HK Liepāja

Hokeja Klubs Liepāja was founded in 2014,{{cite web|title=Par klubu - HK Liepāja|url=https://hkliepaja.lv/about/|publisher=HK Liepāja|language=latvian|access-date=February 18, 2021}} following the collapse of the previous team in the city; HK Liepājas Metalurgs folded as a result of their title sponsor, Liepājas Metalurgs, pulling funding as a result of financial difficulties steming from the Great Recession.{{cite web|title=Par mums - Optibet Hockey League|url=https://www.optibethokejaliga.com/par-mums|publisher=Optibet Hockey League|language=latvian|access-date=February 18, 2021}} Several months later, the company would declare themselves insolvent.{{cite web|title=Liepājas metāla sirds stājas; gaidāms dzīves līmeņa kritums reģionā|url=http://www.db.lv/zinas/kvv-liepajas-metalurgs-trauksme-par-situaciju-uznemuma-ir-parspileta-442961|publisher=Diena Bizness|language=latvian|date=November 5, 2013|access-date=February 18, 2021}} The eight Latvian championships won by won HK Liepājas Metalurgs is, as of February 2021, the most won by any team.

HK Liepāja began play in the 2014–15 Latvian Hockey League season and immediately assembled a strong side, finishing 2nd in the regular season before losing in the play-offs semi-finals to HK Kurbads. They would pick up a medal however, as they beat HK Zemgale in the bronze medal game.{{cite web|title=Elite Prospects - Team Standings Latvia - 2014-15|url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/league/latvia/standings/2014-2015|publisher=EliteProspects.com|language=english|access-date=February 18, 2021}} The team fared even better in their second season, finishing 1st in the regular season, before going on to claim the Latvian championship by beating HK Kurbads in the play-off final.{{cite web|title=Elite Prospects - Team Standings Latvia - 2015-16|url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/league/latvia/standings/2015-2016|publisher=EliteProspects.com|language=english|access-date=February 18, 2021}} The following season saw Liepāja finish 4th overall, before losing in the play-off semi-finals to HK Mogo. The 2017-18 season saw the team improve in the regular season, finishing 2nd, however, they again losing in the play-off semi-finals to Kurbads, who would ultimately go on to win the league. In the off-season the team parted ways with Head Coach Igors Ļebedevs, who subsequently joined HK Zemgale as an Assistant Coach,{{cite web|title=Kuļibaba turpinās vadīt "Zemgali/LLU", asistēs Ļebedevs|url=http://sportacentrs.com/hokejs/latvijas_cempionats/06082018-kulibaba_turpinas_vadit_zemgali_llu_asist|publisher=sportacentrs.com|language=latvian|date=August 6, 2018|access-date=February 18, 2021}} and replaced him with Maksims Bogdanovs.{{cite web|title=HK Liepāja trenēs Maksims Bogdanovs|url=http://sportacentrs.com/hokejs/latvijas_cempionats/18042018-hk_liepaja_trenes_maksims_bogdanovs|publisher=sportacentrs.com|language=latvian|date=April 18, 2018|access-date=February 18, 2021}} Under their new coach, Liepāja's fortunes worsened, finishing the 2018-19 season in 5th place, causing them to miss out on the play-offs for the first year since their inception.{{cite web|title=HTeam Standings Latvia 2018-19|url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/league/latvia/standings/2018-2019|publisher=EliteProspects.com|language=english|access-date=February 19, 2021}} The 2019-20 season saw the team finish in 4th place before the play-offs were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the off-season, Bogdanovs was replaced with former KHL Head Coach and General Manager Normunds Sējējs.{{cite web|title=Normunds Sējējs pievienojas hokeja klubam "Liepāja"|url=https://sports.tvnet.lv/7084501/normunds-sejejs-pievienojas-hokeja-klubam-liepaja|publisher=TV NET|language=latvian|date=October 12, 2020|access-date=February 19, 2021}}

