Story Summary
HIFK’s season has produced sharply contrasting individual stories. Daniel Mäkiaho has become one of the club’s few bright spots, leading the Liiga scoring race with 18 points, while newly acquired Swedish goaltender Olof Glifford has made an alarming start in Helsinki.
Glifford, a 21-year-old Florida NHL prospect brought in to strengthen HIFK’s goaltending, has posted an 83.1 save percentage and a 4.80 goals-against average across his first two appearances. The early figures have placed the signing under immediate scrutiny as HIFK sit at the bottom of the league table.
Elsewhere, KalPa’s Rasmus Korhonen has been an early success after arriving from HockeyAllsvenskan, while Vaasan Sport‘s mid-season forward additions Oula Palve and Brett Harrison have supplied encouraging returns.
Key Facts
- Daniel Mäkiaho leads the Liiga scoring race with nine goals and nine assists for HIFK.
- HIFK are bottom of the Liiga table despite Mäkiaho’s 18-point start.
- Olof Glifford has played two games for HIFK with an 83.1 save percentage and a 4.80 goals-against average.
- The 21-year-old Glifford joined HIFK as a Florida NHL prospect to strengthen the club’s goaltending.
- KalPa goaltender Rasmus Korhonen has recorded a 93.9 save percentage through five appearances after arriving from HockeyAllsvenskan.
- Oula Palve has two assists in four games for Sport, while Brett Harrison has three goals and one assist in four outings.
- KooKoo’s Eetu Randelin has allowed more than three goals above expected through nine games, the second-worst figure in Liiga behind Sport’s Joni Ortio.
IHM Discussion
Glifford’s opening numbers are difficult for HIFK to absorb, particularly because the club recruited him specifically to reinforce a position that has become a concern. Two games are a very small sample, but an 83.1 save percentage and 4.80 goals-against average leave little room for a favourable first impression.
The contrast with Mäkiaho is pronounced. HIFK’s forward has continued to create and finish chances despite the team’s broader struggles, putting him clear at the head of the points race on nine goals and nine assists. His output has not changed the club’s position at the foot of the table, but it has supplied a tangible individual positive.
The wider league picture also underlines how quickly goaltending can shape a club’s early narrative. Korhonen’s calm start has helped KalPa, whereas Pelicans‘ Patrik Bartosak and Jussi Olkinuora have recently struggled to provide the saves needed when their attack is underperforming. Randelin, one of Liiga’s strongest goaltenders last season, has also endured a notably tougher start.
Why It Matters
HIFK’s problem is not simply that Glifford’s statistics look poor after two matches; it is that the team are already bottom of the table and had identified goaltending as an area requiring reinforcement. Mäkiaho’s scoring provides something to build around, but the club need more stability behind their skaters if they are to turn individual quality into points.
For Sport, the early production from Palve and Harrison offers a more encouraging example of additions making an immediate difference. Palve has brought high-end hockey intelligence, while Harrison’s direct approach has translated into three goals in four games.
Mini Q&A
How has Olof Glifford started at HIFK?
Glifford has recorded an 83.1 save percentage and a 4.80 goals-against average in his first two HIFK appearances.
Who leads Liiga’s scoring race?
HIFK forward Daniel Mäkiaho leads the scoring race with nine goals and nine assists.
Which new Sport players have made an early impact?
Oula Palve has two assists in four games, while Brett Harrison has three goals and one assist in four games.
Coach Mark Comment
Early-season goaltending numbers can move quickly, so Glifford should not be judged as a finished case after two outings. But a goaltender joining to strengthen a struggling side needs to establish basic calm quickly: controlled rebounds, clean handling of routine shots and a steadier foundation for the skaters in front of him. HIFK’s immediate task is to make that environment simpler rather than asking one new player to solve every problem.
IHM Final View
Mäkiaho has supplied elite production in a difficult HIFK start, but Glifford’s arrival has so far intensified rather than eased questions around the club’s goaltending. His two-game record is only an early snapshot, yet HIFK require a far firmer standard in net if their position at the bottom of Liiga is to change.