The 2024–25 Auroraliiga season was the 42nd ice hockey season of the Auroraliiga. It was the first season since the league re-branded to Auroraliiga from Naisten Liiga, the name that had been in use since 2017. The regular season began on 6 September 2024 and concluded on 16 February 2025. The 2025 Aurora Borealis Cup playoffs began on 22 February and concluded on 29 March.
Kiekko-Espoo were the Aurora Borealis Cup champions, claiming the franchise's seventeenth Finnish Championship title. Kiekko-Espoo also won the 2024–25 regular season title to continue their reign from the 2023–24 regular season.
League changes League rebrand Founded in 1982 as the and known as the (NSML) since 2017, the league announced it had rebranded as on 15 August 2024. Announcing the name change, league director Henni Laaksonen emphasized, "it is high time to play ice hockey without prefixes" – referring to the intentional move away from using "women's [ice hockey]" () in the new branding – and outlined the league's goal to develop into a top international league that will enable its players to experience the everyday life of professional athletes.
The rebranding included a new wordmark and a black-and-green color scheme.
Postseason format Adjustments to the Auroraliiga postseason format were approved by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association in May 2024 and included extending the playoff semifinals and finals from best-of-five to best-of-seven series.
The league qualifiers will be a best-of-five series played by the last place (i.e. ninth ranked) team of the Auroraliiga and the winner of the Naisten Mestis playoffs, regardless of the teams.
Coaching changes TeamPrevious coachNew coach Details KalPa Mika Väärälä Artturi Rouhiainen Väärälä announced he would not continue as head coach of KalPa on 17 March 2024, a day after successfully coaching the team to its second consecutive Finnish Championship bronze medal. Specifics regarding his departure were not reported, however the relationship between the club and coach appeared amicable and he wished the team much success in the future. Väärälä was later appointed associate coach of HK Budapest as the team moved from the European Women's Hockey League (EWHL) to the German Women's Ice Hockey League (DFEL) ahead of the 2024–25 season.Rouhiainen was announced as the new head coach of KalPa on 20 March 2024. The 29-year old spent the 2023–24 season as head coach of KalPa's girls' under-15 team and associate head coach of the girls' under-16 team, while finishing a degree in physical education. Kärpät Satu Kiipeli Teemu Koivula After starting the 2023–24 season as an assistant coach with Kärpät, Kiipeli took on head coaching duties in October 2023 following the resignation of head coach Sanna Lankosaari earlier that month. The team achieved a 9-23 win–loss record on the season and were swept in the quarterfinals of the 2024 playoffs by eventual Aurora Borealis Cup champions HIFK.Koivula was head coach of RoKi during the 2023–24 season, in which the team finished at the bottom of the Naisten Liiga standings. He was announced as the new head coach of Kärpät on 27 March 2024 and, at the same time, it was confirmed that Kiipeli would remain with the team and return to her previous role as assistant coach. RoKi Teemu Koivula Oona Parviainen
