| Women's ice hockey in Finland | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Finland |
| Governing body | Finnish Ice Hockey Association |
| National team(s) | National team National U18 team |
| Registered players | 5,763 [1] |
National competitions | |
International competitions | |
The national program for women's ice hockey in Finland had 5,858 active players in 2019. [2] The Finnish Ice Hockey Association organizes both the national women's program and the three levels of domestic women's leagues in Finland.
The first women's hockey teams were founded in Finland in the early 1970s [3] but it took many years for women's ice hockey to gain enough popularity and participation to warrant the creation of a national league. In 1978, the first "lipstick tournament" was held, creating an informal national women's championship, though records of the competition outcomes are not available.
In 1982 the Naisten SM-sarja was founded as the first elite women's national league in Finland. The first season was played in two divisions of five teams each (10 teams total) and the first playoffs were held in Tampere on March 12 and 13, 1983. [4] Since its founding, the number of teams per season has ranged from 8 to 13. In 2017, the Naisten SM-sarja was renamed Naisten Liiga and in 2018 the number of teams was expanded to the league's original number of 10.
The Finland women's national team entered international competition in the 1988–1989 season, quickly claiming its first gold at the 1989 IIHF European Women Championships. The team has remained successful since its emergence on the international stage, medalling in three Olympics and 13 Women's World Championships. Most recently, Finland took silver at the 2019 Women's World Championship after a controversial loss in the finals to the United States. [5] [6]
The number of young women in the junior level increased slowly, from 500 players at the beginning to approximately 2000 today. [7] The growth rate was not satisfactory, so the Finnish Ice Hockey Association decided to invest in development of women's ice hockey by supporting leagues. [7] The number of teams considerably increased: there are now 12 teams in the Women's 1st Division, is Naisten Mestis (second level after the Naisten Liiga).
| Team | City |
| HPK | Hämeenlinna |
| Ilves | Tampere |
| Reipas | Lahti |
| Marski-Hockey | Mikkeli |
| SaiPa | Lappeenranta |
| Ässät | Pori |
| Team | City |
| EPS Espoo | Espoo |
| HG-92 | Tuusula |
| Karhu-Kissat | Vantaa |
| PaKa | Kuusamo |
| Sport | Vaasa |
| Tappara | Tampere |
The following IIHF tournaments were hosted in Finland.
| Event | Location | Finish |
| 1992 IIHF Women's World Championship | Tampere |  Bronze [8] |
| 1998 3 Nations Cup | Kuortane | Bronze |
| 1999 IIHF Women's World Championship | Espoo | Bronze |
| 2001 3 Nations Cup | Vierumäki and Tampere |  Silver |
| 2005 4 Nations Cup | Hämeenlinna | Bronze |
| 2008–09 IIHF European Women's Champions Cup | Lohja | Bronze (Espoo Blues) |
| 2009 IIHF Women's World Championship | Hämeenlinna | Bronze [8] |
| 2009 4 Nations Cup | Vierumäki | Fourth |
| 2011–12 IIHF European Women's Champions Cup | Hämeenlinna | Bronze (HPK) |
| 2012 4 Nations Cup | Tikkurila | Fourth |
| 2012–13 IIHF European Women's Champions Cup | Oulu | Bronze (Oulun Kärpät) |
| 2014–15 IIHF European Women's Champions Cup | Espoo | Bronze (Espoo Blues) |
| 2016 4 Nations Cup | Vierumäki | Bronze |
| Position | Name | NCAA school | Seasons |
| G | Noora Räty | Minnesota | 2009–2013 |
| D | Mariia Posa | Minnesota Duluth | 2009–2012 |
| F | Nina Tikkinen | Minnesota State | 2007–2010 |
| F | Minttu Tuominen | Ohio State | 2009–2013 |
| F | Saara Niemi | Minnesota Duluth | 2008–2010 |
Marianne Ihalainen is a retired Finnish ice hockey forward. She won a bronze medal as captain of the Finnish national team at the 1998 Winter Olympics and also won six IIHF World Women's Championship bronze medals, four IIHF European Women Championships gold medals and one bronze while representing Finland and was eight time SM-sarja Finnish Champion with Ilves. Ihalainen is regarded as one of the pioneers of women’s ice hockey in Finland and she was one of the first women inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Finland, alongside fellow trailblazer Riikka Sallinen.
