HPK Kiekkonaiset
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HPK Kiekkonaiset () or HPK Naiset are an
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
team in the
Auroraliiga The is the national premier league for women's ice hockey in Finland. Founded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association as the Naisten Suomen mestaruus, SM-sarja (NSMs; ) in 1982, it was known as the Naisten Liiga (NSML;) from 2017 until being rebr ...
, the premier women's ice hockey league in Finland. They play in
Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna (; ; ; or ''Croneburgum'') is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Kanta-Häme. It is located in the southern interior of the country and on the shores of Vanajavesi, Lake Vanajavesi. The population of Hämeenlinna is appr ...
, a city in the Finnish south-central province of
Kanta-Häme Kanta-Häme (; ), sometimes referred to as Tavastia Proper, is a Regions of Finland, region (, ) of Finland. It borders the regions of Southwest Finland, Pirkanmaa, Päijänne Tavastia, Päijät-Häme, and Uusimaa (region), Uusimaa. Before the of ...
, at the (HML hh; ), a secondary
ice rink An ice rink (or ice skating rink) is a frozen body of water or an artificial sheet of ice where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The growth and increasing popularity of ...
at Ritari-areena. HPK were the first team to be awarded the
Aurora Borealis Cup The Aurora Borealis Cup () is the trophy awarded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the victorious team of the Auroraliiga playoffs, the Finnish Champion in women's ice hockey. Project Christopher Shapardanov, Canadian Ambassador to Fin ...
as the winners of the Finnish Championship in 2011 and also won bronze in the 2011–12 IIHF European Women's Champions Cup. They are the representative women's ice hockey team of the multi-sport club
Hämeenlinnan Pallokerho Hämeenlinnan Pallokerho (HPK) is a professional ice hockey team in the Liiga, the top men's ice hockey league in Finland. Their Home Ice, home ice is the Hämeenlinnan jäähalli, Ritari-areena in Hämeenlinna. HPK was established in 1929 in sp ...
(HPK), however, the team is directly owned by HPK Liiga Oy, the ownership organization of the
Liiga The Liiga, colloquially called the Finnish Elite League in English or FM-ligan in Swedish, is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. The league comprises 16 teams from all around Finland with relegation and promotion between the Mesti ...
team HPK. HPK Kiekkonaiset are one of two Auroraliiga teams owned directly by a men's league team.


History

A women's ice hockey team has competed under the parent club HPK since at least 1999. From 1999 to 2008, HPK competed in the Naisten I-divisioona (renamed Naisten Mestis in 2013). In 2001, the team qualified to contend for
promotion Promotion may refer to: Marketing * Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
to the Naisten SM-sarja (NSMs; called Naisten Liiga during 2017–2024 and rebranded as Auroraliiga in 2024) in the league's (qualification series) but they lost eleven of fourteen qualification games and remained in the I-divisoona. The opportunity for promotion through the returned in the 2007–08 season and, this time, with a roster that included Meeri Räisänen, Essi Salminen, Hanne Sikiö, and
Eveliina Similä Eveliina Similä (born 10 April 1978) is a Finnish retired ice hockey player. She competed in 73 matches with the Finnish national team, including the women's tournament at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the IIHF World Championship in 2004 and ...
, HPK achieved promotion to the Naisten SM-sarja. HPK debuted in the Naisten SM-sarja at the opening of the 2008–09 season, strengthened by the addition of a number of experienced players, notably Petra Herzigová, Katja Riipi, Nora Tallus, and Vilma Vaattovaara. The team won the bronze medal match against
Oulun Kärpät Oulun Kärpät (Finnish language, Finnish for "Oulu Stoat, Ermines", sometimes referred to as Kärpät Oulu) is a Finnish professional ice hockey team based in Oulu and playing in the top-tier Finnish Liiga. Kärpät have won the Finnish champion ...
with a game winning goal from Riipi. HPK was the first team to be awarded the
Aurora Borealis Cup The Aurora Borealis Cup () is the trophy awarded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the victorious team of the Auroraliiga playoffs, the Finnish Champion in women's ice hockey. Project Christopher Shapardanov, Canadian Ambassador to Fin ...
the Naisten SM-sarja Champions in 2011. As the 2011 Finnish Champions, the team was automatically granted placement in the second round, Group E of the following season's IIHF European Women's Champions Cup (EWCC). The Group E round-robin was contested in Hämeenlinna during 2 to 4 December 2011 and HPK bested ESC Planegg, Aisulu Almaty, and the EHV Sabres to sweep the series and earn a berth in the tournament finals. Venla Hovi and Riikka Noronen led all Group E skaters in scoring, with 9 points and 7 points in four games, respectively. The EWCC Finals were also hosted in Hämeenlinna and were played during 24 to 26 February 2012 at Metritiski Areena. HPK won their first match, beating ESC Planegg with a score of 3–2, but they were unable to overcome the scoring power and excellent goaltending of their final two opponents, losing 2–6 to Tornado Moscow Region and 1–5 to the ZSC Lions Frauen. They were awarded European Women's Champions Cup bronze medals, becoming the third Finnish team to medal in the EWCC. In June 2021, it was announced that the team would be transferred to HPK Liiga Oy, owner of the HPK Liiga team and the
U20 SM-sarja The U20 Finnish Champion, SM-sarja ('Under-20 Finnish Championship Series') is the premier Junior ice hockey, junior men's ice hockey league in Finland. It was previously known as the A-nuorten SM-sarja ('Junior A Finnish Championship Series') du ...
team HPK U20. HPK Kiekkonaiset had previously been a part of the HPK-affiliated
junior ice hockey Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from ...
club HPK Edustusjääkiekko Ry, a non-profit registered association. At the time of the transfer, Antti Toivanen, CEO of HPK Liiga Oy and general manager of the HPK men's team, explained that the move was motivated by an interest in capitalizing on the growing women's ice hockey market, which had been highlighted by the record crowds that attended the
2019 IIHF Women's World Championship The 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship was an international Ice hockey tournament run by the International Ice Hockey Federation. It was contested in Espoo, Finland from 4 to 14 April 2019 at the Espoo Metro Areena. The United States won the ...
in
Espoo Espoo (, ; ) is a city in Finland. It is located to the west of the capital, Helsinki, in southern Uusimaa. The population is approximately . It is the most populous Municipalities of Finland, municipality in Finland. Espoo is part of the Helsi ...
. Jorma Hassinen, general manager of HPK Kiekkonaiset, expressed hope that the transfer would allow female players to develop with the same opportunities as their male counterparts.


