00 CET Bergen Flyers 1–5 (0–1, 1–1, 0–3) Manglerud Star Bergenshallen, Bergen Game reference Referee: Yngvar Skau Jensen 32 min Penalties 14 min 25 Shots 28 6 March 2005 17:00 CET Furuset 2–6 (1–1, 0–3, 1–2) Comet Furuset Forum, Oslo Game reference Referee: Owe Lüthcke 24 min Penalties 20 min 28 Shots 37 Round 5 10 March 2005 18:30 CET Bergen 2–3 (1–1, 0–1, 1–1) Furuset Bergenshallen, Bergen Game reference Referee: Hans Petter Berg 24 min Penalties 12 min 30 Shots 17 10 March 2005 18:30 CET Comet 6–0 (4–0, 1–0, 1–0) Manglerud Star Halden Ishall, Halden Game reference Referee: Eirik Hansen 8 min Penalties 10 min 21 Shots 21 Round 6 13 March 2005 17:00 CET Comet 1–3 (0–0, 1–1, 0–2) Bergen Flyers Halden Ishall, Halden Game reference Referee: Yngvar Skau Jensen 6 min Penalties 2 min 49 Shots 21 13 March 2005 17:00 CET Manglerud Star 3–1 (0–0, 2–1, 1–0) Furuset Manglerudhallen, Oslo Game reference Referee: Tommy Søstumoen 10 min Penalties 8 min 20 Shots 22

Awards

All-Star team

The following players were selected to the 2004–05 UPC-ligaen All-Star team:[10]

• Goaltender: Chris Mason (Vålerenga)
• Defenceman: Duane Harmer (Trondheim)
• Defenceman: Anders Myrvold (Vålerenga)
• Center: Ilya Dubkov (Trondheim)
• Winger: Lars Erik Spets (Trondheim)
• Winger: Nick Smith (Trondheim)

Other

• Coach of the year: Tommy Sandlin[10] (Trondheim)

References

1. "UPC kjøper hockey-liga". Dagens Næringsliv (in Norwegian). 2004-09-20. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
2. "Fixtures — UPC-ligaen 04/05". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
3. "Vålerenga seriemester". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). 2005-02-17. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
4. "Sluttspill om Norgesmesterskapet menn 2004/2005". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association (in Norwegian). 2005-03-20. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
5. "Vålerenga gode some gull". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). 2005-03-20. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
6. "Scoring Leaders – UPC-ligaen 04/05". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
7. "Leading Goaltenders – UPC-ligaen 04/05". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
8. "Tilskuere Eliteserien 2004–2005". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association (in Norwegian). 2005-03-22. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
9. "Tilskuere i Eliteserien" (PDF). Norwegian Ice Hockey Association (in Norwegian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
10. "Årets Lag 2005". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association (in Norwegian). 2005-03-18. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2010-05-07.