| Boxwidth: | 250 |
| Women's ice hockey | |
| Union: | Finnish Ice Hockey Association |
| Country: | Finland |
| Sport: | Ice hockey |
| Nationalteam: | Women's national team Women's national U18 team |
| Registered: | 5,858 |
| National List: | Naisten Liiga Naisten Mestis Naisten Suomi-sarja |
| Intl List: | Olympic Games IIHF World Women's Championships 4 Nations Cup IIHF World Women's U18 Championships IIHF European Women Championships |
The national program for women's ice hockey in Finland had 5,858 active players in 2019.[1] 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[2] 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.[3] 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.[4] [5]
The number of young women in the junior level increased slowly, from 500 players at the beginning to approximately 2000 today.[6] 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.[6] 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 | |
| Hämeenlinna | ||
| Tampere | ||
| Reipas | Lahti | |
| Marski-Hockey | Mikkeli | |
| Lappeenranta | ||
| Pori |
| Team | City | |
| EPS Espoo | Espoo | |
| HG-92 | Tuusula | |
| Karhu-Kissat | Vantaa | |
| Kuusamo | ||
| Vaasa | ||
| Tampere |
The following IIHF tournaments were hosted in Finland.
| Event | Location | Finish | |
| Tampere | Bronze[7] | ||
| Kuortane | Bronze | ||
| Espoo | Bronze | ||
| Vierumäki and Tampere | Silver | ||
| Hämeenlinna | Bronze | ||
| Lohja | Bronze (Espoo Blues) | ||
| Hämeenlinna | Bronze | ||
| Vierumäki | Fourth | ||
| Hämeenlinna | Bronze (HPK) | ||
| Tikkurila | Fourth | ||
| Oulu | Bronze (Oulun Kärpät) | ||
| Espoo | Bronze (Espoo Blues) | ||
| 2016 4 Nations Cup | Vierumäki | Bronze |
See main article: List of Finnish women in North American collegiate ice hockey.
| Position | Name | NCAA school | Seasons | |
| G | 2009–2013 | |||
| D | 2009–2012 | |||
| F | 2007–2010 | |||
| F | 2009–2013 | |||
| F | 2008–2010 |