The Naisten Suomi-sarja (), distinguished as the Jääkiekon naisten Suomi-sarja (), is the third-tier women's
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
league in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
.
It was established by the
Finnish Ice Hockey Association
The Finnish Ice Hockey Association ( fi, Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto, sv, Finlands Ishockeyförbund) is the governing body of ice hockey in Finland. In 1927, the Finnish Skating Association introduced ice hockey as part of its program and, throu ...
in 2003 and is the lowest tier of national ice hockey competition, below the premier
Naisten Liiga
The Kansallinen Liiga ('National League') is the premier division of women's football in Finland. It was previously called the Jalkapallon naisten SM-sarja ('Women's Football Finnish Championship Series') during 1974 to 2006 and the Naisten Lii ...
and secondary
Naisten Mestis
Naisten Mestis (; from ''Mestaruussarja'' meaning 'Championship series') is the second-highest women's ice hockey league in Finland. The league was founded as Naisten I-divisioona (Women's First Division) in 1985 by the Finnish Ice Hockey Associ ...
, but above regional leagues ().
Season format
2023–24 season
Beginning in the 2023–24 season, the Naisten Mestis adopted the ten team, 36-game format used by the Naisten Liiga. Since then, all teams not playing in the Naisten Liiga or Naisten Mestis and any new teams play in the Naisten Suomi-sarja by default. The top teams in the Naisten Suomi-sarja have the opportunity to earn promotion to the Naisten Mestis in a promotion/relegation series against the bottom ranked Naisten Mestis teams at the end of the season.
Previous formats
;2022–23 season
Excepting the ten teams of the Naisten Liiga, all women's ice hockey teams competing at the national level began the season in the Naisten Mestis qualifiers (). The Naisten Mestis qualifiers, which were contested during September to December 2022, involved eighteen teams divided into three groups of five to seven teams. In the closed groups, each team played every other team at least twice. The top eight teams at the end of the qualifiers continued in the Naisten Mestis and the remaining teams filled the ranks of the Naisten Suomi-sarja.
;2016–2022 seasons
With the exception of the eight Naisten SM-sarja teams, all women's teams teams started the season in the Naisten Mestis qualifiers. The top eight teams qualified for the Naisten Mestis regular season and the remaining teams continued the season in the Naisten Suomi-sarja.
The best four teams of the Naisten Suomi-sarja regular season earned placement in the finals of the Naisten Mestis. The other teams continued the season in the final series of the Naisten Suomi-sarja. The series winner was determined in the final tournament.
Teams
2023–24 season
Lohko 1
*
HIFK Challenger,
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
*
Ilves Akatemia,
Tampere
Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...
*
Kiekko-Espoo Challenger,
Espoo
Espoo (, ; sv, Esbo) is a city and municipality in the region of Uusimaa in the Republic of Finland. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordering the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Nurmijärvi ...
*
Pelicans
Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...
,
Lahti
Lahti (; sv, Lahtis) is a city and municipality in Finland. It is the capital of the region of Päijänne Tavastia (Päijät-Häme) and its growing region is one of the main economic hubs of Finland. Lahti is situated on a bay at the southern e ...
*
Salo HT,
Salo Salo or Salò may refer to:
Places Finland
*Salo, Finland, a town in Western Finland
** Salo sub-region, a subdivision of Finland Proper and one of the Sub-regions of Finland since 2009
*An old name of Saloinen, a former municipality in Ostrobot ...
*
TPS Akatemia,
Turku
Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...
*
Turku HC
Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; 1 ...
, Turku
Source:
Lohko 2
*
Jyvässeudun Kiekko (JyKi),
Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä () is a city and municipality in Finland in the western part of the Finnish Lakeland. It is located about 150 km north-east from Tampere, the third largest city in Finland; and about 270 km north from Helsinki, the capital of ...
*
KeuPa,
Keuruu
Keuruu (; sv, Keuru) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Finland region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The popul ...
*
Kiilat,
Haapajärvi
Haapajärvi is a town and municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .
Neig ...
*
LL-89 Red Lights,
Lapinlahti
Lapinlahti (; sv, Lapinlahti, also ) is a municipality of Finland. It is part of the Northern Savonia region, located north of the city of Kuopio. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The populati ...
*
Muhoksen Jääklubi (MuJK),
Muhos
Muhos is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Oulu half an hour's drive (35 km) on route 22 from the city of Oulu, the capital of Northern Finland, and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a ...
*
S-Kiekko,
Seinäjoki
Source:
Teams in previous seasons
Each team that participated in the Naisten Suomi-sarja is listed by rank within their () at the end of the regular season.
2022–23 season
Lohko 1
#
Panelian Raikas (PaRa),
Eura
Eura is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Satakunta region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .
The municipal ...
# TPS Akatemia, Turku
# Salo HT, Salo
# Pelicans, Lahti
# HIFK N18, Helsinki
# Turku HC, Turku
# Ilves Akatemia, Tampere
:
Lohko 2
# Kiilat, Haapajärvi
# Jyvässeudun Kiekko (JyKi), Jyväskylä
# LL-89 Red Lights, Lapinlahti
# Muhoksen Jääklubi (MuJK), Muhos
# S-Kiekko, Seinäjoki
:
2021–22 season
Lohko 1
# LL-89 Red Lights, Lapinlahti
# Kiilat, Haapajärvi
#
Kajastus,
Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti ( sv, Kontiolax; literally meaning "bear bay") is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is located in the North Karelia regions of Finland, region, about north of Joensuu. The municipality has a population of () and ...
