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41st ice hockey season of the Naisten Liiga From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2023–24 Naisten Liiga season is the forty-first season of the Naisten Liiga, the premier level of women's ice hockey in Finland, since the league's establishment as the Naisten SM-sarja in 1982. The regular season began on 9 September 2023 and concluded on 18 February 2024. The playoffs began on 23 February 2024 and the Aurora Borealis Cup was awarded to HIFK Naiset on 21 March 2024.
2023–24 Naisten Liiga season | |
---|---|
League | Naisten Liiga |
Sport | Ice hockey |
Defending champions | IFK Helsinki (2022–23) |
Duration |
|
Number of games | 32 |
Number of teams | 9 |
TV partner(s) | Leijonat.tv |
Regular Season | |
Season champions | Kiekko-Espoo |
Runners-up | IFK Helsinki |
Top scorer | Michaela Pejzlová, HIFK |
Playoffs | |
Playoffs MVP | Clara Rozier, HIFK |
Finals champions | IFK Helsinki |
Runners-up | Kiekko-Espoo |
Entering the season, HIFK were the reigning champions of both the 2022–23 regular season and the 2023 Aurora Borealis Cup.
Lukko unexpectedly withdrew from the Naisten Liiga and the team was dissolved in April 2023, just weeks after they’d successfully defended their place in the league in the 2023 Naisten Liiga qualification. Rauman Lukko ry, the team's operating association, cited difficulties in recruiting and retaining players as the principal reasons behind the decision.[1]
Lukko players were not consulted prior to the announcement. Captain Maija Koski was shocked by the news and felt that the team could have been saved if avenues of communication had been opened between the association and Lukko players.[2]
Lukko's departure from the Naisten Liiga decreased the number of teams in the league from ten to nine for the 2023–24 season. The standard 36-game season was reduced to 32 games per team to account for the four game that would have been played against Lukko.
Five Lukko players – forwards Carolina Grönroos, Maija Koski, and Amanda Julkunen, and defensemen Hanna Brofelt and Mette Karru – transferred to TPS in Turku, about 90 km (56 mi) southeast of Rauma. Centre Aliisa Toivonen, Lukko's leading scorer in the 2022–23 season, signed with Kiekko-Espoo.
Team | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Off–season | |||
RoKi | Tuomas Liitola | Teemu Koivula | Liitola departed RoKi in June 2023 to accept the head coaching position with Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Nationella Damhockeyligan (NDHL). He had served as RoKi's head coach for five seasons, during which the team earned promotion to the Naisten Liiga and consistently defended its place in the league. The vacancy left by Liitola was filled by 26 year old Koivula, a recent physical education graduate of the Lapland University of Applied Sciences. Koivula previously coached junior ice hockey teams of Rovaniemen Kiekko (RoKi), including RoKi U16 boys' team in the U16 SM-sarja during the 2022–23 season.[3] |
Team Kuortane | Mira Kuisma | Juuso Nieminen | After four seasons as head coach of both the Finnish national U18 team and Team Kuortane, Kuisma was appointed head coach of the national U18 team on a full-time basis.[4] Nieminen joins Team Kuortane after several seasons coaching in the junior department of RoKi, most recently serving as head coach to the RoKi U18 team in the men's U18 Mestis during the 2021–22 season. |
Note: This section does not record all player signings. It is limited to player movements involving national team players (from any country), international import players, and extra-league signings. Player nationality is limited to the primary nation of IIHF eligibility; some players may hold citizenship in more than one country.