Sanna Kristiina Lankosaari is a Finnish ice hockey coach and retired player. She most recently served as head coach of Oulun Kärpät Naiset in the Naisten Liiga (NSML) during the 2022–23 season and part of the 2023–24 season.
Hanna-Riikka Sallinen is a Finnish retired ice hockey, bandy, rinkball, and pesäpallo player. She is one of the most highly decorated players to have ever competed in international ice hockey.
Anna Kilponen is a Finnish ice hockey defenceman, currently playing in the Naisten Liiga (NSML) with the Ilves Tampere. She played four seasons of college ice hockey in the NCAA Division I, two seasons with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks and two seasons with the Quinnipiac Bobcats. Following her college career, she has played in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) with Linköping HC, in the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) with the KRS Vanke Rays, in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) with the Metropolitan Riveters, and in the Swiss Women's League with the ZSC Lions Frauen.
Susanna Jenni "Suski" Tapani is a Finnish multi-sport athlete who competes in ice hockey, ringette, and in-line hockey. She plays professional ice hockey in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) with the Boston Fleet and is a member of both the Finnish national ice hockey team and Finnish national ringette team.
Ella Viitasuo is a Finnish ice hockey player and member of the Finnish national team. She most recently played during the 2022–23 season with HV71 of the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL).
Petra Nieminen is a Finnish ice hockey player for Luleå HF/MSSK of the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) and alternate captain of Finland women's national ice hockey team. She is considered one of the top young talents in Finnish ice hockey.
Nelli Laitinen is a Finnish ice hockey player and member of the Finnish national team, currently playing in the college ice hockey with the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program.
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 in 1982, it was known as the Naisten Liiga from 2017 until being rebranded as Auroraliiga in 2024. The league comprises approximately 225 players across nine teams.
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.
Essi Sieversnée Hallvar is a Finnish retired ice hockey defenceman. She played 91 international matches with the Finnish national team and won bronze at the 2011 IIHF Women's World Championship. Sievers competed at the elite club level for 15 seasons; she played 14 seasons in the Finnish Naisten SM-sarja and one season in the German Women's Ice Hockey Bundesliga (DFEL).
Päivi Virta is a Finnish retired ice hockey defenseman and one of the most highly decorated women in the history of Finnish ice hockey. As a member of the Finnish national team she won five World Championship bronze medals and five European Championship medals, four gold and one bronze.
Jutta Stoltenberg is a Finnish ice hockey defenseman with HPK Kiekkonaiset of the Naisten Liiga.
Matilda Nilsson is a Finnish ice hockey player, a winger. She has played in the Auroraliiga with the Tampereen Ilves since September 2024. As a member of the Finnish national ice hockey team, she won a bronze medal at the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship.
Riikka Noronen is a Finnish ice hockey coach and retired forward, currently an assistant coach with Tampereen Ilves Naiset. The all-time leading point scorer in the Naisten Liiga, she also holds the records for youngest player to ever play in the Naisten Liiga and for most career games played.
The Riikka Nieminen Award is an ice hockey trophy, seasonally awarded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the Naisten Liiga Player of the Year. It is named after Riikka Sallinen, now retired, who is widely considered the best European women’s ice hockey player to ever compete internationally.
The Sari Fisk Award is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the player with the best plus–minus at the end of the regular season of the Naisten Liiga.
JYP Naiset or JYP Jyväskylä Naiset is a Finnish ice hockey team in the Naisten Mestis. Their home is the Jyväskylän harjoitusjäähalli in Jyväskylä, Central Finland. JYP Naiset have won the Aurora Borealis Cup three times, in 1997, 1998, and 2016.
Jenniina Nylund is a Finnish ice hockey centre and member of the Finnish national ice hockey team, currently playing in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) with Brynäs IF Dam. Her college ice hockey career was played with the St. Cloud State Huskies women's ice hockey program in the NCAA Division I.
Jenna Suokko is a Finnish ice hockey player, a left winger. She plays in the Swiss Women's League with the HC Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies.