The club was founded in the spring of , and it played its first game against Tampereen Palloilijat the next winter. 일베스는 1920년대 후반에 핀란드 챔피언십 타이틀을 세 차례나 획득했습니다. After World War II, Ilves started playing its home games at the then new Koulukatu ice rink.