The Katja Riipi Award () is an ice hockey trophy, seasonally awarded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the best forward of the Auroraliiga (previously called the and ). Best forward in the Auroraliiga was first awarded in the 2005–06 season, to Saara Tuominen of Ilves Tampere. The award was named in honor of Katja Riipi during the 2010–11 season.
Twelve players have won the award and, of the twelve, three have won it more than once. Young phenom Elisa Holopainen, a left winger, won the award six times and was the first player to win the award more than two consecutive times. Holopainen's win in 2023 broke the four-win record first set by Linda Välimäki. Välimäki, a centre, first won the trophy in the 2009–10 season, while playing with Ilves Tampere – the team she would later coach during 2020 to 2022. Her later three titles were awarded while playing with the Kiekko-Espoo franchise, winning consecutive trophies in 2014 and 2015, when the team was called the Espoo Blues, and in the 2017, when the team was called Espoo United. Anne Helin, who won the trophy in the 2010–11 season and 2012–13, is the only other player to have been awarded the Katja Riipi Award more than once.
Award winners Season Winner Team 2005–06 Ilves Tampere2006–07 Espoo Blues2007–08 Oulun Kärpät2008–09 Espoo Blues2009–10 Ilves Tampere2010–11 Oulun Kärpät2011–12 Oulun Kärpät2012–13 Oulun Kärpät2013–14 Espoo Blues2014–15 Espoo Blues2015–16 JYP Jyväskylä2016–17 Espoo United2017–18 Team Kuortane2018–19 KalPa Kuopio2019–20 KalPa Kuopio2020–21 KalPa Kuopio2021–22 Kiekko-Espoo2022–23 KalPa Kuopio2023–24 KalPa Kuopio2024–25 Kiekko-Espoo2025–26 IFK Helsinki Source: Elite Prospects
All-time award recipients + Player Wins Year(s) won 6 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 4 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017 2 2011, 2013 1 2009 1 2008 1 2018 1 2016 1 2007 1 2026 1 2012 1 2006 1 2025
References