Season-by-season results

This is a partial list of the most recent seasons completed by HPK Naiset.


Players and personnel


2024–25 roster

Coaching staff and team personnel * Head coach: Jari Risku * Assistant coach: Daniel Marsalo * Goaltending coach: Maija Hassinen-Sullanmaa * Conditioning coach: Laura Paakkari * Team manager: Maija Hassinen-Sullanmaa * Equipment managers: Hanna Haakana, Kari Järvinen & Marko Lamberg


Team captaincy history

* Nora Tallus, 2008–2010 * Mira Huhta, 2010–2013 * Riikka Noronen, 2013–2017 * Jutta Stoltenberg, 2017–2019 * Riikka Noronen, 2019–2021 * Heta Seikkula, 2021–


Head coaches

* Tuomo Nukari, 2011–January 2013 * Jarkko Julkunen, January 2013–2013 * Vesa Mäkinen, 2014–2016 * Marko Rahikainen, 2016–2018 * Markku Pirttiniemi, 2018–19 * Katja Pasanen, 2019–20 *
Mari Saarinen Mari Saarinen (born 30 July 1981) is a Finnish retired ice hockey forward and current assistant coach of Team Kuortane in the Naisten Liiga (NSML). She was the head coach of HPK Kiekkonaiset during the 2020–21 season. Her playing career w ...
, 2020–21 * Harri Nummela, 2021–22 * Jari Risku, 2022–


Team honours


Finnish Championship

Since 2011, the victorious team of the Auroraliiga playoffs has received the Aurora Borealis Cup. Prior to 2011, the title-winners of the league were awarded the . The players of the victorious team also receive gold medals as Finnish Champions in women's ice hockey. *
Aurora Borealis Cup The Aurora Borealis Cup () is the trophy awarded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the victorious team of the Auroraliiga playoffs, the Finnish Champion in women's ice hockey. Project Christopher Shapardanov, Canadian Ambassador to Fin ...
''(1)'': 2011 * Runners-up ''(2)'': 2016, 2025 * Third Place ''(4)'': 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014


IIHF European Women's Champions Cup

* Bronze ''(1)'':
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...


Notable alumnae

* Maija Hassinen-Sullanmaa, 2008–2015 & 2017–18 * Venla Hovi, 2010–2012 * Kati Kovalainen, 2009–10 * Sanna Lankosaari, 2009–2012 * Riikka Noronen, 2009–2017 & 2018–2022 * Annina Rajahuhta, 2010–2012 * Meeri Räisänen, 2017–18 *
Eveliina Similä Eveliina Similä (born 10 April 1978) is a Finnish retired ice hockey player. She competed in 73 matches with the Finnish national team, including the women's tournament at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the IIHF World Championship in 2004 and ...
, 2008–2012 *
Susanna Tapani Susanna Jenni "Suski" Tapani (born 2 March 1993) is a Finnish multi-sport athlete who competes in ice hockey, ringette, and in-line hockey. She plays professional ice hockey for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) a ...
, 2014–2016 * Vilma Vaattovaara, 2008–2011 * Tea Villilä, 2010–11 & 2015–16


International players

* Nicole Andenmatten, 2021–22 * Samantha Benoit, 2021–22 * Kristina Brown, 2014–15 * Lenka Čurmová, 2020–21 * Megan Delay, 2021–22 * Pia Dukarič, 2019–20 * Karolína Erbanová, 2022–23 * Petra Herzigová, 2008–09 & 2013–2015 * Lucia Ištocyová, 2021–22 * Adéla Jůzková, 2020–21 * Iveta Klimášová, 2023–24 * Lívia Kúbeková, 2021–22 * Natsumi Kurokawa, 2019–20 * Margaux Mameri, September–November 2022 * Alena Mills, September–November 2021 * Kassidy Sauvé, 2021–22 & 2023–24 * Miho Shishiuchi, 2014–2016 * Anna Vaníčková, 2023–24 * Sofia Vysokajová, 2021–22 * Hannah Westbrook, 2012–13 * Lucia Záborská, 2022–23 *
Anna Zíková Anna Zíková (born 13 May 1998) is a Czech ice hockey player. Her college ice hockey career was played with the Maine Black Bears women's ice hockey program in the Hockey East (HEA) NCAA Division I Women's Hockey conferences and teams, conferenc ...
, 2022–23


See also

* Women's ice hockey in Finland *
Finland women's national ice hockey team The Finnish women's national ice hockey team represents Finland at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championships, the Olympic Games, the Four Nations Cup, and other international-level w ...
*
Finland women's national under-18 ice hockey team The Finnish women's national under-18 ice hockey team () is the national women's junior ice hockey team of Finland, which represents Finland at the International Ice Hockey Federation's Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship and other intern ...


References


External links

* * Team information and statistics from and and {{DEFAULTSORT:HPK Kiekkonaiset 1999 establishments in Finland Ice hockey teams in Finland Naisten Liiga (ice hockey) teams Sport in Hämeenlinna Women's ice hockey in Finland