Auroraliiga

For the women's association football league previously called Naisten Liiga, see Kansallinen Liiga.

Auroraliiga
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024–25 Auroraliiga season
Formerly
  • Naisten Liiga
  • 2017–2024
  • Naisten SM-sarja
  • 1982–2017
SportIce hockey
Founded1982 (1982)
First season
DirectorHenni Laaksonen[1]
Organising bodyFinnish Ice Hockey Association
No. of teams9
Country Finland
Most recent
champion(s)		IFK Helsinki
(2023–24)
Most titlesKiekko-Espoo (16)
Streaming partner(s)
Relegation toNaisten Mestis
International cup(s)European Women's Champions Cup
Official websiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

The Auroraliiga is the national premier league for women's ice hockey in Finland. Founded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association as the Naisten SM-sarja (NSMs; lit. 'Women's Finnish Championship series') in 1982, it was known as the Naisten Liiga (NSML;lit. 'Women's League') from 2017[2][3] until being rebranded as Auroraliiga in 2024. The league comprises approximately 225 players across nine teams.

Kiekko-Espoo has been the dominating force of the Auroraliiga in the 21st century, winning sixteen Finnish Championships from 1999 to 2022.[4] Tampereen Ilves is the second most successful club in league 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, Lukko, RoKi, TPS – but the women's teams have historically received few resources and limited promotion from the affiliated men's clubs.[5] 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.[6][7]

  1. ^ Forsberg, Paavo; Leinonen, Simo (21 September 2023). "Naisten Liigan uusi pomo kertoo nyt, miten kiekkosarjan arvostus saadaan nousuun – "Voisi olla jo pientä palkkarakennettakin"". Yle Urheilu (in Finnish). Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  2. ^ Foster, Meredith (21 March 2017). "Finnish Women's Hockey League Unveils New Name, Logo". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Naisten SM-sarja historiaan - Ensi kaudella pelataan Naisten Liigaa". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). 21 March 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  4. ^ Foster, Meredith (26 March 2019). "The Espoo Blues are the 2019 Aurora Borealis Cup Champions". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  5. ^ Foster, Meredith (24 March 2017). "Women's Pro Hockey in Finland Tries to Get More Spotlight". The Victory Press. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  6. ^ Aykroyd, Lucas (29 March 2019). "Women's Worlds media round-table". International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  7. ^ Teiskonlahti, Kirsi (11 September 2018). "Naiskiekon arvostus on kasvanut, mutta ihannetilanteeseen on Suomessa vielä pitkä matka – kehitys vaatii hurmosta ja SM-liigaseurojen apua" [Appreciation for women's hockey has increased but it is far from an ideal situation in Finland - development will require funds and assistance from Liiga clubs]. Yle Urheilu (in Finnish). Retrieved 8 July 2019.