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The SM-liiga, colloquially called the Finnish Elite League in English, is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. It is one of the six founding leagues of the Champions Hockey League and currently allocated five spots - the maximum number - based on success in previous editions. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, but the league and association have an agreement of cooperation. SM is a common abbreviation for Suomen mestaruus, "Finnish championship".
Mestis is the second-highest men's ice hockey league in Finland. The league was established by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association in 2000 to replace the I-divisioona. It had initially been the highest hockey league in Finland that could be reached through playing merits alone; the SM-liiga was closed in 2000. After the 2004–05 season, KalPa was promoted to the SM-liiga, and the Liiga was re-opened in the 2008–09 season. Vaasan Sport was promoted in 2014–15, KooKoo was promoted in 2015–16, and Jukurit was promoted in 2016–17. Mestis, however, is an open league, with promotion and relegation between it and Suomi-sarja. However there will be no relegation during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Niko Hovinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently playing with Vaasan Sport of the Liiga.
Mikko Jokela is a Finnish former professional ice hockey defenceman. Jokela played one game in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks in 2003.
KooKoo is a Finnish ice hockey team playing in the first level of Finnish ice hockey league Liiga. KooKoo plays in the Lumon arena, in Kouvola. The team was established in 1965 and the previous name of the club is Kouvolan Kiekko-65.
Juha-Pekka Haataja is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger. He currently plays for KooKoo of the Finnish Liiga.
The Lahti Pelicans are a Finnish professional ice hockey team playing in the Liiga. Founded in 1996, they play in the city of Lahti at Isku Arena. The team is co-owned by former National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender Pasi Nurminen and Formula One racecar driver Valtteri Bottas.
Patrick Bjorkstrand is a Danish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for EC VSV of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL). He formerly played with the Ontario Reign of the AHL while under contract to the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Malte Strömwall is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for HC Dinamo Minsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Libor Šulák is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Örebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He has formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings.
Mikko Lehtonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman for the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL). He has previously played with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Veeti Vainio is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing with IF Björklöven in the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan (Allsv). He was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the fifth round, 141st overall, of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Miikka Pitkänen is a Finnish ice hockey player. He is currently playing with KooKoo in the Finnish Liiga.
Anrei Hakulinen is a Finnish ice hockey player. He is currently playing with Lukko in the Finnish Liiga.
Kevin Lankinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The 2019–20 Liiga season is the 45th season of the Liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland, since the league's formation in 1975. The last two game days of the regular season were scheduled to be played in front of an empty arena due to the Finnish government advising that all public events with more than 500 attendees will be cancelled or postponed. On 13 March, the rest of the season, which included the final round of the regular season and all of playoffs, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kyle Platzer is a Canadian professional ice hockey Forward currently playing with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga. He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the fourth-round, 96th overall, of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Kasper Björkqvist is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger who is currently playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect under contract to the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Penguins in the second round, 61st overall, of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He has previously played on loan for KooKoo of the Liiga.
The 2021–22 Liiga season was the 47th season of the Liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland, since the league's formation in 1975.
Eetu Mäkiniemi is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender for the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League (AHL), while under contract to the Carolina Hurricanes in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 104th overall by the Hurricanes in the fourth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
References
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ↑ "KooKoo announces new additions" (in Finnish). KooKoo. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
