Mestis (from fi, Mestaruussarja, meaning 'Championship series') is the second-highest men's
ice hockey league in
Finland. The league was established by the
Finnish Ice Hockey Association in
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
to replace the
I-divisioona I-Divisioona was the second tier of 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 hock ...
('First Division'). It had initially been the highest hockey league in Finland that could be reached through playing merits alone; the
SM-liiga was closed (to teams being
relegated or promoted) in 2000. After the
2004–05 season,
KalPa
Kalevan Pallo (KalPa) is a professional ice hockey team which competes in the Finnish Liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Olvi Areena.
Team history
Established in 1929 as ''Sortavalan Palloseura'' in Sortavala, the club relocated to Kuop ...
was promoted to the SM-liiga, and the Liiga was re-opened in the
2008–09 season.
Vaasan Sport was promoted in
2014–15,
KooKoo
''KooKoo'' is the debut solo album by American singer Debbie Harry, released on July 27, 1981, by Chrysalis Records. Produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, the album was recorded whilst Harry took a break from her band Blondie. I ...
was promoted in
2015–16, and
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 ...
was promoted in
2016–17.
Mestis, however, is an open league, with promotion and relegation between it and
Suomi-sarja. However there will be no relegation during the
2020-21 season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Clubs
Winners
Medaltable:
Past participants
*
Jää-Kotkat, relegated to the
Suomi-sarja in 2003.
*
Hyvinkään Ahmat, relegated to the Suomi-sarja in 2004.
*
KalPa
Kalevan Pallo (KalPa) is a professional ice hockey team which competes in the Finnish Liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Olvi Areena.
Team history
Established in 1929 as ''Sortavalan Palloseura'' in Sortavala, the club relocated to Kuop ...
, promoted to the SM-liiga in 2005.
*
Haukat
The Jääurheiluseura Hawks, commonly known as the Haukat ('Hawks'), is a men's ice hockey team in the Suomi-sarja, the third-tier professional ice hockey league in Finland. The team is based in Järvenpää, in the Uusimaa region of southern F ...
, resigned in 2006.
*
FPS and
KOOVEE, relegated to the Suomi-sarja in 2007.
*
HC Salamat relegated to the Suomi-sarja in 2008.
*
Kotkan Titaanit relegated to the Suomi-sarja in 2009.
*
Kiekko-Laser went bankrupt in 2011.
*
Vaasan Sport, promoted to the Liiga in 2014.
*
HC Keski-Uusimaa was abandoned serial place in 2014.
*
KooKoo
''KooKoo'' is the debut solo album by American singer Debbie Harry, released on July 27, 1981, by Chrysalis Records. Produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic, the album was recorded whilst Harry took a break from her band Blondie. I ...
, promoted to the Liiga in 2015.
*
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 ...
, promoted to the Liiga in 2016.
*
JYP-Akatemia, relegated to the Suomi-sarja and folded in 2017.
*
Hokki, went bankrupt in 2017.
*
Espoo United, went bankrupt in 2018.
*
LeKi, did not receive a license in 2019.
*
SaPKo, went bankrupt in 2022.
Mestis timeline
References
External links
MestisOfficial website (in Finnish)
{{SM-liiga
Professional ice hockey leagues in Finland
Fin
A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. Fin ...