Player movements Note: This section does not record all player signings. It is generally limited to player movements involving national team players from any country, international import players, and extra-league signings. Player nationality displayed is limited to primary nation of IIHF eligibility; some players may hold citizenship in more than one country. Player Nat Previous team 2024–25 team ref.Incoming players Lea Glosíková (F) Hoosac Owls (NEPSAC) TPS Turku Manuela Heidenberger (F) EV Bozen Eagles (EWHL/IHLW) HPK Hämeenlinna Anni Keisala (G) HV71 (SDHL) HPK Hämeenlinna Peppi Kähkönen (F) Hamline Pipers (NCAA D3) TPS Turku Anni Montonen (F) HV71 (SDHL) Kiekko-Espoo Matilda Nilsson (F) Frölunda HC (SDHL) Ilves Tampere Kokoro Ota (D) Seibu Princess Rabbits (WJIHL) KalPa KuopioIntra-league transfers Tiina Ranne (G) KalPa Kuopio TPS Turku Karoliina Rantamäki (F) IFK Helsinki Kiekko-Espoo Mikaela Saukkonen (D) IFK Helsinki HPK Hämeenlinna Peppi Virtanen (F) Team Kuortane HPK HämeenlinnaDeparting players Kati Asikainen (G) Kärpät Oulu HC Fribourg-Gottéron (SWHL A) Oona Havana (F) Kärpät Oulu Vermont Catamounts (NCAA D1) Elisa Holopainen (F) KalPa Kuopio Frölunda HC (SDHL) Eliška Hotová (F) TPS Turku HC Příbram (Extraliga žen) Liisa Kastikainen (F) KalPa Kuopio Örebro HK (NDHL) Oona Koukkula (D) HPK Hämeenlinna Brynäs IF (SDHL) Jenniina Kuoppala (D) Team Kuortane Örebro HK (NDHL) Emilia Kyrkkö (G) Team Kuortane St. Cloud State Huskies (NCAA D1) Kiia Lahtinen (G) IFK Helsinki Maine Black Bears (NCAA D1) Olivia Last (G) TPS Turku St. Olaf Oles (NCAA D3) Julia Liikala (F) IFK Helsinki HC Ambrì-Piotta Girls (SWHL A) Nenna Mehtonen (D) IFK Helsinki Örebro HK (NDHL) Michaela Pejzlová (F) IFK Helsinki HC Ambrì-Piotta Girls (SWHL A) Sanni Rantala (D) KalPa Kuopio Frölunda HC (SDHL) Clara Rozier (F) IFK Helsinki SC Bern (SWHL A) Kassidy Sauvé (G) HPK Hämeenlinna SDE Hockey (SDHL) Julia Schalin (F) Kiekko-Espoo Mercyhurst Lakers (NCAA D1) Sanni Vanhanen (F) IFK Helsinki Brynäs IF (SDHL) Siiri Yrjölä (D) IFK Helsinki St. Cloud State Huskies (NCAA D1) Julia Zielińska (F) Kiekko-Espoo Bemidji State Beavers (NCAA D1)
Teams
Team Location Home venue Head coach Captain HIFK Pirkkolan jäähalli HPK Hämeenlinna Jääliikuntakeskus Hakio Ilves Tampere Tesoman jäähalli KalPa Kuopio Niiralan Monttu Kiekko-Espoo Espoo Tapiolan harjoitusareena Kärpät Oulu Raksilan jäähalli RoKi Rovaniemi Lappi Areena Team Kuortane Kuortane Kuortaneen jäähalli TPS Turku Kupittaan jäähalli
Preseason The preseason began on 9 August 2024 and comprised exhibition games played between Auroraliiga teams or between an Auroraliiga team and a boys' junior team from the youth department of the same club or a local club. The Regina Cougars women's ice hockey team from the University of Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada played three exhibition matches – against Ilves, HIFK, and HPK, respectively – during the Auroraliiga preseason. No exhibition matches were scheduled for RoKi.
Schedule Exhibition games Date Home Score Visitor OT Attn Notes Recap9 August HIFK 3–5 HIFK U16 II 49 10 August TPS 4–6 Ilves 30 Kärpät 1–4 Kärpät U15 Valkoinen 80 HPK 4–3 60 11 August Ilves 8–3 TPS 49Hat-trick by Noora Mylläri 6–0 HPK 70Shutout recorded by Tiia Pajarinen 15 August Kuortane 20–0 S-Kiekko U14 Musta 20 16 August Ilves 5–0 Regina Cougars KalPa 3–3 KalPa U16 Ak SO 28 17 August TPS 3–3 HPK SO 50 HIFK 8–2 Warriors U16 32 Ilves 2–7 55 18 August HIFK 2–0 Regina Cougars 6–1 Ilves 60Hat-trick by Lisette Täks 20 August HPK 1–3 Regina Cougars 23 August TPS 3–4 K-Espoo 24 August HPK 7–2 Ilves 80 K-Espoo 6–0 TPS 60 25 August HIFK 0–7 HIFK U15 AAA 61Shutout recorded by Onni Tennberg Ilves 3–2 HPK 70 29 August Kuortane 2–5 S-Kiekko U15 Sininen 20 30 August KalPa 3–1 KalPa U16 Ak 30
Regular season The regular season began on Friday, 6 September 2024. The season opening weekend was hosted in Turku, with eight of nine games played at Turkuhalli and the Sunday match between Team Kuortane and HPK played at Kupittaan jäähalli.
Standings
Results