Player | Nat | Previous team | 2023–24 team | ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Incoming players | ||||
Eline Gabriele (G) | IF Björklöven (NDHL) | HPK Hämeenlinna | [5] | |
Alexandra Mateičková (D) | HC ŠKP Bratislava (EWHL) | RoKi Rovaniemi | ||
Beáta Narovcová (D) | ŽHC Příbram (Extraliga) | TPS Turku | [6] | |
Emma Nuutinen (F) | Buffalo Beauts (PHF) | Kiekko-Espoo | [7] | |
Lunasa Sano (F) | DEC Salzburg Eagles (EWHL) | KalPa Kuopio | [8] | |
Blanka Škodová (G) | Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (NCAA) | HIFK Helsinki | [7] | |
Minttu Tuominen (D) | Metropolitan Riveters (PHF) | Kiekko-Espoo | [9] | |
Anna Vaníčková (D) | ŽHC Berounské Lvice (Extraliga) | HPK Hämeenlinna | [10] | |
Intra-league transfers | ||||
Tilli Keränen (F) | Kärpät Oulu | KalPa Kuopio | ||
Olivia Last (G) | RoKi Rovaniemi | TPS Turku | [6] | |
Tereza Pištěková (F) | TPS Turku | HPK Hämeenlinna | [11] | |
Pauliina Salonen (F) | TPS Turku | HIFK Helsinki | ||
Lucia Záborská (F) | HPK Hämeenlinna | TPS Turku | [6] | |
Departing players | ||||
Lumi Jääskeläinen (G) | HIFK Helsinki | Skellefteå AIK (NDHL) | [12] | |
Jenna Kaila (F) | KalPa Kuopio | HC Ambrì-Piotta Girls (SWHL A) | [13] | |
Iina Kuusela (G) | HIFK Helsinki | retired | [14] | |
Anni Montonen (F) | Kiekko-Espoo | HV71 (SDHL) | [15] | |
Emmi Mourujärvi (D) | TPS Turku | Mercyhurst Lakers (NCAA) | [16] | |
Sofia Nuutinen (F) | Kiekko-Espoo | Mercyhurst Lakers (NCAA) | [16] | |
Emmi Rakkolainen (F) | Kiekko-Espoo | HV71 (SDHL) | [17] | |
Noora Räty (G) | HPK Hämeenlinna | [18][19] | ||
Jenna Silvonen (G) | Kiekko-Espoo | retired | [20] | |
Sofianna Sundelin (F) | Team Kuortane | St. Cloud State Huskies (NCAA) | ||
Nea Tervonen (F) | Team Kuortane | Syracuse Orange (NCAA) | ||
Emilia Vesa (F) | HIFK Helsinki | Frölunda HC (SDHL) | [21] |
Team | Location | Home venue | Head coach | Captain |
---|---|---|---|---|
HIFK | Helsinki | Pirkkolan jäähalli | Saara Niemi | Karoliina Rantamäki |
HPK | Hämeenlinna | Jääliikuntakeskus Hakio | Jari Risku | Heta Seikkula |
Ilves | Tampere | Tesoman jäähalli | Marjo Voutilainen | Jenna Lehtiniemi |
KalPa | Kuopio | Niiralan Monttu | Mika Väärälä | Johanna Juutilainen |
Kiekko-Espoo | Espoo | Tapiolan harjoitusareena | Sami Haapanen | Reetta Valkjärvi |
Kärpät | Oulu | Raksilan jäähalli | Satu Kiipeli |
Aino Kaijankoski |
RoKi | Rovaniemi | Lappi Areena | Teemu Koivula | Eveliina Ollila |
Team Kuortane | Kuortane | Kuortaneen jäähalli | Juuso Nieminen | Jenniina Kuoppala |
TPS | Turku | Kupittaan jäähalli | Terhi Mertanen | Pihla Hämeenniemi |
The preseason began on 10 August 2023 and comprised exhibition games played between Naisten Liiga teams or between a Naisten Liiga team and a boys' junior team from the youth department of the same club or a local club. No exhibition matches were scheduled for Kärpät or RoKi.[22]
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The regular season began on Saturday, 9 September 2023. All eight games of the opening weekend were played at Matinkylän jäähalli in Espoo; Team Kuortane was the only team that did not participate in any opening weekend games.[23]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Postseason |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kiekko-Espoo | 32 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 168 | 66 | +102 | 79 | Playoffs |
2 | HIFK[lower-alpha 1] | 32 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 175 | 49 | +126 | 75 | |
3 | HPK | 32 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 120 | 68 | +52 | 66 | |
4 | KalPa | 32 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 119 | 81 | +38 | 60 | |
5 | Tampereen Ilves | 32 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 102 | 94 | +8 | 53 | |
6 | Team Kuortane | 32 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 65 | 99 | −34 | 34 | |
7 | Oulun Kärpät | 32 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 69 | 133 | −64 | 27 | |
8 | TPS | 32 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 59 | 133 | −74 | 23 | |
9 | RoKi | 32 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 55 | 209 | −154 | 9 | Qualification |
Regular Season | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Italics indicate player departed the Naisten Liiga in the midst of the 2023–24 season. See player movements for details.
