History

1920s

Sortavalan Palloseura (SPS) was established in 1929. The club was founded in Sortavala, Karelia, which was then a part of Finland. The club's main sports were football, Finnish baseball and bandy.

1930s

Sortavalan Palloseura was divided into two clubs: Sortavalan Palloseura (SPS) and Sortavan Pallo (SP). The sports played remained the same.

1940s

Sortavalan Palloseura moved to the Savo region of Finland in 1945 because of the war. In 1946, the club changed its name to Kalevan Pallo (KalPa).

Kalevan Pallo played its first ice hockey game in Kuopio in 1947. The game was played on the rink of the local Yhteiskoulu School.

1950s

In 1956 KuPS (Kuopion Palloseura) gave up its ice hockey operations, opening the door for KalPa to specialize in ice hockey. KalPa got KuPS' license to play in Finland's second division, and a year later the club was promoted to Finland's top divison. KalPa's debut in the top flight was a success, and it narrowly missed out on the bronze medal. Its second season ended more bitterly, however, and KalPa was relegated.

1960s

In 1961 KalPa was promoted again to the highest division, but was relegated the following year and the club stayed there for the next five seasons. In 1967 the club was relegated to an even lower level, but it won promotion in 1969 back to the second division.

1970s

The new decade started with a drop to the third division, and it was not until 1975 when KalPa moved back to the second division.

The decade's two biggest achievements happened off the ice: in 1974 an artificial ice rink was built in Kuopio, and in 1979 the new ice hockey hall was built. The hall was named Niiralan Monttu by the citizens of Kuopio almost immediately after the opening ceremony.

1980s

The first decade in the new hall started in the third division. In 1982 KalPa moved up to the second division. KalPa's fourth crack at the second division proved successful, and KalPa won promotion to the SM-league, the top flight of Finnish hockey.

KalPa secured its license in its first season in the SM-league, and capped 50 years of history by making the SM-league playoffs for the first time in 1989.

1990s

In 1990 KalPa beat Helsinki's storied club HIFK in a sensational quarterfinal SM-league playoff series and made it to the bronze medal match, where Tampere's Tappara took the honours.

A year later the club was even better, bringing the SM-league finals to the heart of Savo for the first time. After many dramatic turns, TPS Turku beat KalPa and won the championship in a memorable series.

In 1995 KalPa reached the SM-league playoffs once again. The club spent the last three seasons of the decade playing in the qualification rounds, however, and eventually found itself relegated to the second division.

In the summer of 1999 KalPa was preparing for the next season but fell into bankruptcy, meaning a drop to an even lower division.

2000s

The decade started exactly at the same level as two decades ago: KalPa played in the third division. But in its second year in the third division, KalPa got its act together and fought its way back to the second division.

From 2001-2005 KalPa proved itself too strong to be held back in the second division. In 2002 the team won the bronze medal, and then it won gold in 2004 and 2005. By virtue of winning the league in 2005, KalPa earned its way back to the SM-league, ending a six-year exile in the lower divisions.

KalPa's second coming in the SM-league started in 2005, and for the first two seasons the club struggled, finishing in last place. Thanks to hard work and planning the club finished one spot higher in the 2007-2008 season. KalPa's A-juniors made history the same year, winning the club's first-ever junior championship and giving supporters a glimpse of some of the exciting talent in the system.

The season 2008-2009 was a time when big investments were made in KalPa's future. KalPa signed experienced and talented players for the season's roster. The organization's financial investments were the biggest in the club's history. The only goal for the season was to bring play-off hockey back to Kuopio, and after many years of struggling KalPa gained bronze medal. All in all the season was a great success.

In the season 2009-2010 many clubs reduced their budget, but KalPa was the only team in the league who increased it. The KalPa team was tough and the players succeeded well in play, which is based on holding the puck a lot. The aim was to get to the playoffs again and with the help of the new acquisitions the task was possible. After playoffs KalPa was playing in the bronze game another year in a row. This time the result was fourth place in the league.

2010s

In the season 2010-2011 KalPa played great and skillful ice-hockey and reached at the end the sixt place again. The team got new good players and became stronger during the season. Getting in the medal games was close but KalPa lost in seven games against Lukko Rauma in the quarter finals.

The last season 2011–2012 KalPa started and played very well the autumn period. KalPa had got a new young head-coach Tuomas Tuokkola and a few players of the top level. The team played scareless but then during the winter many of the most important players got injured. KalPa kept fighting and reached the first place in the regular season, the first time in its history. The playoffs still ended in the huge disappointment again in the quarter finals. KalPa had won three first games and leaded 3-0 against Blues Espoo, but then lost all four next games and dropped out from the medal games.

The season 2012-2013 offered memorable experiences with all of its turning points. Change of the head coach only a few weeks before the regular season was just a beginning. Fans here in Savo were able to see NHL stars, because of the NHL lockout and in addition the great performance of our own young newcomers promised a lot for the future seasons. KalPa played well until springtime, but long losing streak in away games at the end of the regular season and too short visit in the playoffs were in the way of success.

The season 2013-2014 was very rough for KalPa and the team was ranked last in the regular season of Liiga so there were no playoffs for KalPa. However, the team will change a lot for the season 2014-2015 and the new basis of the more successful future is built on new coach Pekka Virta and a new team. KalPa team has young talents such as Kasperi Kapanen, Saku Kinnunen and Joonas Lyytinen and many new experienced players like Eero Kilpeläinen, Mikko Jokela and Sami Mutanen. KalPa will participate also in Champions Hockey League, CHL in season 2014-2015.

The season 2014-2015 started with changes. KalPa's most succesful head coach Pekka Virta came back to Kuopio. New players came such as Sami Mutanen and Janne Keränen. KalPa attended Champions Hockey League which was arranged for the first time. In SM-league KalPa surprised everyone and was sixth. In playoffs KalPa played really good but Lukko got to semifinals. KalPa made one of the most magnificent comeback in SM-league. Andy Chiodo made history, he was the first foreign goaltender in KalPa's history.