The 2025–26 Mestis season is the 26th season of Mestis, the second level of ice hockey in Finland. 10 teams participates in the league and each will play 49 games during the regular season.
The regular season is followed by playoffs, promotion and relegation series. The winner of the playoffs will be declared the Champion of Mestis and will participate in the promotion series to Liiga. Those teams finishing ninth and tenth will play a series to avoid relegation to Suomi-sarja.
Clubs Updated 13 May 2025. Team City Home arena, capacity Founded Head coach Hermes Kokkola Kokkolan jäähalli, 4,200 1953 Anders Eriksén IPK Iisalmi Kankaan jäähalli, 1380 1966 Marko Tuomainen Jokerit Helsinki Helsinki Ice Hall, 8,200Veikkaus Arena, 13,349 1967 Tomek Valtonen JoKP Joensuu Mehtimäki Ice Hall, 4,800 1953 Juha-Matti Kemppainen Ketterä Imatra Imatra Spa Areena, 1,300 1957 Janne Tuunanen KeuPa HT Keuruu Keuruun Jäähalli, 1,100 1995 Niko Raiskio Kiekko-Vantaa Vantaa Trio Areena, 3,700 1994 Jani Manninen Pyry Hockey Nokia Kattokeskus Areena, 1,100 1905 Toni Rautakorpi RoKi Rovaniemi Lappi Areena, 3,500 1979 Mikko Sirento-Manninen TUTO Hockey Turku Rajupaja Areena, 3,000 1929 Samuli Marjeta
Team changes The following team changes have happened for the 2025–26 season:
To Mestis
Promoted from Suomi-sarja Pyry Hockey
Relegated from Liiga None
From Mestis
Promoted to Liiga Jokerit
Relegated to Suomi-sarja Hokki (bankrupt)
Regular season
The regular season consists of 49 matches. Rules for classification: 1) Total points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Penalty minutes
Playoffs Playoffs are being played in three stages. Quarter-Finals with the semifinals and the finals being a best-of-7 series. The teams are reseeded after the first two stages, so that the best team by regular season performance to make the quarter-finals and the semifinals faces the worst team in the corresponding stage. The bronze medal will be decided in a single game.
Bracket
Promotion
Due to the Liiga system reform, there will be no promotion this season. For the 2026–2027 Liiga season, the Mestis champion will be promoted alongside Jokerit, the champion of the 2024–2025 Mestis season. If Jokerit wins the current season as well, the runner-up from this season will be promoted instead.
Playout and Relegation series The bottom two teams from the regular season will compete in a playout series, with the winner securing their spot in Mestis. The loser will then face the Suomi-sarja champion in a relegation series to determine who will play in Mestis next season
Both the playout and the relegation series are played as a best-of-7 series.
Bracket
References