The Liiga, colloquially called the Finnish Elite League in English or FM-ligan in Swedish, is the top professional

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 ...

league in

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. The league comprises 16 teams from all around Finland with relegation and promotion between the

Mestis Mestis (from , meaning 'Championship series', stylized as MEST1S) is the second-highest men's ice hockey league in Finland. The league was established by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association in 2000 to replace the I-divisioona ('First Division ...

. The winner of the Liiga

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

is awarded the

Kanada-malja The Kanada-malja, or Poika (Literally "''Boy''" or "''Son''"), is an ice hockey club championship trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the Finnish SM-liiga playoffs. Kanada-malja is Finnish language, Finnish for "Canada Bowl"; the trophy is s ...

at the end of each season. Teams from the Liiga participate in the

IIHF The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; ; ) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 84 member countries. The IIHF maintains the IIHF World Ranking based on international ice hockey tourn ...

's annual

Champions Hockey League The Champions Hockey League is a European first-level ice hockey tournament. Launched in the 2014–15 season by 26 clubs, 6 leagues and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the tournament features top teams across Europe. Backgrou ...

(CHL), competing for the European Trophy. Participation is based on the strength of the various leagues in Europe (excluding the European/Asian

Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; ) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs based in Russia (20), Belarus (1), Kazakhstan (1), and China (1) for a total of 23 clubs. It was considered in ...

). The Liiga was established in 1975 to replace the former SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur competition. The Liiga is not directly overseen by the

Finnish Ice Hockey Association The Finnish Ice Hockey Association (, ) is the sport governing body, governing body of ice hockey in Finland. Since the late 1980s, Finland has enjoyed a period of success on the international stage and, , the Finland men's national ice hockey t ...

, but the league and association have an

agreement Agreement may refer to: Agreements between people and organizations * Gentlemen's agreement, not enforceable by law * Trade agreement, between countries * Consensus (disambiguation), a decision-making process * Contract, enforceable in a court of ...

of cooperation. SM is a common

abbreviation An abbreviation () is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method including shortening (linguistics), shortening, contraction (grammar), contraction, initialism (which includes acronym), or crasis. An abbreviation may be a shortened for ...

for ''

Suomen mestaruus In Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland ...

'', "Finnish Champion".

History

The SM-liiga was established in 1975 to replace the amateur competition SM-sarja.

Kalervo Kummola Kalervo Juhani Kummola (born 21 November 1945) is a Finnish ice hockey executive, businessman, and politician. He co-founded the hockey club Kiekko-67 at age 21, was later marketing director for HC TPS, HC Turun Palloseura, and chief executive o ...

was elected to become the first

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the SM-liiga, who served until 1987. The SM-liiga wasn't established unter the Finnish ice Hockey Association that oversees all the other leagues and cups in the country. The

are introduced in Finnish ice hockey for the first time during the inaugural SM-liiga season. At first there were 10 clubs in the SM-liiga. The league expanded to 12 teams in the 1988–89 season. In 2000, the SM-liiga was expanded by one team, after which the league was closed so that teams could not drop out of the league or move up from a lower league. For the 2005–2006 season, the

winner

KalPa Kalevan Pallo (KalPa) is a professional ice hockey team which competes in the Finnish Liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Niiralan monttu, Olvi Areena. Team history Established in 1929 as ''Sortavalan Palloseura'' in Sortavala, the club r ...

was promoted to the series, which met the criteria required for a place in the league. The league qualifiers were brought back for the 2008–09 season. However, as a condition for promotion, the Mestis team that cleared the qualifiers should have bought the shares of the losing Liiga team at the price determined by the league. Otherwise, the losing Liiga team would have continued playing in the league. Starting from the 2013–2014 season, the Liiga qualifiers were replaced by a license system where the winner of Mestis can apply for a Liiga license. If granted, the club will be promoted to the league after a transition period of one season.The league changed its marketing name to just Liiga for the 2013–14 season, and introduced a new logo to match. The 2019–20 Liiga season was terminated on March 13, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the decision, the final round of the regular season and the playoffs were not played, and the 2020 Finnish hockey championship was not awarded. For the 2024–25 season,

Kiekko-Espoo Kiekko-Espoo is a Finnish professional ice hockey club founded in 2018 as a continuation of the Kiekko-Espoo team originally founded in 1984. Kiekko-Espoo men's team plays in the Liiga, where they were promoted for the 2024–25 Liiga season, 20 ...

were promoted to the Liiga as the league expanded to 16 teams. The league was opened for relegation and promotion between the Mestis for the first time since 2013. According to a 2023 article by ''The Hockey Writers'', the SM-liiga is considered one of the best leagues in Europe and the world along with the

Swedish Hockey League The Swedish Hockey League (SHL; ) is a professional ice hockey league in Sweden and the highest level of the ice hockey in Sweden, Swedish ice hockey system. The league currently consists of 14 teams. The league was founded in 1975, and while Li ...

and behind the

. Going into the 2024–25 CHL season, the Liiga was ranked the No. 3 league in Europe, allowing them to send their top four teams to compete in the CHL.

