Floorball: Westend Indians, Esport Oilers, Tikkurilan Tiikerit and Eräviikingit

Floorball is like indoor ice hockey without the ice, so it is no wonder that the sport is popular in the same countries that dominate ice hockey. The most successful national floorball teams come from the Nordic countries and Central Europe. The Finnish men’s national team won the World Championships in 2008, 2010, 2016 and 2018, each time beating its historic rival Sweden. The women’s national team has racked up an impressive twelve World Championship medals, including two golds. In addition to the national teams, you can also watch league matches in and around Helsinki. Espoo is represented in the Finnish Floorball League by the Westend Indians and Esport Oilers, while Vantaa is represented by Tikkurilan Tiikerit and both the men’s and women’s Eräviikingit teams.

Handball: HIFK, Dicken and Atlas Vantaa

Finland’s handball leagues are often described as the most exciting in the country, and it is no wonder considering how fast-paced the games are. The Finnish Handball Championships have been contested since 1944. These days, Helsinki has two teams playing in the men’s league: HIFK has won ten Finnish Championships and plays its home games at the Helsinki Urheilutalo Sports Hall in the heart of Kallio, while Dicken has won the Finnish Championships once and plays its home games at the Pirkkola Sports Arena. Three local teams also play in the women’s league: HIFK, Dicken and Atlas Vantaa, which plays its home games in Myyrmäki.

Bandy: HIFK and Botnia

Finland is one of the world’s top bandy countries – but unfortunately Sweden and Russia are even better. The Finnish national team has been left in their shadows and taken the lowest step on the podium no less than 23 times at the World Championships, although it did actually win in 2004. Helsinki has two teams in the Finnish Bandy League: Botnia and HIFK. Botnia plays at the open-air ice rink in Oulunkylä and dominated the sport in the 1980s and 1990s, when it won medals on a regular basis. HIFK plays at the Brahe Sports Field in Kallio and is the most successful Finnish team in the history of the sport, having won the Finnish Championships 17 times. Bandy is an outdoor sport, so the weather plays a role in how the matches are played and how they are attended too. The women’s league has only four teams at the moment, and Helsinki is represented by HIFK.

Top winter spectator sports in Helsinki