Eilert Määttä

Eilert Määttä started to play ice hockey with Kiruna AIF, but soon moved to Skellefteå AIK, where he played from 1956-63. From 1963-72, Määttä played with Södertälje SK and finished his playing career in 1972-73 with Åkers IF. Määttä never won a Swedish title, but was a runner-up with Skellefteå at the Swedish Championship in 1958, 1961 and 1963, while winning a bronze in 1960. Between 1956-67, Määttä was capped 110 times with the Swedish national team, scoring 32 goals.

Määttä won an Olympic silver in 1964, was a World Champion in 1957 and 1962 and won silvers at the 1963 and 1967 World Championships and bronze at the 1965 World Championships. After the 1957 World Championships, Määttä returned home as a hero, as he scored the equalizing 4-4 goal, assisted by legendary Sven Tumba, in a final match against Soviet Union in front of 50,000 Soviet fans in Moscow, 12 minutes before the end of the game. Sweden needed only a draw to win a World title, so after Määttä’s goal the whole team defended their goal selflessly to win Sweden’s second World title. Määttää was also European champion in 1957 and 1962, won silvers at the 1963, 1964 and 1967 European Championships and bronze at the 1965 European Championships.

After finishing his playing career, Määttä became a successful ice hockey coach. He was the head coach of the Swedish national junior team, Djurgårdens IF, who he coached to the 1979 Swedish title, Södertälje SK junior and senior teams, SPAIF, Åkers IF and Huddinge IK. Määttä was awarded the Stora Grabbars Märke (Big Boys’ Badge) #57 in ice hockey.