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The 2020–21 SM-liiga season was the 46th season of the SM-liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland, since the league's formation in 1975. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic all the games had to be played to a very limited audience or no audience at all.[1] Two teams have temporarily let go of their coaches due to financial reasons: JYP and SaiPa.[2] The season was Hakametsä's last full season.
| 2020–21 SM-liiga | |
|---|---|
| League | SM-liiga |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 2020 – May 2021 |
| Number of teams | 15 |
| TV partner(s) | Telia C More |
| Regular season | |
| Best record | Lukko |
| Runners-up | HIFK |
| Season MVP | Robin Press (Lukko) |
| Top scorer | Petri Kontiola (HPK) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Eetu Koivistoinen (Lukko) |
| Finals champions | Lukko |
| Runners-up | TPS |
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Top six advanced straight to the quarter-finals, while teams between 7th and 10th positions played a wild card round for the final two spots. The SM-liiga is a closed series and thus there is no relegation. Due to several games having been cancelled due to COVID-19 cases in various teams in March 2021, not all teams got an even number of games, therefore SM-liiga decided that the rankings of the regular season will be determined by points per game average.[4]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W+ | Pts | PPG | Final Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lukko | 60 | 38 | 7 | 15 | 204 | 114 | 90 | 6 | 127 | 2.12 | Advance to Quarterfinals |
| 2 | HIFK | 50 | 26 | 11 | 13 | 153 | 113 | 40 | 7 | 96 | 1.92 | |
| 3 | TPS | 59 | 27 | 18 | 14 | 165 | 140 | 25 | 7 | 106 | 1.80 | |
| 4 | Tappara | 59 | 26 | 13 | 20 | 171 | 151 | 20 | 8 | 99 | 1.68 | |
| 5 | KalPa | 58 | 25 | 15 | 18 | 152 | 125 | 27 | 7 | 97 | 1.67 | |
| 6 | Pelicans | 58 | 25 | 12 | 21 | 169 | 147 | 22 | 10 | 97 | 1.67 | |
| 7 | Kärpät | 58 | 25 | 12 | 21 | 143 | 134 | 9 | 10 | 97 | 1.67 | Advance to Wild-card round |
| 8 | Ilves | 53 | 25 | 10 | 18 | 161 | 142 | 19 | 3 | 88 | 1.66 | |
| 9 | KooKoo | 55 | 25 | 11 | 19 | 165 | 125 | 40 | 5 | 91 | 1.65 | |
| 10 | Sport | 54 | 19 | 12 | 23 | 123 | 140 | −17 | 6 | 75 | 1.39 | |
| 11 | HPK | 57 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 143 | 172 | −29 | 6 | 73 | 1.28 | |
| 12 | Ässät | 58 | 15 | 15 | 28 | 150 | 193 | −43 | 6 | 66 | 1.14 | |
| 13 | SaiPa | 53 | 13 | 9 | 31 | 95 | 147 | −52 | 3 | 51 | 0.96 | |
| 14 | Jukurit | 57 | 13 | 10 | 34 | 120 | 199 | −79 | 5 | 54 | 0.95 | |
| 15 | JYP | 59 | 13 | 12 | 34 | 139 | 211 | −72 | 4 | 55 | 0.93 |
Source: Liiga
Rules for classification: 1) Points per game; 2) 3-point wins 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Head-to-head points.[5]
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Contrary to the best of three format used in the past seasons, the wild-card round will take place in two games and the aggregate score decides the team which advances.[6] The remaining rounds will be played in the best-of-5 format instead of the typical best-of-7 format[7]
Bracket
| Wild-card round (agg-of-2) | Quarter-finals (best-of-5) | Semi-finals (best-of-5) | Finals (best-of-5) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Lukko | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Ilves | 6 | 8 | Ilves | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 9 | KooKoo | 4 | 1 | Lukko | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | Tappara | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Tappara | 3 | (Pairings are re-seeded after the first and second round) | ||||||||||||||||
| 5 | KalPa | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Lukko | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | TPS | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | HIFK | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Kärpät | 7 | 7 | Kärpät | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 10 | Sport | 3 | 2 | HIFK | 1 | Bronze medal game | |||||||||||||
| 3 | TPS | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | TPS | 3 | 2 | HIFK | 7 | ||||||||||||||
| 6 | Pelicans | 2 | 4 | Tappara | 1 | ||||||||||||||
Wild-card round
The worse ranked team will play the first game at home. The aggregate score of the two games decides the winner of the round. There will be no over-time or penalty shoot-outs in the first game even if the score is tied. If the aggregate score is tied after the second game, overtime will be played in 20 minute periods until a goal is scored.[7]
Quarter-finals
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Semi-finals
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Bronze medal game
| 6 May 2021 18:30 | HIFK | 7–1 (4–0, 3–0, 0–1) | Tappara | Helsinki Ice Hall, Helsinki |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frans Tuohimaa | Goalies | Christian Heljanko Dominik Hrachovina | Referees: Antti Boman Jani Luoma-aho Linesmen: Niko Jusi Joni Pekkala | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 min | Penalties | 27 min | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30 | Shots | 20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finals
| 7 May 2021 18:30 | Lukko | 1–4 (0–1, 1–1, 0–2) | TPS | Kivikylän Areena, Rauma |
| Game reference | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lassi Lehtinen | Goalies | Karri Rämö | Referees: Lassi Heikkinen Kristian Vikman Linesmen: Joona Elonen Markus Hägerström | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| 42 min | Penalties | 35 min | |||||||||||||||
| 36 | Shots | 19 | |||||||||||||||
| 8 May 2021 17:00 | Lukko | 4–0 (0–0, 2–0, 2–0) | TPS | Kivikylän Areena, Rauma |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lassi Lehtinen | Goalies | Andrei Kareyev | Referees: Antti Boman Mikko Kaukokari Linesmen: Onni Hautamäki Jussi Thomann | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| 4 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||||||||||||
| 41 | Shots | 13 | ||||||||||||
| 10 May 2021 16:00 | TPS | 1–3 (0–1, 0–0, 1–2) | Lukko | Gatorade Center, Turku |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karri Rämö | Goalies | Lassi Lehtinen | Referees: Antti Boman Mikko Kaukokari Linesmen: Joona Elonen Markus Hägerström | |||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| 10 min | Penalties | 8 min | ||||||||||||
| 22 | Shots | 29 | ||||||||||||
| 11 May 2021 16:00 | TPS | 2–6 (0–2, 2–2, 0–2) | Lukko | Gatorade Center, Turku |
| Game reference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karri Rämö | Goalies | Lassi Lehtinen | Referees: Antti Boman Mikko Kaukokari Linesmen: Joona Elonen Markus Hägerström | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 min | Penalties | 4 min | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | Shots | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lukko wins the finals 3-1.
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 | Lukko |
 | TPS |
 | HIFK |
| 4 | Tappara |
| 5 | KalPa |
| 6 | Pelicans |
| 7 | Kärpät |
| 8 | Ilves |
| 9 | KooKoo |
| 10 | Sport |
| 11 | HPK |
| 12 | Ässät |
| 13 | SaiPa |
| 14 | Jukurit |
| 15 | JYP |
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