Kim Hirschovits

Kim Hirschovits
Hirschovits with the Espoo Blues in 2013
Born (1982-05-09) 9 May 1982 (age 42)
Helsinki, Finland
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for
Coached for Kiekko-Espoo
National team  Finland
NHL draft 194th overall, 2002
New York Rangers
Playing career 2001–2019
Coaching career 2019–present

Kim Michael Hirschovits-Gerz (born 9 May 1982) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey forward and current sports manager of Kiekko-Espoo in the Mestis.[1] During his playing career, he skated in the Finnish Liiga (called SM-liiga until 2013) with HIFK, Jokerit, the Espoo Blues, and Oulun Kärpät; in the Swedish Elitserien with Timrå IK and Luleå HF; and in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and Dinamo Minsk. Hirschovits was drafted by the New York Rangers as their sixth-round pick, 194th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Following his retirement in 2019, Hirschovits stepped into role as sports manager Kiekko-Espoo. He also served as the team's head coach during the 2019–20 season and 2021–22 season.[2]

Playing career

Hirschovits started his professional playing career with HIFK in the 2000–01 SM-liiga season, but his career took off in the 2005–06 season, when he scored 40 points. Hirschovits then created controversy by signing with HIFK's local rival Jokerit, following in the footsteps of coach Doug Shedden. Hirschovits's career included a brief visit to North America in 2002, when he played six games with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

In September 2006, he was the SM-liiga Player of the Month. In the 2008–09 season he led the SM-liiga in assists (48) and points (Veli-Pekka Ketola Trophy; 66) and was the January 2009 SM-liiga Player of the Month. In the 2014–15 season, he was named the Liiga Best Player of the regular season (Lasse Oksanen Trophy), won the Liiga Golden Helmet, led the Liiga in assists (45) and points (Veli-Pekka Ketola Trophy; 58), and was the February 2015 Liiga Player of the Month.[3]

International play

Hirschovits made his international debut on Team Finland on the Euro Hockey Tour's Moscow tournament in December 2006.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1998–99 HIFK FIN U18 31 19 11 30 22 3 2 0 2 2
1999–00 HIFK FIN U18 6 6 3 9 6 3 0 5 5 2
1999–00 HIFK Jr. A 40 10 10 20 45 3 0 1 1 0
2000–01 HIFK Jr. A 35 24 20 44 41 9 6 6 12 6
2000–01 HIFK SM-l 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2001–02 HIFK Jr. A 5 4 7 11 8 4 3 6 9 0
2001–02 HIFK SM-l 45 6 10 16 24 — — — — —
2001–02 KJT Mestis 3 1 2 3 6 — — — — —
2001–02 Chicago Steel USHL 6 2 2 4 6 — — — — —
2002–03 HIFK SM-l 55 4 11 15 26 4 0 0 0 0
2003–04 HIFK SM-l 56 7 12 19 56 13 1 3 4 8
2004–05 HIFK SM-l 55 8 13 21 61 5 0 1 1 16
2005–06 HIFK SM-l 53 14 26 40 69 12 4 1 5 16
2006–07 Jokerit SM-l 54 19 40 59 62 10 2 3 5 14
2007–08 Jokerit SM-l 54 17 24 41 99 7 0 2 2 10
2008–09 HIFK SM-l 58 18 48 66 54 2 0 0 0 12
2009–10 HIFK SM-l 54 18 26 44 62 6 3 6 9 10
2010–11 Timrå IK SEL 52 12 21 33 52 — — — — —
2011–12 HIFK SM-l 30 3 4 7 30 — — — — —
2011–12 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod KHL 12 2 3 5 4 12 2 3 5 6
2012–13 Luleå HF SEL 39 7 9 16 28 — — — — —
2012–13 Dinamo Minsk KHL 3 0 3 3 2 — — — — —
2013–14 Blues Liiga 60 9 22 31 62 7 0 0 0 2
2014–15 Blues Liiga 59 13 45 58 46 4 0 2 2 4
2015–16 Blues Liiga 25 3 10 13 18 — — — — —
2015–16 Kärpät Liiga 29 2 11 13 22 7 0 0 0 2
2016–17 Espoo United Mestis 3 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2017–18 Espoo United Mestis 29 2 19 21 28 — — — — —
2018–19 Kiekko–Espoo FIN.3 11 3 5 8 6 3 0 0 0 4
SM-l/Liiga totals 689 141 302 443 691 77 10 18 28 94

International

Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2002 Finland WJC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 7 0 1 1 6
Junior totals 7 0 1 1 6

Records

  • Recorded six assists in an SM-liiga game (January 9, 2007), a Jokerit club record. The league record, seven assists, dates back to 1982 and is held by Matti Forss.

See also

References

  1. ^ Långkvist, Carl-Magnus; Oivo, Mikael (18 June 2018). "Lejonstjärnor delägare i nya Kiekko-Espoo – sportchefen Hirschovits fortsätter karriären". Yle (in Swedish). Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Kim Hirschovitsilta painokelvoton avautuminen voittopelin jälkeen – katso raju tunnereaktio". MTV Uutiset (in Finnish). 4 April 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Player profile: Kim Hirschovits". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 9 September 2022.


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