In yesterday’s final, they clinched the championship title by defeating countrymen Färjestad BK in Bratislava.
Joonas Vihko was the big hero for Luleå, he scored both goals in the 2-0-win. He opened the scoring after 11 minutes with a powerplay goal. The scoreline stayed there until late in the third period, when Vihko with 7 minutes left stole the puck from the Färjestad goalie and scored the decisive goal. In Luleå’s net, David Rautio got the nod even though Johan Gustafsson recorded a shutout in the semifinal win against Vienna Capitals. Rautio played great in goal and pulled off a shutout against Färjestad.
Deserving champions
This is the second year which Luleå participated in the tournament. They made the Red Bulls Salute already in their first appearance, where they finished in 3rd place last year. This year they have been outstanding from start to finish, setting a tournament record with 7 wins in a row in the Division round and then going all the way in Red Bulls Salute, where they kept their opponents from scoring in both the semifinal and the final – impressive! Congratulations to Luleå Hockey!
Photo gallery from the final and the celebration
