List of Finnish women in North American collegiate ice hockey

Last updated

NCAA Division 1

The following table lists all Finns who have played or are committed to play women's ice hockey at the NCAA Division I level in the United States, sorted by conference and team. Players who have represented more than one team are listed with each program and appear more than once. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

^Denotes player active with specified program in the 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's ice hockey season
*Denotes player has committed to play in a future season
PlayerPos.ProgramConferenceStart
year		End
year
Katariina Soikkanen D Mercyhurst Lakers AHA 20062007
Emma Nuutinen [4] [5] [6] F 20172020
Vilma Tanskanen [6] F 20172019
Jenna Silvonen G 20192022
Emmi Mourujärvi ^ D 2023
Sofia Nuutinen ^ F 2023
Julia Schalin ^ F 2024
Tilli Keränen * F RIT Tigers 2025
Meeri Räisänen [7] G Robert Morris Colonials 20102011
Nea Tervonen ^ F Syracuse Orange 2023
Heidi Tallqvist (Holmevaara) F Findlay Oilers CHA 20012004
Venla Heikkilä (Hovi) F Niagara Purple Eagles 20072008
Tiina Juvonen F Cornell Big Red ECAC 19992000
Heidi Tallqvist (Holmevaara) F Quinnipiac Bobcats 20042005
Anna Kilponen [6] D 20172019
Heidi Huhtamäki (Niskanen) D RPI Engineers 20132016
Sirena Alvarez G St. Lawrence Saints 20232024
Ida Kuoppala F Maine Black Bears HEA 20192024
Kiia Lahtinen ^ [8] G 2024
Vilma Vaattovaara [9] G New Hampshire Wildcats 20122016
Mari Pehkonen F Providence Friars 20062009
Viivi Vaattovaara D UConn Huskies 20132014
Sanna Valkama [10] F Vermont Catamounts 20152019
Sini Karjalainen [11] [12] D 20182023
Krista Parkkonen [13] D 20222024
Oona Havana ^ [14] F 2024
Mira Jalosuo [15] [16] D Minnesota Golden Gophers WCHA 20092013
Noora Räty [15] [17] G 20092013
Nelli Laitinen ^ [18] D 2022
Krista Parkkonen ^ D 2024
Tuula Puputti G Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 19972002
Hanne Sikiö F 19992003
Jenni Venho D 19992001
Satu Kiipeli D 20002004
Sanna Peura F 20002001
Nora Tallus F 20012005
Anna-Kaisa Lemberg G 20032005
Suvi Vacker D 20032007
Mari Pehkonen [19] F 20052006
Heidi Pelttari D 20062009
Saara Tuominen (Niemi) F 20062010
Mariia Posa D 20092012
Noora Jaakkola D 20102012
Tea Villilä [15] D 20112015
Eveliina Suonpää (Mäkinen) G 20142014
Nina Tikkinen [15] F Minnesota State Mavericks 20072011
Emmi Leinonen F 20082012
Michelle Karvinen F North Dakota Fighting Hawks 20112014
Susanna Tapani [20] F 20132014
Anna Kilponen [10] D 20152017
Vilma Tanskanen [10] F 20152017
Emma Nuutinen [10] F 20162017
Emma Laaksonen (Terho) [15] D Ohio State Buckeyes 20002004
Minttu Tuominen [15] D 20092013
Eve Savander [5] D 20182022
Sara Säkkinen [5] F 20182022
Sanni Vanhanen * [21] F 2025
Suvi Ollikainen F St. Cloud State Huskies 20152019
Jenniina Nylund [22] F 20182023
Sanni Ahola ^ [23] G 2020
Linnea Melotindos [23] F 20202021
Sofianna Sundelin ^ [24] F 2023
Emilia Kyrkkö ^ [25] G 2024
Siiri Yrjölä ^ [26] D 2024

NCAA Division III

The following table lists all Finns who have played or are committed to play NCAA Division III women's ice hockey in the United States, sorted by conference and team. [27] [28]

^Denotes player active with specified program in the 2024–25 NCAA Division III women's ice hockey season
*Denotes player has committed to play in a future season
PlayerPos.ProgramConferenceStart
year		End
year
Peppi Kähkönen F Hamline Pipers MIAC 20212024
Veera Salomaa D Finlandia Lions NCHA 20182019
Roosa Siikki F 20052006
Lotta Haarala D St. Norbert Green Knights 20102012
Viivi Vaattovaara D Buffalo State Bengals NEWHL 20142017
Sirena Alvarez G SUNY Canton Kangaroos 20192023
Iida Laitinen F 20202024
Iida Laitinen ^ F Wilkes University Colonels UCHC 2024

