Auroraliiga is the national championship league for women's ice hockey in Finland. Founded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association as the Naisten SM-sarja (NSMs; ) in 1982, it was known as the Naisten Liiga (NSML; ) from 2017 until being rebranded as Auroraliiga in 2024. The league comprises approximately 200 players across eight teams.
Kiekko-Espoo has been the dominating force of the Auroraliiga in the 21st century, winning eighteen Finnish Championships from 1999 to 2026. Tampereen Ilves is the second most successful club in the league's history, with ten championship titles. Ilves are the only organization to have iced a team in every season since the league's inception.
A majority of teams in Auroraliiga share their names with men's professional teams in the Liiga or Mestis – HIFK, HPK, Ilves, KalPa, Kiekko-Espoo, Kärpät, RoKi, TPS – but the women's teams have historically received few resources and limited promotion from the affiliated men's clubs. In recent years progress has been made in building better relationships between the men's and women's teams; most men's clubs now provide some support to their women's counterparts by advertising games together or helping secure sponsorships.
Format Season The Finnish Ice Hockey Association has altered the season format of the Auroraliiga several times over the league's history. The system currently in use was introduced for the 2022–23 season. It added six games per team to the regular season schedule and matched the season structure of the league's closest neighbor, the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL). The new format replaced the previous twenty-game preliminary series and ten-game divisional series structure, which was first introduced in the 2018–19 season and refined prior to the 2019–20 season.
Regular season The regular season is a quadruple round-robin tournament, in which each team plays every other team four times – typically, a team plays every other team twice at home and twice away – resulting in a 36-game season per team. Teams are ranked by points, with three points awarded for a win in regulation time, two points for an overtime win, one point for an overtime loss, and no points awarded for a regulation loss. Individual player statistics from the regular season determine the winner of the Marianne Ihalainen Award for most points, the Tiia Reima Award for most goals scored, and the Sari Fisk Award for best plus–minus.
The top eight teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the Auroraliiga playoffs.
Playoffs
The three rounds of the Auroraliiga playoffs () are played as best-of series, with the exception of the single-elimination game for the Finnish Championship bronze medal. In the best-of-five quarterfinals, teams are paired by seeding from the regular season, with the first seed facing the eighth seed, the second seed facing the seventh seed, and so on. The semifinals and finals are best-of-seven series.
The champions of the Auroraliiga playoffs receive the Aurora Borealis Cup as league champions and gold medals as Finnish Champions in women's ice hockey. Selected by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, the MVP of the playoffs is awarded the Karoliina Rantamäki Trophy.
Qualification The team finishing the season in ninth place plays a promotion/relegation series () against the winner of the Naisten Mestis playoffs. The winner of the series qualifies for the following Auroraliiga season and the loser is relegated to (or remains in) the Naisten Mestis for the following season.
Game format
A regulation game is sixty minutes in length, played over three 20-minute periods. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation time the winner is decided by a five-minute-length, three-skaters-per-side overtime period.
If the game remains tied after the overtime period, the teams proceed to a shootout, in which each team designates three skaters to take penalty shots, one at a time, against the opposing goaltender. Teams alternate shots and each team takes one shot per round. The winner is the team with more goals after three rounds or the team that amasses an unreachable advantage before the third round. If the shootout is tied after three rounds, tie-breaker rounds are played one at a time until there is a winner.