The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of regular season on 18 February 2024.[28]
Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Michaela Pejzlová | HIFK | 24 | 30 | 41 | 71 | 4 |
Sanni Vanhanen | HIFK | 32 | 27 | 39 | 66 | 12 |
Emma Nuutinen | K-Espoo | 31 | 28 | 35 | 63 | 24 |
Julia Liikala | HIFK | 26 | 24 | 36 | 60 | 14 |
Clara Rozier | HIFK | 32 | 29 | 29 | 58 | 24 |
Elisa Holopainen | KalPa | 19 | 32 | 25 | 57 | 6 |
Lisette Täks | K-Espoo | 32 | 39 | 15 | 54 | 34 |
Julia Schalin | K-Espoo | 31 | 11 | 37 | 48 | 8 |
Johanna Juutilainen | KalPa | 32 | 20 | 26 | 46 | 2 |
Kiti Seikkula | HPK | 31 | 22 | 23 | 45 | 8 |
Nea Katajamäki | K-Espoo | 31 | 15 | 27 | 42 | 18 |
Júlia Matejková | HPK | 29 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 14 |
Tereza Pištěková | HPK | 32 | 11 | 24 | 35 | 12 |
Anniina Kaitala | Ilves | 27 | 21 | 13 | 34 | 12 |
Pauliina Salonen | HIFK | 30 | 20 | 14 | 34 | 22 |
Sanni Rantala | KalPa | 30 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 4 |
Emilia Varpula | Ilves | 31 | 6 | 27 | 33 | 6 |
Siiri Yrjölä | HIFK | 27 | 5 | 28 | 33 | 6 |
Helen Puputti | Ilves | 31 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 12 |
Aliisa Toivonen | K-Espoo | 32 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 18 |
Minttu Tuominen | K-Espoo | 18 | 5 | 26 | 31 | 4 |
Tilli Keränen | KalPa | 28 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 8 |
Elli Suoranta | Ilves | 27 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 18 |
Julia Zielińska | K-Espoo | 29 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 32 |
Emma Ekoluoma | Kärpät | 31 | 16 | 11 | 27 | 10 |
Anna Kalová | RoKi | 30 | 15 | 12 | 27 | 24 |
Susanna Viitala | TPS | 30 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 8 |
Reetta Valkjärvi | K-Espoo | 28 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 8 |
Noora Mylläri | Ilves | 29 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 18 |
Ines Lukkarila | HPK | 26 | 12 | 14 | 26 | 10 |
The following skaters were the top point scorers of teams not represented in the scoring leader table at the conclusion of the season on 18 February 2024, noted with their overall league scoring rank:
The following goaltenders played at least one-third of their team's minutes in net at the conclusion of the regular season on 18 February 2024, sorted by save percentage.[29]
Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | L | S | GA | SO | S% | GAA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kiia Lahtinen | HIFK | 16 | 953:13 | 12 | 4 | 320 | 23 | 5 | 93.3 | 1.45 |
Janika Järvikari | HPK | 11 | 633:15 | 8 | 1 | 202 | 15 | 4 | 93.1 | 1.42 |
Melisa Mörönen | Ilves | 13 | 731:58 | 8 | 3 | 259 | 24 | 1 | 91.5 | 1.97 |
Minja Drufva | K-Espoo | 17 | 987:55 | 15 | 0 | 326 | 31 | 2 | 91.3 | 1.88 |
Eline Gabriele | HPK | 16 | 925:48 | 12 | 4 | 313 | 30 | 1 | 91.3 | 1.94 |
Tiia Pajarinen | K-Espoo | 16 | 950:45 | 10 | 4 | 343 | 33 | 5 | 91.2 | 2.08 |
Kerttu Kuja-Halkola | Kuortane | 13 | 786:58 | 3 | 8 | 352 | 34 | 1 | 91.2 | 2.59 |
Olivia Last | TPS | 22 | 1237:38 | 7 | 13 | 661 | 64 | 3 | 91.2 | 3.10 |
Miia Vainio | HIFK | 11 | 657:30 | 10 | 1 | 172 | 17 | 5 | 91.0 | 1.55 |
Tiina Ranne | KalPa | 21 | 1234:38 | 11 | 9 | 477 | 52 | 2 | 90.2 | 2.53 |
Salla Sivula | Ilves | 18 | 1027:07 | 10 | 8 | 496 | 55 | 2 | 90.0 | 3.21 |
Emilia Piekkari | Kärpät | 20 | 1135:54 | 3 | 13 | 668 | 83 | 1 | 88.9 | 4.38 |
Kati Asikainen | Kärpät | 14 | 791:07 | 5 | 9 | 376 | 48 | 0 | 88.7 | 3.64 |
Lilia Huovinen | Kuortane | 12 | 712:26 | 5 | 6 | 287 | 37 | 0 | 88.6 | 3.12 |
Annika Saastamoinen | RoKi | 14 | 756:52 | 1 | 11 | 481 | 75 | 0 | 86.5 | 5.95 |
Alexandra Väyrynen | RoKi | 20 | 1050:55 | 1 | 16 | 693 | 116 | 0 | 85.7 | 6.62 |
The following goaltenders had played a minimum of one game but fewer than one-third of their team's minutes in net at the conclusion of games played 18 February 2024, sorted by save percentage.[30]
Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | L | S | GA | SO | S% | GAA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blanka Škodová | HIFK | 5 | 300:00 | 5 | 0 | 87 | 7 | 1 | 92.6 | 1.40 |
Aino Laitinen | KalPa | 8 | 443:08 | 5 | 2 | 186 | 18 | 3 | 91.2 | 2.44 |
Emilia Kyrkkö | Kuortane | 6 | 302:25 | 2 | 3 | 140 | 14 | 0 | 90.9 | 2.78 |
Jenna Juutilainen | KalPa | 4 | 245:00 | 3 | 0 | 71 | 8 | 0 | 89.9 | 1.96 |