U Sports

The following table lists all Finns who have played or are committed to play U Sports women's ice hockey in Canada, sorted by conference and team. [29]

^Denotes player active with specified program in the 2024–25 U Sports women's ice hockey season
*Denotes player has committed to play in a future season
PlayerPos.ProgramConferenceStart
year		End
year
Sari Krooks F York Lions OUA 19961997
Venla Hovi ( née  Heikkilä) [10] [30] F Manitoba Bisons Canada West 20152018
Miressa Mäkelä F 20212022

ACAC & RSEQ

The following table lists all Finns who have played or are committed to play women's ice hockey in the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC) or the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) in Canada. Both the ACAC and the RSEQ are member conferences of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), however, the CCAA does not sponsor national championships in women's ice hockey and the ACAC and RSEQ conference championships each represent the highest tier of achievement at the collegiate level in Canada. [31] [32] [33]

^Denotes player active with specified program in the 2024–25 ACAC or RSEQ women's ice hockey season
*Denotes player has committed to play in a future season
PlayerPos.ProgramConferenceStart
year		End
year
Jenna Suokko F Olds College Broncos ACAC 20152016

See also

Related Research Articles

The Finnish women's national under-18 ice hockey team is the national women's junior ice hockey team of Finland, which represents Finland at the International Ice Hockey Federation's Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship and other international U18 tournaments. The team is officially nicknamed the Tyttöleijonat and the nickname is regularly used in Finnish-language media.

Saija Katariina Tarkkinée Sirviö is a Finnish retired ice hockey player and the former general manager of Oulun Kärpät Naiset in the Naisten Liiga (NSML). The Oulun Kärpät director of youth ice hockey since 2022, she briefly served as interim head coach of Kärpät Naiset in October 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mira Jalosuo</span> Finnish ice hockey player and coach

Mira Jalosuo is a Finnish ice hockey player and coach, currently serving as an assistant coach to PWHL Minnesota of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). As a member of the Finnish national team, she won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games and five bronze medals at the IIHF World Women's Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team Kuortane</span> Auroraliiga ice hockey team in Kuortane, Finland

Team Kuortane is an ice hockey team in the Auroraliiga, the premier women's hockey league in Finland. They are based at the Kuortaneen urheilulukio in Kuortane, a small town in South Ostrobothnia, and play at the Kuortaneen jäähalli. The team was founded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association in 2010 as part of its initiative to develop the ice hockey skills of young women in Finland. Since its creation, approximately half of all national under-18 team rosters have been filled by players from Team Kuortane. For sponsorship reasons, the team was called Team Oriflame Kuortane during 2010 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KalPa Naiset</span> Auroraliiga ice hockey team in Kuopio, Finland

Kalevan Pallo Naiset, abbreviated as KalPa Naiset, are an ice hockey team in the Auroraliiga. Founded in 1990, the team plays in Kuopio, the largest city in Finland's eastern-central province of North Savo, at the Kuopion jäähalli ; Lippumäen jäähalli serves as a secondary venue. The team won the Finnish Championship (SM) silver medal in 2021, and have won five SM bronze medals, in 1995, 1996, 2017, 2023, and 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIFK Naiset</span> Auroraliiga ice hockey team in Helsinki, Finland

IFK Helsinki Naiset, abbreviated HIFK Naiset and also known as Stadin Gimmat, is an ice hockey team in the Finnish Auroraliiga. They play in the Pirkkola district of Helsinki at the Pirkkolan jäähalli. The team is the representative women's ice hockey team of the multisport club Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna, Helsingfors and is operated by Oy HIFK-Hockey Ab, the same organization that owns the HIFK men's ice hockey team of the Liiga – HIFK Naiset are one of only two Auroraliiga teams owned directly by a Liiga team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HPK Kiekkonaiset</span> Auroraliiga ice hockey team in Finland