Clubs

List of clubs

The team names are usually the traditional name of the club. All clubs are commonly known by the name of their team. ''Oy'' and ''Ab'' are the abbreviations for

limited company In a limited company, the Legal liability, liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by Share (finance), shares or by guarantee. In a c ...

in Finnish and Swedish respectively.

SM-liiga timeline

Format

Regular season: All teams play 60 matches. Each match consists of 60 minutes regulation time, and in the event of a tie, the winner is decided by a three-on-three sudden death, 5-minute

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

. Ties after overtime are decided by a

shootout A shootout, also called a firefight, gunfight, or gun battle, is a confrontation in which parties armed with firearms exchange gunfire. The term can be used to describe any such fight, though it is typically used in a non-military context or to ...

, where each team has three shooters in the beginning. If the game is tied after three shooters, the shootout will be decided by individual shooters against one another until one scores and the other does not. ''Scoring:'' A win in regulation time is worth three points, a win by sudden death overtime two points, a loss by sudden death overtime one point and a loss in regulation time zero points. Teams will be ranked by points, and teams tied by points are ranked by the greater number of wins in regulation. Playoffs: The four best teams at the conclusion of regular season proceed directly to quarter-finals. Teams placing between fifth and twelfth (inclusive) will play preliminary play-offs best-out-of-five – the four winners take the last four slots to quarter-finals. All series since then are best-of-seven. Losers of the semi-finals play a bronze medal match. Teams are paired up for each round according to regular season results so that the highest-ranking team will play against the lowest-ranking, second highest against the second lowest, and so on. Higher-ranking teams get home advantage. Each playoff match consists of a 60-minute regulation time which in the event of a tie is followed by extra 20-minute periods of 5-on-5 sudden death overtime, in which the first team to score wins. Relegation: The 16th and 15th placed teams will play in the playout series to decide which team plays against the

champion. ''Scheduling:'' The regular season begins around mid-September. It takes a one-and-half-week break around the end of October to the beginning of November, when Team Finland competes in

Karjala Tournament The Karjala Tournament (), also known as Karjala Cup, is an annual ice hockey event held in Finland. The name comes from the sponsoring beer brand Karjala. History The tournament started in 1992 as the Sauna Cup. In December 1995, the tourna ...

. There is a one-week Christmas break. During Winter Olympic years, a break is reserved for the

Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held in ...

. The regular season is completed around mid-March and preliminary playoffs ensue almost immediately. The playoffs are completed by mid-April, so that all players are available for the

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

Winner

The winners of the playoffs receive gold medals and the ''

'', the championship trophy of the Liiga. The winners of the regular season receive a trophy ('' Harry Lindbladin muistopalkinto'') as well, though it is considered less prestigious than the bronze medals of the playoffs.

Previous winners

*1976 –

TPS TPS or Tps may refer to: In arts and entertainment *Télévision Par Satellite, a French satellite television company *Third-person shooter, a game genre * Torsonic Polarity Syndrome, in ''South Park'' animation * Trailer Park Sex, a band from ...

*1977 –

Tappara Tappara (; Finnish language, Finnish for "Battle axe") is a Finnish professional ice hockey team playing in the SM-liiga. They play at ''Nokia Arena (Tampere), Nokia Arena'' in Tampere, Finland. The team has won 20 Finnish league championships, wh ...

*1978 – Ässät *1979 –

*1980 – HIFK *1981 – Kärpät *1982 – Tappara *1983 –

HIFK HIFK, the Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna, Helsingfors (IFK, Helsingfors) rf (officially abbreviated IFK Helsingfors, colloquially often Helsingfors IFK or Helsingin IFK) is a multi-sport association based in Helsinki, Finland. Formed in 1897 on ...

*1984 – Tappara *1985 – Ilves *1986 – Tappara *1987 – Tappara *1988 – Tappara *1989 – TPS *1990 – TPS *1991 – TPS *1992 – Jokerit *1993 – TPS *1994 – Jokerit *1995 – TPS *1996 – Jokerit *1997 – Jokerit *1998 – HIFK *1999 – TPS *2000 – TPS *2001 – TPS *2002 – Jokerit *2003 – Tappara *2004 – Kärpät *2005 – Kärpät *2006 – HPK *2007 – Kärpät *2008 – Kärpät *2009 – JYP *2010 – TPS *2011 – HIFK *2012 – JYP *2013 – Ässät *2014 – Kärpät *2015 – Kärpät *2016 – Tappara *2017 – Tappara *2018 – Kärpät *2019 – HPK *2020 – Cancelled because of the

Coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

*2021 –

Lukko Rauman Lukko (Finnish for "lock") is a Finnish sports club based in Rauma, Finland, Rauma, Finland, best known for its men's professional ice hockey team. The club was founded as Rauma Woodin Lukko in 1936. The representative team currently pla ...

*2022 – Tappara *2023 – Tappara *2024 – Tappara *2025 –

All time statistical leaders

Top 10 regular-season scoring leaders

These are the top-ten regular season point-scorers in SM-liiga history. Figures are updated after each completed SM-liiga regular season. * – current player ''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points''

Top 10 regular-season scoring leaders (imports)

These are the top-ten regular season point-scorers for import players in SM-liiga history. Figures are updated after each completed SM-liiga regular season. * – current player ''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points''

Top 10 regular-season games played (goaltender)

These are the top-ten most regular season games played by a goaltender in SM-liiga history. Figures are updated after each completed SM-liiga regular season. * – current player

Trophies

The following trophies are awarded by the SM-liiga: * Harry Lindblad memorial trophy – SM-liiga Regular season winner *

Kultainen kypärä Kultainen kypärä () is an ice hockey award given by the Suomen jääkiekkoilijat ry (SJRY; ) to the best player in the Finnish Liiga and Auroraliiga. Winners are selected via votes cast by each league's players. Kultainen kypärä has been award ...

– best player as voted by SM-liiga players *

Kalevi Numminen trophy The Kalevi Numminen trophy is an ice hockey award given by the Finnish Liiga to the best coach of the season. In 2019 it was awarded to Antti Pennanen of HPK. Trophy Winners: 1977-78: Kari Mäkinen ( Ässät) 1978-79: Veli-Pekka Roiha ( Reipas ...

– best coach * Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy – rookie of the year *

Matti Keinonen trophy The Matti Keinonen Trophy () is an ice hockey award given by the Finnish 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 compris ...

– most effective player * Raimo Kilpiö trophy – most gentlemanly player *

Urpo Ylönen trophy Urpo is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Urpo Korhonen (1923–2009), Finnish cross-country skier *Urpo Lahtinen, Finnish magazine publisher *Urpo Pikkupeura (born 1957), former ice speed skater from Finland *Urpo Sivula (born ...

– best goaltender *

Pekka Rautakallio trophy The Pekka Rautakallio trophy is an ice hockey award given by the Finland, Finnish Liiga to the best defenceman of the season. In 1995 the award was renamed to carry the name of its first winner Pekka Rautakallio. In 2019 it was awarded to Oliwer Ka ...

– best defenseman *

Aarne Honkavaara trophy The Aarne Honkavaara trophy is an ice hockey trophy given by the Finnish Liiga to the player who scores the most goals during regular season play. Trophy Winners: 1977-78: Markku Kiimalainen ( Kärpät) 1978-79: Kari Makkonen ( Ässät) 1979 ...

– most goals scored in the regular season ("best goal scorer") *

Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy The Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy () is a Finnish ice hockey trophy awarded by 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 c ...

– most points scored during the regular season *

Lasse Oksanen trophy The Lasse Oksanen trophy is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finland, Finnish Liiga to the best player of the season during regular season play. Trophy winners: 1993-94: Esa Keskinen (TPS (ice hockey), TPS) 1994-95: Saku Koivu (TPS) 1995-96 ...

– best player during the regular season *

Jari Kurri trophy The Jari Kurri Trophy is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finnish Liiga to the best player in the Liiga playoffs. The trophy is named after Jari Kurri. In the 2005–06 season, the trophy was awarded to the player voted the best player in the ...

– best player during the playoffs * Unto Wiitala trophy – best referee during the regular season * Pentti Isotalo trophy – best linesman during the regular season * Golden whistle trophy – best referee of the year, voted by players In 1995, the trophies were named after Finnish hockey legends. Before that, trophies were named after sponsors.

Video games

Teams from the league are playable in the video games, first in ''

NHL 2001 ''NHL 2001'' is a video game released by Electronic Arts in 2000. It is the successor to ''NHL 2000''. An add-on featuring Elitserien and SM-Liiga was released on the PC version on March 8, 2001, that added Swedish and Finnish hockey leagues an ...

'' and later on since ''

NHL 2004 ''NHL 2004'' is an ice hockey sports video game developed by EA Black Box. It is the successor to '' NHL 2003''. The game adds three European Elite Leagues: Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), Sweden's Elitserien (SEL), and Finland's SM-liig ...

'', teams have appeared in

EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they imitated real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network" (EASN) ...

' ''NHL'' series.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:liiga Sports leagues established in 1975 1975 establishments in Finland Professional ice hockey leagues in Finland Top-tier ice hockey leagues in Europe