# TeKi, Raahe
# JyKi, Jyväskylä
# KalPa Akatemia, Kuopio
# S-Kiekko, Seinäjoki
:
Lohko 2
#
SaiPa
SAIPA ( fa, سایپا, ''SAIPA'') is an Iranian automaker headquartered in Tehran. The SAIPAC (an acronym for the French ''Société anonyme iranienne de production des automobiles Citroën'') was established in 1965 as with 75% Iranian ownersh ...
,
Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta (; sv, Villmanstrand) is a city and municipality in the region of South Karelia, about from the Russian border and from the town of Vyborg (''Viipuri''). It is situated on the shore of the Lake Saimaa in southeastern Finland, and ...
# Pelicans, Lahti
# HIFK Akatemia, Helsinki
# Kiekko-Espoo Akatemia, Espoo
:
Lohko 3
# TPS Akatemia, Turku
# PaRa, Panelia
# Turku HC, Turku
:
2020–21 season
Lohko 1
# KJT Haukat,
Kerava
# Pelicans, Lahti
#
Rockets
A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...
,
Loimaa
Loimaa (; historical sv, Loimijoki) is a town and municipality of Finland.
It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southwest Finland region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is ...
#
Uudenkaupungin Jää-Kotkat (UJK),
Uusikaupunki
Uusikaupunki (; sv, Nystad, ) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Southwest Finland region, northwest of Turku and south of Pori. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is inland wate ...
:
Lohko 2
# LL-89, Lapinlahti
# KalPa Akatemia, Kuopio
# TeKi-Hermes,
Raahe
Raahe (; sv, Brahestad; ) is a town and municipality of Finland. Founded by Swedish statesman and Governor General of Finland Count Per Brahe the Younger in 1649, it is one of 10 historic wooden towns (or town centers) remaining in Finland. Examp ...
/
Kokkola
Kokkola (; sv, Karleby, ) is a town and municipality of Finland.
The town is located in the Central Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Neighbour municipali ...
# SaiPa, Lappeenranta (did not play)
:
2019–20 season
Lohko 1
# Kiekko-Espoo Akatemia, Espoo
# Uudenkaupungin Jää-Kotkat (UJK), Uusikaupunki
# Rockets, Loima
# PaRa, Panelia
# Salo HT, Salo
:
Lohko 2
#
Hermes
Hermes (; grc-gre, wikt:Ἑρμῆς, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travelle ...
, Kokkola
# LL-89, Lapinlahti
# KalPa Akatemia, Kuopio
#
Teräs-Kiekko (TeKi), Raahe
#
Jukurit
Mikkelin Jukurit is a professional ice hockey team in Liiga, the top tier Finnish ice hockey league. They play in Mikkeli, Finland, at the Kalevankankaan jäähalli (known since 2016 as Ikioma Areena). The team has won 7 Mestis (2nd highest lev ...
,
Mikkeli
Mikkeli (; sv, S:t Michel; la, Michaelia) is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in what used to be the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Etelä-Savo region. The municipality has a population of () (around 34,000 ...
:
2018–19 season
Lohko 1
#
Espoon Kiekkoseura (EKS), Espoo
# Uudenkaupungin Jää-Kotkat (UJK), Uusikaupunki
# Salo HT, Salo
# Rockets, Loimaa
# PaRa, Panelia
:
Lohko 2
#
Ylivieskan Jääkarhut (YJK),
Ylivieska
Ylivieska () is a town and municipality of Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland. It has a population of (), and it serves as the administrative centre for Kalajokilaakso and Pyhäjokilaakso, an area with a population of about 90,000 inhabitants ...
#
Ruoveden Seurakunnan Atleetit (RuoSkA),
Ruovesi
Ruovesi is a municipality of Finland.
It is located in the Pirkanmaa region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .
Neighbouring municipalities are Juupajoki, Mänttä-Vil ...
#
Ähtärin Kiekko-Haukat (KieHa),
Ähtäri
Ähtäri ( sv, Etseri) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the South Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . Ähtäri is located southeast of ...
#
Junkkarit Hockey Team (JHT),
Kalajoki
Kalajoki (; literally translated the "fish river") is a coastal town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Gulf of Bothnia in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region.
The town has ...
:
Lohko 3
# SaiPa
# KalPa Akatemia
# LL-89 Red Lights,
# Jukurit, Mikkeli
#
Joensuun Kiekko-Pojat (Jokipojat),
Joensuu
Joensuu (; krl, Jovensuu; ) is a city and municipality in North Karelia, Finland, located on the northern shore of Lake Pyhäselkä (northern part of Lake Saimaa) at the mouth of the Pielinen River (''Pielisjoki''). It was founded in 1848. Th ...
:
References
{{Naisten Liiga
Ice hockey leagues in Finland
Women's ice hockey in Finland
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
Ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...