Although the hockey club has existed for over 50 years, it has been in the 21st century that Lorenskog IK has become a force to be reckoned with in Norwegian hockey. They haven't won a national title yet, but have been to the finals twice in the last five seasons.

by Kristian J. Eng

Lørenskog's road to the CHL has been a roller-coaster ride. Through their 53 years of existence they have seen it all on their way to becoming a top Norwegian club in the modern era. 

The hockey club started its journey in 1963, having built an outdoor rink to start off. They did make good impact in their early years, soon settling at the second-highest level of Norwegian hockey. Lørenskog's close proximity to Oslo was helpful as far as recruiting players and finding indoor arenas to play their home games in.

In 1974 they were promoted to the top league for the first time in their history, but went straight back down. They came back in 1979 and clung on for two seasons before they were relegated again, and a period of decline set in. The need of an indoor rink of their own was clearly evident. In 1988 their dream came true when Lørenskog Ishall was built. This was a venue which not only covered their immediate needs, but had enough space for them to grow in and possibly to host top-division games. Indeed, one game in the World Championship B pool in 1989 was held there, and Norwegian champions Furuset rented it for the 1990–91 season.

For Lørenskog, it also meant a new lease of life and once again the club established itself as a force in the second tier. In 1996 they stepped back up among the elite and made the playoffs in their first attempt. Throughout the late '90s and early 2000s they lived in limbo. They were too good for the second tier and not good enough for the top, hence they went up and down every other year. After having gone through some difficult times economically, in 2003 they went down and stayed for a few years. 

Five years later a new dawn appeared for the team in red and blue. A local businessman started investing money in the club. They went straight up and started a heady climb towards the top. The new-found riches were helpful in recruiting top talent from Norway, as well as strong international reinforcements. In 2012 they reached the national finals, where they lost out to the Stavanger Oilers 4 games to 2. 

They continued as a strong contender in the league, but struggled to adapt to their meteoric rise off ice and got into a bit of trouble on a few occasions because of it, including a 30-point deduction for failing to apply for a license in 2013. However, they learned from their mistakes and soon enough had their house in order – not only as an elite club, but also as a force to be reckoned with at youth level. The 2015–16 season was their best to date where they contended for the regular season and playoff crowns right to the very end. They finished narrowly behind the Oilers in the regular season and then bowed out in six games to the same opponent in the league finals.  

At the same time they awoke the somewhat sleeping passion for hockey in their area. For the semi-finals against Vålerenga Oslo and the finals, the arena was packed from an hour before faceoff and long queues of spectators had to be turned away at the gates. 

To the next level

The Lørenskog team entering the CHL this autumn are looking to take it to the next level and land their first piece of silverware. A few changes have been made to the squad, which has a good blend of young, talented players and established pros. The most famous name is surely ex-NHLer Jason Krog, who signed in the off-season. Canadian goal-scorer James Sixsmith and Norwegian internationals Robin Dahlstrøm, Mats Trygg, Stefan Espeland and Steffen Thoresen are other players that should be noted. 

Team facts

CHL seasons:

The team is making its debut this season

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