The Women's Japan Ice Hockey League (WJIHL, ) is the premier 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

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Also known by the nickname Smile League () or Smile Japan League, it was founded in 2012 by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation and is contested in addition to the All-Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship tournament. Nine teams participated in the 2020–21 season, of which eight were based in the northern island-province of

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

and one in the Tokyo Metropolis. The league’s most successful team, the

Seibu Princess Rabbits The Seibu Princess Rabbits () are an ice hockey team in the Women's Japan Ice Hockey League and All-Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship. They are based in Nishitōkyō, a city in the western Tōkyō Metropolis, and play at the Higashi-Fushimi ...

, won the first eight league titles and have never placed lower than second.

DK Peregrine DK (or variants) may refer to: In arts and entertainment Film and television * ''DK'' (film), a 2015 Indian film * Derek "DK" Kitson, a character in the television series ''Third Watch'', played by Derek Kelly * Dark Kingdom (professional wr ...

are the only other team to have won gold and claimed seven of the first eight championship silver medals.

History

2012–13 season

The first season of the JWIHL, 2012–13, was played in two stages: a placement tournament and a final tournament. In the first stage, held during 5 to 8 October 2012, the ten participating teams were divided into two groups of five and each group played a single round-robin of ten games. The top two teams from each group and the third ranked team with the higher point total from the first stage qualified for the top league and the remaining five teams competed in the lower league of the second stage tournament. The second stage was also played as a single round-robin and was held during 22 to 25 November 2012. The first champions of the WJIHL were the Seibu Princess Rabbits.

Teams

2020–21 season

Team name history * Peregrine **2015–present: Douro Kensetsu Peregrine (DK Peregrine) **2011–2015: Mitsuboshi Daito Peregrine (MD Peregrine) * Mikage Gretz **2018–present: Takasu Clinic Mikage Gretz (TC Mikage Gretz) **2011–2018: Full-time System Mikage Gretz (FTS Mikage Gretz)

Past participants

* Daishin B (Kushiro, Hokkaido) * Daito Kaihatsu Nexus/Tomakomai Nexus (Tomakomai, Hokkaido) * Ganba X Maria Jaspers * Hachinohe Reds ( Hachinohe,

Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, ...

) * Makomanai Ladies Ice Hockey Club (Sapporo, Hokkaido) * Queen Bears (Nishitokyo, Tokyo)

Champions

All-time medal count

References

External links

Official website
of the Japan Ice Hockey Federation * League information and statistics fro
EliteProspects.com
{{Women's Ice Hockey Leagues, state=collapsed Women's sports leagues in Japan Women's ice hockey leagues in Asia Women's ice hockey in Japan Ice hockey competitions in Japan Women's Japan Ice Hockey League