Henman vs Mäkiaho: Ilves heads to revamped HIFK as points race tightens

A points-race showdown could shake up the Liiga standings when Ilves visits a refreshed HIFK in Helsinki on Wednesday. The match at Nordiks kicks off at 18:30 and will pair league scoring leader Daniel Mäkiaho with Ilves’ Luke Henman in what both clubs are calling a key early-season test.

Ilves arrive on the heels of a productive two-game week against Jukurit that yielded four points. They opened with a 3–0 road win in Mikkeli, with goals from Erik Borg, Luke Henman and Jens Lööke; Borg finished the night with 1+1. That was followed by a 2–1 shootout loss at home in Tampere, where Henman scored Ilves’ regulation goal.

HIFK overhauled its coaching staff after dismissing Olli Jokinen. Former Ilves centre Tommi Miettinen was hired as head coach, and he is joined by assistants Ville Viitaluoma and goalie coach Jan Lundell. One more coach is expected to join later.

The Miettinen era started strongly. A 3–0 away win over Kiekko-Espoo, with Hugo Alnefelt recording a 29-save shutout, was followed by a 6–3 victory in Hämeenlinna, with Mäkiaho among the scorers.

The matchup is essentially a duel between the league’s top scorers. Mäkiaho leads with 11+14=25 and Henman is second with 10+11=21. Ilves sit third in the table with 32 points from 17 games; HIFK are 13th with 21 points from 16 games.

Broadcast coverage: Ilves+ pregame from 17:30, MTV Urheilu live at 18:15.