HPK Kiekkonaiset or HPK Naiset are an ice hockey team in the Auroraliiga, the premier women's ice hockey league in Finland. They play in Hämeenlinna, a city in the Finnish south-central province of Kanta-Häme, at the Hämeenlinnan harjoitushalli, a secondary ice rink at Ritari-areena. HPK were the first team to be awarded the Aurora Borealis Cup as the winners of the Finnish Championship in 2011 and also won bronze in the 2011–12 IIHF European Women's Champions Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilves Naiset</span> Auroraliiga ice hockey team in Tampere, Finland

Tampereen Ilves Naiset are an ice hockey team in the Auroraliiga. They are the representative women's team of the multi-sport club Ilves, based in Tampere, and their home arena is the Tesoman jäähalli in Tampere's Tesoma district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TPS Naiset</span> Auroraliiga ice hockey team in Turku, Finland

Turun Palloseura Naiset, abbreviated TPS Naiset, are an ice hockey team in the Finnish Auroraliiga. They play in Turku, Southwest Finland at the Kupittaan jäähalli and Impivaaran jäähalli. The team has played in the Auroraliiga, the Finnish Championship league for women's ice hockey, since gaining promotion in the 2019 postseason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kärpät Naiset</span> Auroraliiga ice hockey team in Oulu, Finland

Oulun Kärpät Naiset are an ice hockey team in the Auroraliiga. They play in Oulu, a city on the northeastern coast of the Bothnian Bay in the Finnish north-central region of North Ostrobothnia, at the Raksilan harjoitusjäähalli of Oulun Energia Areena. Ilves have won the Aurora Borealis Cup three times, in 2012, 2017, and 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lukko/PaRa</span> Naisten Mestis ice hockey team in Rauma, Finland

Lukko/PaRa is an ice hockey team in the Naisten Mestis. They are based in Rauma, a port city on the southwestern coast of Finland, and play at the Eurajoen jäähalli in Eurajoki. The team was formed in May 2024 via a cooperation agreement between Rauman Lukko ry, a minor club affiliated with the Lukko organization, and Panelian Raikas (PaRa).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naisten Mestis</span> Finnish second-tier ice hockey league

Naisten Mestis is the second-highest women's national ice hockey league in Finland. Founded as the Naisten I-divisioona in 1985 by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, when the number of teams playing in the top-tier national league was limited, the league was renamed Naisten Mestis prior to the 2012–13 season.

Kiira Yrjänen is a Finnish ice hockey player and member of the Finnish national team. She is signed with Leksands IF in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) through the 2025–26 season.

Sini Karjalainen is a Finnish ice hockey player and member of the Finnish national ice hockey team. She plays in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) with Skellefteå AIK. Her college ice hockey career was played with the Vermont Catamounts of Hockey East in the NCAA Division I.

The Karoliina Rantamäki Award is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the playoff MVP of the Naisten Liiga, called the Naisten SM-sarja during 1982 to 2017. The Naisten SM-sarja Playoff MVP trophy was first awarded in the 1999–2000 season and the first recipient was forward Kati Kovalainen of Espoo Blues Naiset.

Krista Parkkonen is a Finnish ice hockey player and member of the Finnish national team. She plays with the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) conference of the NCAA Division I.

Sanni Ahola is a Finnish ice hockey goaltender and member of the Finnish national team, currently playing in the NCAA Division I with the St. Cloud State Huskies women's ice hockey program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiia Pajarinen</span> Finnish ice hockey goaltender

Tiia Pajarinen is a Finnish ice hockey goaltender and member of the Finnish national team. She plays in the Auroraliiga with Kiekko-Espoo.

The 2024–25 Auroraliiga season is the 42nd ice hockey season of the Auroraliiga. It is the first season since the league re-branded from Naisten Liiga, the name that had been in use since 2017, to Auroraliiga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panelian Raikas</span> Ice hockey club in Eura, Finland

Panelian Raikas, abbreviated PaRa, is an ice hockey club in the Panelia area of Eura municipality in Finland. PaRa was established in 1920 as an athletics club but, as of 2024, it exclusively operates departments in ice hockey. The club's home venue is Panelian jäähalli.

