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Auroraliiga

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For the women's association football league previously called Naisten Liiga, see Kansallinen Liiga.

Auroraliiga
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024–25 Auroraliiga season
Formerly
  • Naisten Liiga
  • 2017–2024
  • Naisten SM-sarja
  • 1982–2017
SportIce hockey
Founded1982 (1982)
First season
DirectorHenni Laaksonen[1]
Organising bodyFinnish Ice Hockey Association
No. of teams9
Country Finland
Most recent
champion(s)		IFK Helsinki
(2023–24)
Most titlesKiekko-Espoo (16)
Streaming partner(s)
Relegation toNaisten Mestis
International cup(s)European Women's Champions Cup
Official websiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

The Auroraliiga is the national premier league for women's ice hockey in Finland. Founded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association as the Naisten SM-sarja (NSMs; lit. 'Women's Finnish Championship series') in 1982, it was known as the Naisten Liiga (NSML;lit. 'Women's League') from 2017[2][3] until being rebranded as Auroraliiga in 2024. The league comprises approximately 225 players across nine teams.

Kiekko-Espoo has been the dominating force of the Auroraliiga in the 21st century, winning sixteen Finnish Championships from 1999 to 2022.[4] Tampereen Ilves is the second most successful club in league history, with ten championship titles. Ilves are the only organization to have iced a team in every season since the league's inception.

A majority of teams in Auroraliiga share their names with men's professional teams in the Liiga or Mestis – HIFK, HPK, Ilves, KalPa, Kiekko-Espoo, Kärpät, Lukko, RoKi, TPS – but the women's teams have historically received few resources and limited promotion from the affiliated men's clubs.[5] In recent years progress has been made in building better relationships between the men's and women's teams; most men's clubs now provide some support to their women's counterparts by advertising games together or helping secure sponsorships.[6][7]

Format

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Season format

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The Finnish Ice Hockey Association has altered the season format of the Auroraliiga several times over the league's history. The system currently in use was introduced for the 2022–23 season.[8] It added six games per team to the regular season schedule and matched the season structure of the league's closest neighbor, the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL). The new format replaced the previous twenty-game preliminary series and ten-game divisional series structure, which was first introduced in the 2018–19 season and refined prior to the 2019–20 season.[9]

Regular season

The regular season is a quadruple round-robin tournament, in which each team plays every other team four times – typically, each team plays every other team twice at home and twice away – resulting in a 36-game season per team. Teams are ranked by points, with three points awarded for a win in regulation time, two points for an overtime win, one point for an overtime loss, and no points awarded for a regulation loss. Individual player statistics from the regular season determine the winner of the Marianne Ihalainen Award for most points, the Tiia Reima Award for most goals scored, and the Sari Fisk Award for best plus–minus.

The top eight teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the Auroraliiga playoffs.

Playoffs

The three rounds of the Auroraliiga playoffs (Finnish: Auroraliiga pudotuspelit) are played as best-of series, with the exception of the single-elimination game for the Finnish Championship bronze medal. In the best-of-five quarterfinals, teams are paired by seeding from the regular season, with the first seed facing the eighth seed, the second seed facing the seventh seed, and so on. The semifinals and finals are best-of-seven series.

The champions of the Auroraliiga playoffs receive the Aurora Borealis Cup as league champions and gold medals as Finnish Champions in women's ice hockey. Selected by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, the MVP of the playoffs is awarded the Karoliina Rantamäki Trophy.

Qualification

The team finishing the season in ninth place plays a promotion/relegation series (Finnish: karsintasarja, lit. 'qualifying series') against the top team of the Naisten Mestis regular season.[8] The winner of the series qualifies for the following Auroraliiga season and the loser is relegated to (or remains in) the Naisten Mestis for the following season.

Game format

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Further information: Ice hockey

A regulation game is sixty minutes in length, played over three 20-minute periods. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time the winner is decided by a five-minute-length, three-skaters-per-side overtime period.

If the game remains tied after the overtime period, the teams proceed to a shootout, in which each team designates three skaters to take penalty shots, one at a time, against the opposing goaltender. Teams alternate shots and each team takes one shot per round. The winner is the team with more goals after three rounds or the team that amasses an unreachable advantage before the third round. If the shootout is tied after three rounds, tie-breaker rounds are played one at a time until there is a winner.

Teams

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2024–25 season

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class=notpageimage|
Location of teams in the Auroraliiga
Team Location Home venue Head coach Captain
HIFK  Helsinki Pirkkolan jäähalli Saara Niemi Athéna Locatelli
HPK Hämeenlinna Jääliikuntakeskus Hakio Jari Risku Heta Seikkula
Ilves Tampere Tesoman jäähalli Marjo Voutilainen Jenna Lehtiniemi
KalPa Kuopio Niiralan Monttu Artturi Rouhiainen Johanna Juutilainen
Kiekko-Espoo Espoo Tapiolan harjoitusareena Sami Haapanen Reetta Valkjärvi
Kärpät Oulu Raksilan jäähalli Teemu Koivula Aino Kaijankoski
RoKi Rovaniemi Lappi Areena Oona Parviainen Viivi Iso-Kouvola
Team Kuortane Kuortane Kuortaneen jäähalli Juuso Nieminen Kerttu Lehmus
TPS Turku Kupittaan jäähalli Terhi Mertanen Pihla Hämeenniemi

Past participants

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Sources: [10][11]

Champions

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All-time medal count

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  – team is participating in the 2024–25 Auroraliiga season

Team 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Kiekko-Espoo[a] 16 4 8
Ilves Tampere 10 12 6
Kärpät Oulu 3 7 8
Shakers Kerava 3 4 1
JYP Jyväskylä[b] 3 4 0
IFK Helsingfors (HIFK) 2 1 3
Helsingin Jääkiekkoklubi (HJK) 2 1 1
Etelä-Vantaan Urheilijat (EVU) 1 5 1
Hämeenlinnan Pallokerho (HPK) 1 1 4
Kalevan Pallo (KalPa) 0 1 4
Itä-Helsingin Kiekko (IHK) 0 1 1
Saimaan Pallo (SaiPa) 0 0 1
Team Kuortane 0 0 1
Sport Vaasa 0 0 1

Notes:

  1. ^ Includes record of Espoo Blues, Espoo United, and Espoon Kiekkoseura (EKS)
  2. ^ Includes record of JyP HT

Sources:[12][13][14]


Finnish Champions by season

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Naisten Liiga logo, 2017–2020
Naisten Liiga logo, 2020–2024
Season Gold Champion Silver Runner-up Bronze Third Place
Naisten SM-sarja
1982–83 HJK Helsinki Ilves Tampere EVU Vantaa
1983–84 HJK Helsinki EVU Vantaa Ilves Tampere
1984–85 Ilves Tampere EVU Vantaa HJK Helsinki
1985–86 Ilves Tampere HJK Helsinki Vaasan Sport
1986–87 Ilves Tampere EVU Vantaa Shakers Kerava
1987–88 Ilves Tampere EVU Vantaa HIFK Helsinki
1988–89 EVU Vantaa Ilves Tampere HIFK Helsinki
1989–90 Ilves Tampere EVU Vantaa SaiPa Lappeenranta
1990–91 Ilves Tampere Shakers Kerava EKS Espoo†
1991–92 Ilves Tampere Shakers Kerava EKS Espoo†
1992–93 Ilves Tampere Shakers Kerava Kiekko-Espoo
1993–94 Shakers Kerava Ilves Tampere Kiekko-Espoo
1994–95 Shakers Kerava Ilves Tampere KalPa Kuopio
1995–96 Shakers Kerava Oulun Kärpät KalPa Kuopio
1996–97 JyP HT Jyväskylä‡ Shakers Kerava Kiekko-Espoo
1997–98 JYP Jyväskylä Kärpät Oulu Kiekko-Espoo
1998–99 Espoo Blues† JYP Jyväskylä Ilves Tampere
1999-2000 Espoo Blues† Kärpät Oulu Ilves Tampere
2000–01 Espoo Blues† Kärpät Oulu Ilves Tampere
2001–02 Espoo Blues† IHK Helsinki Kärpät Oulu
2002–03 Espoo Blues† Kärpät Oulu Ilves Tampere
2003–04 Espoo Blues† Ilves Tampere Kärpät Oulu
2004–05 Espoo Blues† Ilves Tampere Kärpät Oulu
2005–06 Ilves Tampere Kärpät Oulu Espoo Blues†
2006–07 Espoo Blues† Kärpät Oulu IHK Helsinki
2007–08 Espoo Blues† Ilves Tampere Oulun Kärpät
2008–09 Espoo Blues† Ilves Tampere HPK Hämeenlinna
2009–10 Ilves Tampere Espoo Blues† HPK Hämeenlinna
2010–11 HPK Hämeenlinna Ilves Tampere Kärpät Oulu
2011–12 Kärpät Oulu Ilves Tampere HPK Hämeenlinna
2012–13 Espoo Blues† JYP Jyväskylä Kärpät Oulu
2013–14 Espoo Blues† JYP Jyväskylä HPK Hämeenlinna
2014–15 Espoo Blues† JYP Jyväskylä Ilves Tampere
2015–16 JYP Jyväskylä HPK Hämeenlinna Espoo Blues†
2016–17 Kärpät Oulu Espoo United† KalPa Kuopio
Naisten Liiga
2017–18 Kärpät Oulu Ilves Tampere Team Kuortane
2018–19 Espoo Blues† Ilves Tampere Kärpät Oulu
2019–20 Post-season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.[a]
2020–21 Kiekko-Espoo KalPa Kuopio HIFK Helsinki
2021–22 Kiekko-Espoo HIFK Helsinki Kärpät Oulu
2022–23 HIFK Helsinki Kiekko-Espoo KalPa Kuopio
2023–24 HIFK Helsinki Kiekko-Espoo KalPa Kuopio

Notes:

† Included in record of Kiekko-Espoo
‡ Included in record of JYP Jyväskylä
  1. ^ The 2019–20 Naisten Liiga post-season was cancelled by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association on 12 March 2020, citing public health concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The Aurora Borealis Cup Finnish Championship finals between Kiekko-Espoo and KalPa and the Finnish Championship bronze medal games between Team Kuortane and Kärpät were scheduled to begin on 14 March 2020. With the cancellation of the season, neither the Aurora Borealis Cup nor any Finnish Championship medals were awarded for the 2019–20 season.[15]

Sources:[12][13][14][16]

League records

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All-time records of the Auroraliiga, from the 1982–83 season through the conclusion of the 2023–24 season.[17]

Single-season records

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Players appearing in ten or fewer games during a single season are not included.[18]

Single-playoff records

Players appearing in three or fewer games during a single playoff are not included.[19]

  • Most goals: Elisa Holopainen, 19 goals (12 games; 2022, Kiekko-Espoo)
  • Most assists: Susanna Tapani, 14 assists (6 games; 2015, HPK)
  • Most points: Elisa Holopainen, 29 points (12 games; 2022, Kiekko-Espoo)
  • Most points, defenceman: Nelli Laitinen, 21 points (10 games; 2022, Kiekko-Espoo)
  • Best points per game: Riikka Sallinen, 4.40 points per game (5 games; 1994, Shakers)
  • Most penalty minutes: Marjo Voutilainen, 45 PIM (4 games; 2012, KalPa)
  • Best save percentage: Noora Räty, .970 SV% (9 games; 2008, Blues)
  • Best goals against average: Meeri Räisänen, 0.80 (6 games; 2016, JYP)
  • Most shutouts: Two players, 5 shutouts

Career records

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Players appearing in fewer than thirty regular season games during their Naisten Liiga career are not included.[20]

  • Most games played, skater: Riikka Noronen, 644 games (1995–2022)
  • Most goals: Karoliina Rantamäki, 387 goals (433 games; 1992–2024)
  • Most assists: Riikka Noronen, 447 assists (644 games; 1995–2022)
  • Most points: Riikka Noronen, 775 points (644 games; 1995–2022)
  • Most points, defenceman: Päivi Halonen, 495 points (408 games; 1982–2006)
  • Best points per game: Michelle Karvinen, 3.667 points per game (39 games; 2007–2009)
  • Most penalty minutes: Rosa Lindstedt, 483 PIM (314 games; 2002–2016)
  • Most games played, goaltender: Susanna Airaksinen, 224 games (2009–2022)
  • Best save percentage: Johanna Oksman, .931 SV% (100 games; 2012–2022)
  • Best goals against average: Kiia Lahtinen, 1.48 GAA (48 games; 2019–2024)
  • Most shutouts: Tiina Ranne, 34 shutouts (210 games; 2010–2024)
Career playoff records

Players appearing in ten or fewer Naisten Liiga playoff games during their career are not included.[21]

  • Most goals: Karoliina Rantamäki, 81 goals (117 games; 1992–2024)
  • Most assists: Linda Välimäki, 72 assists (93 games; 2005–2019)
  • Most points: Karoliina Rantamäki, 144 points (117 games; 1992–2024)
  • Most points, defenceman: Saija Tarkki, 89 points (145 games; 1997–2019)
  • Best points per game: Michelle Karvinen, 2.27 points per game (15 games; 2007–2009)
  • Most penalty minutes: Tea Villilä, 131 PIM (111 games; 2007–2024)
  • Best save percentage: Kassidy Sauvé, .939 SV% (12 games; 2021–2024)
  • Best goals against average: Kiia Lahtinen, 1.39 (13 games; 2020–2024)
  • Most shutouts: Tiia Pajarinen, 15 shutouts (55 games; 2015–2024)