Due to winning the Latvian league in 2016, the team qualified for the 2016–17 IIHF Continental Cup, where they were drawn in Group B alongside Turkish side Zeytinburnu Belediyespor, CH Jaca of Spain, and British champions Nottingham Panthers. HK Liepāja would comfortably beat both CH Jaca and Zeytinburnu Belediyespor before losing their final game against the Panthers.{{cite web|title=Games - CCB - International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF|url=http://continental-cup2017-groupb.iihf.hockey/en/games/|publisher=IIHF|language=english|access-date=February 18, 2021}} As a result, Liepāja finished 2nd in their group, and did not progress any further in the competition. The Panthers, who finished Group B in 1st place, would ultimately go on to win the Continental Cup.{{cite web|title=Nottingham Panthers win Continental Cup with 4-1 win over Ritten|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/ice-hockey/38632311|publisher=BBC|language=english|date=January 15, 2017|access-date=February 18, 2021}}

In 2020 HK Liepāja took place in the inaugural Baltic Hockey League, a competition made up of two teams from each of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Liepāja represented Latvia alongside compatriots HK Mogo.They went on to win their group, beating both Estonian outfit HC Everest, and Hockey Punks Vilnius of Lithuania.{{cite web|title=Lietuva always h`ockey!|url=http://www.hockey.lt/index.php/baltic-league/baltijos-ledo-ritulio-lyga--d-kasparaicio-grupe/118639|publisher=Lithuanian Ice Hockey Federation|language=english|access-date=February 18, 2021}} As a result they progressed to the final round, due initially to take place in December 2020, however, this was postponed until February 2021 as a result of several HK Mogo players having been exposed to COVID-19.{{cite web |title= COVID-19 virusas jaukia Baltijos lygos planus: nukeliamas finalinio ketverto turnyras|url=http://www.hockey.lt/index.php/naujienos/covid-19-virusas-jaukia-baltijos-lygos-planus-nukeliamas-finalinio-ketverto-turnyras/118957|publisher=Lithuanian Ice Hockey Federation|language=lithuanian|date=December 15, 2020|access-date=February 18, 2021}} In early February the final round was again postponed due to the pandemic, with the date to be announced when the Covid situation improves.{{cite web |title= Baltijos lygos finalinis ketvertas dar kartą nukeliamas |url=http://www.hockey.lt/index.php/naujienos/baltijos-lygos-finalinis-ketvertas-dar-karta-nukeliamas/119405|publisher=Lithuanian Ice Hockey Federation|language=lithuanian|date=February 4, 2021|access-date=February 18, 2021}}

Updated February 17, 2021.{{cite web|title=Komanda - HK Liepāja|url=https://hkliepaja.lv/players/|publisher=HK Liepāja|language=latvian|access-date=February 17, 2021}}

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Latvian Championships:

• 2016

==Team records==

These are the top five scorers in HK Liepāja history.

''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points

Penalty minutes: Dmitrijs Korņilovs, 214

• Most goals in a season: Mark Kaleinikovas, 26 (2019-20)
• Most assists in a season: Bruno Zabis, 37 (2014-15)
• Most points in a season: Bruno Zabis, 58 (2014-15)
• Most penalty minutes in a season: Dmitrijs Korņilovs, 117 (2015–16)

• Most goals in a playoff season: Egils Kalns, 8 (2015–16)
• Most assists in a playoff season: Bruno Zabis, 12 (2015–16)
• Most points in a playoff season: Bruno Zabis, 19 (2015–16)
• Most penalty minutes in a playoff season: Dmitrijs Korņilovs, 46 (2014–15)

• Roberts Bukarts
• Mārtiņš Dzierkals
• Māris Jučers
• Dmitri Pestunov

• Normunds Sējējs

{{Reflist}}

• [https://hkliepaja.lv/ HK Liepāja]
• {{facebook|hkliepajaofficial}}

{{LHL}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:HK Liepāja}}

Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 2014

Category:Latvian Hockey League teams

Category:2014 establishments in Latvia

Category:Sport in Liepāja

Category:Ice hockey teams in Latvia