Kassidy Sauvé | HPK | 6 | 362:48 | 1 | 5 | 146 | 20 | 1 | 88.0 | 3.31 |
Suvi Saarinen | TPS | 9 | 522:22 | 0 | 9 | 290 | 43 | 0 | 87.1 | 4.94 |
Venla Varis | Kuortane | 2 | 121:57 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 7 | 0 | 84.8 | 3.44 |
Neea Pohjamo | Ilves | 3 | 166:20 | 0 | 2 | 70 | 13 | 0 | 84.3 | 4.69 |
Iina Kankaanpää | RoKi | 2 | 114:57 | 0 | 2 | 73 | 16 | 0 | 82.0 | 8.35 |
Tea Koljonen | K-Espoo/ TPS |
4 | 146:28 | 0 | 2 | 78 | 18 | 0 | 81.3 | 7.37 |
Team | Previous coach | New coach | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Mid–season | |||
Kärpät | Sanna Lankosaari | Saija Tarkki (interim) | On 13 October 2023, Kärpät announced that Sanna Lankosaari had stepped down from the head coaching position. Following Lankosaari's departure, Kärpät youth hockey supervisor and former Kärpät Naiset general manager Saija Tarkki took over as interim head coach during the search for a replacement. Lankosaari initiated the termination of her contract after Kärpät amassed only six points in the first eight games of the season and ranked eighth in the league, ahead of only RoKi.[31] |
Kärpät | Saija Tarkki (interim) | Satu Kiipeli | Kiipeli was revealed as the new head coach of Kärpät on 31 October 2023, less than three weeks after Lankosaari's resignation. She had served as an assistant coach on Lankosaari's coaching team since the 2022–23 season and was previously the head coach of Kärpät Akatemia in the Naisten Mestis and Naisten Suomi-sarja during 2016 to 2019. A former member of the Finnish national team, she participated in the 2006 Winter Olympics and in two IIHF World Championships. Her playing career was highlighted by three NCAA Championship titles with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and both an Aurora Borealis Cup victory and an IIHF European Women's Champions Cup bronze medal with Kärpät.[32] |
Note: This section records all in-season player transactions. Player nationality indicates primary nation of IIHF eligibility; some players may hold multiple citizenship.
Player | Nat | Previous team | Joining team | Movement date | ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Incoming players | |||||
Iveta Klimášová (F) | Buffalo Beauts (PHF) | HPK Hämeenlinna | 29 September 2023 | [33] | |
Anna Kilponen (F) | ZSC Lions Frauen (SWHL A) | Ilves Tampere | 23 November 2023 | ||
Kassidy Sauvé (G) | Buffalo Beauts (PHF) | HPK Hämeenlinna | 29 December 2023 | ||
Minttu Tuominen (F/D) | Shenzhen KRS (WCIHL) | Kiekko-Espoo | 1 February 2024 | ||
Intra-league transfers | |||||
Laura Kivelä (F) | Team Kuortane | Kärpät | 29 September 2023 | ||
Tea Koljonen (G) | TPS | Kiekko-Espoo | 12 December 2023 | [34] | |
Departing players | |||||
Blanka Škodová (G) | HIFK Helsinki | AIK (SDHL) | 13 October 2023 | [35] | |
Minttu Tuominen (F/D) | Kiekko-Espoo | Shenzhen KRS (WCIHL) | 4 November 2023 | [36] | |
Karolína Erbanová (F) | HPK Hämeenlinna | unknown | 17 December 2023 | [37] | |
Iveta Klimášová (F) | HPK Hämeenlinna | AIK (SDHL) | 17 December 2023 | [37] |
Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Kiekko-Espoo | 7 | 8 | 5 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
8 | TPS Turku | 0 | 1 | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kiekko-Espoo | 5 | 4 | 2 | – | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
KalPa Kuopio | 3 | 0 | 1 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
4 | KalPa Kuopio | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Ilves Tampere | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Kiekko-Espoo | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
HIFK Helsinki | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
2 | HIFK Helsinki | 7 | 3 | 4 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Kärpät Oulu | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
HIFK Helsinki | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | Bronze medal game | ||||||||||||||||||||
HPK Hämeenlinna | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
3 | HPK Hämeenlinna | 2 | 3 | 5 | – | 3 | KalPa Kuopio | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
6 | Team Kuortane | 1 | 0 | 1 | – | 0 | 4 | HPK Hämeenlinna | 1 |
All-Star teams were selected by Naisten Liiga coaches at the conclusion of the regular season.[43][44]
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