Teams 2026–27 season
Team Location Home venue Head coach Captain HIFK Pirkkolan jäähalli HPK Pihlajalinna Areena Ilves Tampere Tesoman jäähalli Kiekko-Espoo Espoo Tapiolan harjoitusareena Kärpät Oulu Raksilan jäähalli Pelicans Lahti Wemasto Areena Team Kuortane Alavus Alavus Areena TPS Turku Kupittaan jäähalli
Past participants
1980s Ässät (Pori), 1982–1995 EVU (Vantaa), 1982–1990 Haukat (Järvenpää), 1982–83 HJK (Helsinki), 1982–1986 Jäähonka (Espoo), 1982–1984 SaiPa (Lappeenranta), 1982–1992 Shakers (Kerava), 1982–1985 & 1986–1996 Tiikerit (Hämeenlinna), 1982–1984, 1987–88 & 1989–90 Kiekko-Vesa (Raahe), 1983–1985 Teräs-Kiekko (Raahe), 1983–1985 Ilves-Kiekko (Tampere), 1984–1987 & 1988–1990 Ketterä (Imatra), 1984–85 & 1991–1993 StU (Savitaipale), 1984–85
1990s Karhut (Joensuu) JoKP, 1992–1994 Kiekko-Karhut, 1994–1997 Karhut, 1997–98 Tappara (Tampere), 1993–94 & 1997–2008 JyP HT (Jyväskylä) JyP HT, 1989–1997 JYP, 1997–2000 IHK (Helsinki), 1998–2009 K-Kissat (Helsinki), 1999–2002
2000s JyHC (Jyväskylä) JyHC, 1996–2004 Cats, 2004–2009 JYP, 2009–2016 & 2020–21 KS Noux (Espoo), 2002–03 Y-Ilves (Ylöjärvi), 2002–2004 Team China, 2005–2007 LoKV (Lohja), 2008–2012 Salo HT (Salo), 2008–2013
2010s & 2020s APV (Alavus), 2009–10, 2019–20 & 2021–22 KJT (Kerava) KJT, 2013–2018 KJT Haukat, 2018–19 Sport (Vaasa), 2018–2022 Lukko (Rauma), 2016–2021 & 2022–23 RoKi (Rovaniemi), 2020–2026 KalPa (Kuopio), 2010–2026
Sources:
Champions
All-time medal count – team active in the 2026–27 Auroraliiga season + Team Kiekko-Espoo 18 4 8Ilves Tampere 10 12 8Kärpät Oulu 3 7 8Shakers Kerava 3 4 1JYP Jyväskylä 3 4 0IFK Helsingfors (HIFK) 2 1 3Helsingin Jääkiekkoklubi (HJK) 2 1 1Etelä-Vantaan Urheilijat (EVU) 1 5 1Hämeenlinnan Pallokerho (HPK) 1 3 4Kalevan Pallo (KalPa) 0 1 4Itä-Helsingin Kiekko (IHK) 0 1 1Saimaan Pallo (SaiPa) 0 0 1Team Kuortane 0 0 1Sport Vaasa 0 0 1
Sources:
Finnish Champions by season
+ Season Champion Runner-up Third PlaceNaisten SM-sarja 1982–83 HJK Helsinki Ilves Tampere EVU Vantaa 1983–84 HJK Helsinki EVU Vantaa Ilves Tampere 1984–85 Ilves Tampere EVU Vantaa HJK Helsinki 1985–86 Ilves Tampere HJK Helsinki Vaasan Sport 1986–87 Ilves Tampere EVU Vantaa Shakers Kerava 1987–88 Ilves Tampere EVU Vantaa IFK Helsinki 1988–89 EVU Vantaa Ilves Tampere IFK Helsinki 1989–90 Ilves Tampere EVU Vantaa SaiPa Lappeenranta 1990–91 Ilves Tampere Shakers Kerava EKS Espoo† 1991–92 Ilves Tampere Shakers Kerava EKS Espoo† 1992–93 Ilves Tampere Shakers Kerava Kiekko-Espoo 1993–94 Shakers Kerava Ilves Tampere Kiekko-Espoo 1994–95 Shakers Kerava Ilves Tampere KalPa Kuopio 1995–96 Shakers Kerava Oulun Kärpät KalPa Kuopio 1996–97 JyP HT Jyväskylä‡ Shakers Kerava Kiekko-Espoo 1997–98 JYP Jyväskylä Kärpät Oulu Kiekko-Espoo 1998–99 Espoo Blues† JYP Jyväskylä Ilves Tampere 1999-2000 Espoo Blues† Kärpät Oulu Ilves Tampere 2000–01 Espoo Blues† Kärpät Oulu Ilves Tampere 2001–02 Espoo Blues† IHK Helsinki Kärpät Oulu 2002–03 Espoo Blues† Kärpät Oulu Ilves Tampere 2003–04 Espoo Blues† Ilves Tampere Kärpät Oulu 2004–05 Espoo Blues† Ilves Tampere Kärpät Oulu 2005–06 Ilves Tampere Kärpät Oulu Espoo Blues† 2006–07 Espoo Blues† Kärpät Oulu IHK Helsinki 2007–08 Espoo Blues† Ilves Tampere Oulun Kärpät 2008–09 Espoo Blues† Ilves Tampere HPK Hämeenlinna 2009–10 Ilves Tampere Espoo Blues† HPK Hämeenlinna 2010–11 HPK Hämeenlinna Ilves Tampere Kärpät Oulu 2011–12 Kärpät Oulu Ilves Tampere HPK Hämeenlinna 2012–13 Espoo Blues† JYP Jyväskylä Kärpät Oulu 2013–14 Espoo Blues† JYP Jyväskylä HPK Hämeenlinna 2014–15 Espoo Blues† JYP Jyväskylä Ilves Tampere 2015–16 JYP Jyväskylä HPK Hämeenlinna Espoo Blues† 2016–17 Kärpät Oulu Espoo United† KalPa KuopioNaisten Liiga 2017–18 Kärpät Oulu Ilves Tampere Team Kuortane 2018–19 Espoo Blues† Ilves Tampere Kärpät Oulu2019–20Post-season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. 2020–21 Kiekko-Espoo KalPa Kuopio IFK Helsinki 2021–22 Kiekko-Espoo IFK Helsinki Kärpät Oulu 2022–23 IFK Helsinki Kiekko-Espoo KalPa Kuopio 2023–24 IFK Helsinki Kiekko-Espoo KalPa KuopioAuroraliiga 2024–25 Kiekko-Espoo HPK Hämeenlinna Ilves Tampere 2025–26 Kiekko-Espoo HPK Hämeenlinna Ilves Tampere Notes: † Included in record of Kiekko-Espoo ‡ Included in record of JYP Jyväskylä
Sources:
League records All-time records of the Auroraliiga, from the 1982–83 season through the conclusion of the 2025–26 regular season and 2026 Aurora Borealis Cup playoffs.