References

  1. ↑ "Women's D-I Hockey". US College Hockey Online. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "NCAA (W) - All-time totals > Nation: Finland". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  3. ↑ "All-time Statistics NCAA (women) > Finland". EuroHockey.com. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  4. ↑ Eleni, Demestihas (26 September 2019). "2019-20 NCAA Preview: CHA". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Jay, Michelle (28 September 2018). "2018-19 NCAA Preview: Olympians in the NCAA". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 Jay, Michelle (21 September 2017). "2017-18 NCAA Preview: 5 storylines to follow". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  7. ↑ Clinton, Jared (10 June 2015). "Finnish netminder to compete in both men's and women's league next season". The Hockey News . Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  8. ↑ Seppä, Lassi (1 May 2024). "HIFK:n mestarimaalivahti Kiia Lahtisen ura jatkuu Yhdysvalloissa". Jatkoaika (in Finnish). Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  9. ↑ Hawkins, Jaclyn (9 October 2012). "A New York State of Mind". Women's Hockey Life. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Mauro, Anthony (31 October 2016). "Four Nations NCAA and U Sports Player Guide". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  11. ↑ Bedics, Mark (29 October 2019). "Women's college hockey: Vermont's Sini Karajalainen leads 3 stars of the week". NCAA . Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  12. ↑ Tokarski, Anne (27 November 2019). "Cult classics: The NCAA's fall tournaments". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  13. ↑ Seppä, Lassi (2 February 2022). "HIFK:n Krista Parkkonen lähtee Yhdysvaltojen yliopistosarjaan toteuttamaan lapsuuden unelmaansa − "Vermont tarjosi sopivimmat puitteet opiskelun ja jääkiekon yhdistämiseen"". Jatkoaika (in Finnish). Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  14. ↑ Seppä, Lassi (4 July 2024). "Nuori kärppätähti Oona Havana suuntaa Vermontin yliopistoon − "Olen tottunut yhdistämään opiskelun ja treenaamisen"". Jatkoaika (in Finnish). Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "16 Current and Former Players to Go For Gold in 2014 Winter Olympics". WCHA. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  16. ↑ Foster, Meredith (5 December 2016). "Catching up with Mira Jalosuo". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  17. ↑ Golen, Jimmy (7 February 2014). "Goalie gives Finland potential to upset top teams". The Washington Times . Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  18. ↑ "Gophers Add Laitinen to 2022-23 Signing Class". University of Minnesota Athletics (Press release). 17 January 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  19. ↑ Beacham, Greg (11 February 2006). "Will women's hockey ever catch up to U.S., Canada?". Deseret News. Associated Press . Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  20. ↑ Foster, Meredith (5 April 2017). "From ice hockey to ringette, Team Finland's Susanna Tapani leading the way". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  21. ↑ Kallioniemi, Esko (16 November 2024). "Naisleijonien nokialainen huippulupaus siirtyy Pohjois-Amerikkaan". Aamulehti . Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  22. ↑ Fundaro, G. (21 February 2019). "Top rookie performances in the NCAA". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  23. 1 2 Farrey, Kenna (5 May 2020). "St. Cloud State women's hockey signs eight new recruits for 2020-21". St. Cloud State University Athletics. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  24. ↑ Jalosuo, Mira [@MiraJalosuo] (21 March 2023). "Unfortunately only coaches are keeping track of the commits. 2023 Sundelin, 2024 Kyrkkö and Yrjölä are coming over so future is super bright 😎" (Tweet). Retrieved 29 March 2023– via Twitter.
  25. ↑ Jalosuo, Mira [@MiraJalosuo] (21 March 2023). "Unfortunately only coaches are keeping track of the commits. 2023 Sundelin, 2024 Kyrkkö and Yrjölä are coming over so future is super bright 😎" (Tweet). Retrieved 29 March 2023– via Twitter.
  26. ↑ Jalosuo, Mira [@MiraJalosuo] (21 March 2023). "Unfortunately only coaches are keeping track of the commits. 2023 Sundelin, 2024 Kyrkkö and Yrjölä are coming over so future is super bright 😎" (Tweet). Retrieved 29 March 2023– via Twitter.
  27. ↑ "Women's D-III Hockey". US College Hockey Online. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  28. ↑ "NCAA Division III (W) - All-time totals > Nation: Finland". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  29. ↑ "U Sports (W) - All-time totals > Nation: Finland". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  30. ↑ Ates, Murat (21 September 2018). "From Tampere to the Olympics, Winnipeg, and beyond: the lifelong journey of Venla Hovi". The Athletic . Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  31. ↑ "ACAC (W) - All-time totals > Nation: Finland". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  32. ↑ "QCHL (W) - All-time totals". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  33. ↑ "QCHL D2 (W) - All-time totals". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
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