All-time scoring leaders

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The top-ten regular season point-scorers in Auroraliiga history, including seasons in which the league was known as the Naisten SM-sarja and Naisten Liiga, through the conclusion of 2023–24 season.[17][20]

Note: Nat = Nationality; Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; S = Seasons played;   = player active in 2024–25 Auroraliiga season

Nat Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM S
Finland Riikka Noronen F 644 328 447 775 468 27
Finland Karoliina Rantamäki F 433 387 349 736 114 20
Finland Linda Leppänen F 336 360 342 702 176 17
Finland Petra Vaarakallio F 286 280 351 631 142 13
Finland Tiia Reima F 332 330 272 602 352 20
Finland Marianne Ihalainen F 323 320 282 602 152 19
Finland Sari Fisk F 401 339 253 592 158 23
Finland Anne Helin F 276 327 222 549 260 14
Finland Annina Rajahuhta F 325 239 298 537 240 15
Finland Johanna Koivula F 523 205 319 524 337 21

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Forsberg, Paavo; Leinonen, Simo (21 September 2023). "Naisten Liigan uusi pomo kertoo nyt, miten kiekkosarjan arvostus saadaan nousuun – "Voisi olla jo pientä palkkarakennettakin"". Yle Urheilu (in Finnish). Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  2. ^ Foster, Meredith (21 March 2017). "Finnish Women's Hockey League Unveils New Name, Logo". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Naisten SM-sarja historiaan - Ensi kaudella pelataan Naisten Liigaa". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). 21 March 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  4. ^ Foster, Meredith (26 March 2019). "The Espoo Blues are the 2019 Aurora Borealis Cup Champions". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  5. ^ Foster, Meredith (24 March 2017). "Women's Pro Hockey in Finland Tries to Get More Spotlight". The Victory Press. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  6. ^ Aykroyd, Lucas (29 March 2019). "Women's Worlds media round-table". International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  7. ^ Teiskonlahti, Kirsi (11 September 2018). "Naiskiekon arvostus on kasvanut, mutta ihannetilanteeseen on Suomessa vielä pitkä matka – kehitys vaatii hurmosta ja SM-liigaseurojen apua" [Appreciation for women's hockey has increased but it is far from an ideal situation in Finland - development will require funds and assistance from Liiga clubs]. Yle Urheilu (in Finnish). Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  8. ^ a b Antila, Pirkka (28 April 2022). "Naisten Liigan, Mestiksen ja Suomi-sarjan pelaamistavat vahvistettu kausille 22-23 ja 23-24". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Sarjatoiminta: Sarjojen pelaamistavat miehet, naiset ja A–C nuoret: Kaavio Naisten Sarjat 19-20". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). June 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  10. ^ Hunter, Andria (2008). "Finnish Women's Hockey League Results: 1990-91 to 1994-95". WHockey.com. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
  11. ^ Aaltonen, Juha, ed. (2019). Jääkiekkokirja: Suomen Jääkiekkoliiton ja Liigan Virallinen Kausijulkaisu 2019–2020 [The Ice Hockey Book: The Finnish Ice Hockey Association and Liiga Official Guide & Record Book 2019–2020] (PDF) (in Finnish). Jääkiekon SM-liiga Oy & Suomen Jääkiekkoliito. ISSN 0784-3321. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Naisten Liiga". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  13. ^ a b Biller, Philippe. "Championnats nationaux: Finlande (hockey féminin) 1997/98 to 2022/23". Hockey Archives (in French). Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Naisten Liiga details". EuroHockey. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  15. ^ Mennander, Pasi (12 March 2020). "Koronavirus lopettaa Jääkiekkoliiton alaisten sarjojen kauden". leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  16. ^ Salmela, Sari; Pelkonen, Johanna (2008). "SM-sarjan historiaa vuosilta 1982 - 2008" [History of the SM-sarja from 1982 to 2008]. leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  17. ^ a b Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto; Jääkiekkon SM-liiga Oy (2020). Aaltonen, Juha (ed.). Jääkiekkokirja 2021: Suomen Jääkiekkoliiton ja Liiga Kausijulkaisu 2020–2021 [Ice Hockey Book 2021: The Finnish Ice Hockey Association and Liiga Guide & Record Book 2020–2021] (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti. p. 237. ISSN 0784-3321.
  18. ^ "Naisten Liiga (W) - All-time season, Regular season". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Naisten Liiga (W) - All-time season, Playoffs". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Naisten Liiga (W) - All-time totals, Regular season". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  21. ^ "Naisten Liiga (W) - All-time totals, Playoffs". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
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