Single-season records Players appearing in ten or fewer games during a single season are not included. Most goals: Riikka Sallinen, 73 goals (21 games; 1993–94, Shakers) Most assists: Jenni Hiirikoski, 62 assists (28 games; 2015–16, JYP) Most points: Riikka Sallinen, 129 points (21 games; 1993–94, Shakers) Most points, defenseman: Jenni Hiirikoski, 79 points (29 games; 2015–16, JYP) Best points per game: Riikka Sallinen, 6.14 points per game (21 games; 1993–94, Shakers)
Most penalty minutes: Jenna Grönroos, 98 PIM (15 games; 2011–12, LoKV) Best save percentage: Meeri Räisänen, .965 SV% (21 games; 2012–13, JYP) Best goals against average: Vilma Vaattovaara, 0.53 GAA (12 games; 2009–10, HPK) Most shutouts: Meeri Räisänen, 7 shutouts (21 games; 2012–13, JYP)
Single-playoff records Players appearing in three or fewer games during a single playoff are not included. Most goals: Elisa Holopainen, 19 goals (12 games; 2022, Kiekko-Espoo) Most assists: Susanna Tapani, 14 assists (6 games; 2015, HPK) Most points: Elisa Holopainen, 29 points (12 games; 2022, Kiekko-Espoo) Most points, defenseman: Nelli Laitinen, 21 points (10 games; 2022, Kiekko-Espoo) Best points per game: Riikka Sallinen, 4.40 points per game (5 games; 1994, Shakers) Most penalty minutes: Marjo Voutilainen, 45 PIM (4 games; 2012, KalPa) Best save percentage: Noora Räty, .970 SV% (9 games; 2008, Blues) Best goals against average: Meeri Räisänen, 0.80 (6 games; 2016, JYP) Most shutouts: Two players, 5 shutouts Isabella Portnoj (9 games; 2013, Blues) Tiia Pajarinen (10 games; 2021, Kiekko-Espoo)
Career records Players appearing in fewer than thirty regular season games during their Auroraliiga career are not included. Most games played, skater: Riikka Noronen, 644 games (1995–2022) Most goals: Karoliina Rantamäki, 414 goals (483 games; 1992–2026) Most assists: Riikka Noronen, 447 assists (644 games; 1995–2022) Most points: Karoliina Rantamäki, 805 points (483 games; 1992–2026) Most points, defenseman: Päivi Halonen, 495 points (408 games; 1982–2006) Best points per game: Michelle Karvinen, 3.667 points per game (39 games; 2007–2009) Most penalty minutes: Tea Villilä, 485 PIM (294 games; 2007–2025) Most games played, goaltender: Tiina Ranne, 245 games (2010–2026) Best save percentage: Johanna Oksman, .931 SV% (100 games; 2012–2022) Best goals against average: Kiia Lahtinen, 1.48 GAA (48 games; 2019–2024) Most shutouts: Tiina Ranne, 36 shutouts (228 games; 2010–2026)
Career playoff records Players appearing in ten or fewer Finnish Championship playoff games during their career are not included. Most games played, skater: Saija Tarkki, 145 games (1997–2019) Most goals: Karoliina Rantamäki, 87 goals (142 games; 1992–2026) Most assists: Karoliina Rantamäki, 80 assists (142 games; 1992–2026) Most points: Karoliina Rantamäki, 167 points (142 games; 1992–2026) Most points, defenseman: Saija Tarkki, 89 points (145 games; 1997–2019) Best points per game: Michelle Karvinen, 2.27 points per game (15 games; 2007–2009) Most penalty minutes: Tea Villilä, 151 PIM (121 games; 2007–2025) Most games played, goaltender: Tiia Pajarinen, 74 games (2015–2026) Best save percentage: Kassidy Sauvé, .939 SV% (12 games; 2021–2024)