2003–04 Eliteserien season

2003–04 Eliteserien season
2003–04 Eliteserien season
League	Eliteserien
Sport	Ice hockey
Number of teams	10
Regular-season winner	Storhamar Dragons
Champions	Storhamar Dragons
GET-ligaen seasons
	← 2002–03 season 2004–05 season →

The 2003–04 Eliteserien season ended with Storhamar Dragons claiming their fifth Norwegian title after defeating Vålerenga in double overtime in game 7. Michael Smithurst scored the game winner nearly two minutes into the second extra period in front of 7,405 spectators.^[1]

Regular season

Final standings

Rk	Team	Pts	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF–GA
1	Storhamar Dragons	94	29	2	3	8	151–87
2	Vålerenga	92	28	3	2	9	183–89
3	Trondheim Black Panthers	83	25	3	2	12	160–100
4	Frisk Tigers	74	20	5	4	13	152–118
5	Sparta Warriors	64	19	2	3	18	124–126
6	Stavanger Oilers	63	19	1	4	18	163–152
7	Stjernen	62	16	6	2	19	152–137
8	Bergen Flyers	43	11	3	4	24	105–173
9	Lillehammer	42	12	2	2	26	101–154
10	Manglerud Star	13	4	0	1	37	80–235

Statistics

Scoring leaders

The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the regular season.^[2]

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	+/–	PIM
Jari Kesti	Stavanger Oilers	40	26	37	63	+31	40
Tommy Kiviaho	Frisk Tigers	41	27	27	54	+23	20
Ilya Dubkov	Trondheim Black Panthers	42	32	21	53	+29	70
Tomi Suoniemi	Stavanger Oilers	40	20	25	45	+17	20
Teemu Kohvakka	Stavanger Oilers	41	18	27	45	+5	80
Tom Erik Olsen	Storhamar Dragons	40	28	16	44	+32	18
Patric Englund	Vålerenga	40	21	23	44	+23	20
Lars Erik Spets	Lillehammer	40	28	15	43	−10	12
Morten Bakkene	Stavanger Oilers	41	23	20	43	+19	18
Jan Morten Dahl	Trondheim Black Panthers	40	10	31	41	+20	147

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus–minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Leading goaltenders

The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the conclusion of the regular season.^[3]

Player	Team	GP	TOI	W	L	GA	SO	Sv%	GAA
Jonas Bertil Norgren	Storhamar Dragons	22	1,285:41	–	–	34	6	92.34	1.59
Tommy Lund	Vålerenga	29	1,736:29	–	–	61	5	91.13	2.11
Henrik Smångs	Sparta Warriors	29	1,807:55	–	–	84	1	90.75	2.79
Halvor Hårstad-Evjen	Frisk Tigers	28	1,568:52	–	–	61	2	90.72	2.33
Rolf Joakim Wiberg	Trondheim Black Panthers	41	2,428:22	–	–	89	5	90.65	2.20

GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; Sv% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Playoffs

After the regular season, the new standard of eight teams qualified for the playoffs. In the first round, the two highest remaining seeds were drawn against the two lowest remaining seeds; in the second round, the highest remaining seed was drawn against one of the two lowest. In each round the higher-seeded team was awarded home ice advantage, giving them a possible maximum of three home games as opposed to the lower-seeded team's possible maximum of two. Each best-of-five series followed a 1–2–1–1 format: the higher-seeded team played at home for games 2 and 3 (plus 5 if necessary), and the lower-seeded team at home for games 1 and 4 (if necessary).^[4]

The final was contested between the Storhamar Dragons and Vålerenga for the second consecutive year. In 2003, the championship had been decided in four straight games when Vålerenga won 4–0 to claim their 22nd title and 18th "double". As in the previous season, the 2004 final was played as a best-of-seven series following a 1–1–1–2–1–1 format. Storhamar, as league champions, were seeded first and played at home for games 2, 4, 5 and 7.^[4] They took the lead after winning the first game 2–1 in overtime, but failed to capitalize, losing their first home game 0–4. The third and fourth games were both won by the home side. Game 5 saw Vålerenga achieve an away win in overtime to lead the series 3–2, but Storhamar came back to claim another overtime victory in Oslo and force a seventh, championship deciding game at Hamar OL-Amfi. A record 7,405 spectators turned out for the first game 7 in the history of the Norwegian Championship, in which Storhamar's Michael Smithurst scored the winning goal after 21 minutes and 54 seconds of overtime.^[5]^[6]

Bracket

Quarter-finals			Semi-finals			Finals

1	Storhamar Dragons	3

8	Bergen Flyers	0
			1	Storhamar Dragons	3

			6	Stavanger Oilers	0
2	Vålerenga	3

7	Stjernen	1
						1	Storhamar Dragons	4
(Pairings are reseeded after the first round)
						2	Vålerenga	3
3	Trondheim Black Panthers	1

6	Stavanger Oilers	3
			2	Vålerenga	3

			4	Sparta Bears	1
4	Sparta Bears	3

5	Frisk Tigers	2

Source: hockey.no

Norwegian Champions 2004
Storhamar Dragons 5th title

Qualifying for UPC-ligaen 2004–05

Final standings

	Team	GP	W	OTW	SOW	OTL	SOL	L	GF	GA	Pts
1	Lillehammer (Q)	6	4	0	0	1	0	1	22	14	13
2	Comet (Q)	6	2	2	1	0	0	1	24	15	12
3	Manglerud Star	6	3	0	1	1	1	4	26	19	11
4	Hasle/Løren	6	0	0	0	0	0	6	15	39	0

GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTW = Overtime Wins; OTL = Overtime losses; SOW = Shootout Wins; SOL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; Q = Qualified
Source: speaker.no

Game log

Qualifying for UPC-ligaen 2004–05 Game Log

Rounds 1–6

Round 1

26 February 2004
18:30 CET

Hasle/Løren

4 – 7
(1–2, 1–2, 2–3)

Manglerud Star

Løren Ishall, Oslo
Attendance: 253


			Referee: Lars Olav Gaden

10 min	Penalties	10 min
31	Shots	30

26 February 2004
18:30 CET

Lillehammer

3 – 4 (OT)
(1–1, 0–1, 2–1, 0–1)

Comet

Kristins Hall, Lillehammer
Attendance: 1,101


			Referee: Owe Lüthcke

83 min	Penalties	18 min
21	Shots	27

Round 2

29 February 2004
17:00 CET

Comet

4 – 3 (SO)
(1–0, 0–3, 2–0, 1–0, 2/5–1/5)

Manglerud Star

Halden Ishall, Halden
Attendance: 833


			Referee: Yngvar Skau Jensen

4 min	Penalties	2 min
25	Shots	27

29 February 2004
17:00 CET

Hasle/Løren

2 – 4
(1–2, 0–2, 1–0)

Lillehammer

Løren Ishall, Oslo
Attendance: 223


			Referee: Kjetil Bøe

44 min	Penalties	20 min
26	Shots	26

Round 3

4 March 2004
18:30 CET

Comet

7 – 2
(3–1, 2–0, 2–1)

Hasle/Løren

Halden Ishall, Halden
Attendance: 750


			Referee: Egil Andre Borge

12 min	Penalties	14 min
34	Shots	27

4 March 2004
18:30 CET

Manglerud Star

1 – 3
(0–1, 1–0, 0–2)

Lillehammer

Manglerudhallen, Oslo
Attendance: 382


			Referee: Pål Idar Sørensen

8 min	Penalties	6 min
23	Shots	25

Round 4

7 March 2004
17:00 CET

Comet

0 – 2
(0–0, 0–1, 0–1)

Lillehammer

Halden Ishall, Halden
Attendance: 1,050


			Referee: Hans Petter Berg

12 min	Penalties	16 min
29	Shots	20

7 March 2004
17:00 CET

Manglerud Star

8 – 2
(2–0, 4–2, 2–0)

Hasle/Løren

Manglerudhallen, Oslo
Attendance: 322


			Referee: Per Gustav Solem

10 min	Penalties	14 min
37	Shots	25

Round 5

11 March 2004
18:30 CET

Lillehammer

7 – 2
(2–1, 4–0, 1–1)

Hasle/Løren

Kristins Hall, Lillehammer
Attendance: 850


			Referee: Tommy Søstumoen

2 min	Penalties	4 min
42	Shots	25

11 March 2004
18:30 CET

Manglerud Star

2 – 3 (OT)
(1–1, 1–1, 0–0, 0–1)

Comet

Manglerudhallen, Oslo
Attendance: 720


			Referee: Yngvar Skau Jensen

8 min	Penalties	8 min
35	Shots	41

Round 6

14 March 2004
17:00 CET

Hasle/Løren

3 – 6
(1–1, 2–1, 0–4)

Comet

Løren Ishall, Oslo
Attendance: 500


			Referee: Owe Lüthcke

10 min	Penalties	12 min
22	Shots	40

14 March 2004
17:00 CET

Lillehammer

3 – 5
(2–1, 0–3, 1–1)

Manglerud Star

Kristins Hall, Lillehammer
Attendance: 1,280


			Referee: Svein-Erik Edvartsen

8 min	Penalties	4 min
19	Shots	25

References

^ http://www.dragons.no/statistikk/content.asp?menuItem=11&docID=12480&elmID=9145 Archived 2007-09-05 at the Wayback Machine Boxscore Game 7 03–04 Finals
^ "Scoring Leaders - Eliteserien 03/04". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
^ "Leading Goaltenders - Eliteserien 03/04". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
^ ^a ^b "Sluttspill om Norgesmesterskapet menn 2003/2004". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association (in Norwegian). 2004-03-28. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
^ "Smithurst fikset festen". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 2004-03-28. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
^ "Boxscore Game 7: Storhamar – Vålerenga". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2010-03-23.

External links

Official website (in Norwegian)

[1] ttp://www.dragons.no/statistikk/content.asp?menuItem=11&docID=12480&elmID=9145 Archived 2007-09-05 at the Wayback Machine Boxscore Game 7 03–04 Finals

[2] "Scoring Leaders - Eliteserien 03/04". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2011-02-20.

[3] "Leading Goaltenders - Eliteserien 03/04". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2011-02-20.

[NM-4] "Sluttspill om Norgesmesterskapet menn 2003/2004". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association (in Norwegian). 2004-03-28. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2010-03-23.

[5] "Smithurst fikset festen". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 2004-03-28. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2010-03-23.

[6] "Boxscore Game 7: Storhamar – Vålerenga". Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2010-03-23.

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