The Naisten Suomi-sarja (lit.'Women's Finland Series'), distinguished as the Jääkiekon naisten Suomi-sarja (lit.'Ice Hockey Women's Finland Series'), is the third-tier women's national ice hockey league in Finland.[1] It was established by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association in 2003 and is the lowest tier of national ice hockey competition, below the premier Auroraliiga and secondary Naisten Mestis, but above regional leagues (Finnish: Naisten alueelliset harrastesarjat).

Naisten Suomi-sarja
SportIce hockey
Founded2003 (2003)
First season2003–04
AdministratorFinnish Ice Hockey Association
No. of teams13
Countries Finland
Promotion toNaisten Mestis

Season format

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2023–24 season

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Beginning in the 2023–24 season, the Naisten Mestis adopted the ten team, 36-game format used by the Auroraliiga. Since then, all teams not playing in the Auroraliiga or Naisten Mestis and any new teams play in the Naisten Suomi-sarja by default. The top teams in the Naisten Suomi-sarja have the opportunity to earn promotion to the Naisten Mestis in a promotion/relegation series against the bottom ranked Naisten Mestis teams at the end of the season.[2]

Previous formats

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2022–23 season

Excepting the ten teams of the Naisten Liiga, all women's ice hockey teams competing at the national level began the season in the Naisten Mestis qualifiers (Finnish: karsinta). The Naisten Mestis qualifiers, which were contested during September to December 2022, involved eighteen teams divided into three groups of five to seven teams. In the closed groups, each team played every other team at least twice. The top eight teams at the end of the qualifiers continued in the Naisten Mestis and the remaining teams filled the ranks of the Naisten Suomi-sarja.[2]

2016–2022 seasons

With the exception of the eight Naisten SM-sarja teams, all women's teams teams started the season in the Naisten Mestis qualifiers. The top eight teams qualified for the Naisten Mestis regular season and the remaining teams continued the season in the Naisten Suomi-sarja.

The best four teams of the Naisten Suomi-sarja regular season earned placement in the finals of the Naisten Mestis. The other teams continued the season in the final series of the Naisten Suomi-sarja. The series winner was determined in the final tournament.[3]

Teams

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PaRa
 
 
TPS Ak /
Turku HC
 
JyKi
 
KeuPa
 
Kiilat
 
LL-89
 
MuJK
 
S-Kiekko
Location in Finland of teams participating in   Lohko 1 and   Lohko 2 of the 2023–24 Naisten Suomi-sarja season.
 
 
Salo HT
Location in Uusimaa (yellow) and eastern Southwest Finland (gray, left) of teams participating in   Lohko 1 of the 2023–24 Naisten Suomi-sarja season.

2023–24 season

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Lohko 1

Source: [5]

Lohko 2

Source: [6]

Teams in previous seasons

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Each team that participated in the Naisten Suomi-sarja is listed by rank within their lohko (lit.'group') at the end of the regular season.

2022–23 season

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2021–22 season

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2020–21 season

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2019–20 season

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2018–19 season

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References

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  1. ^ "Elite Prospects - Suomi-sarja (W)". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b Antila, Pirkka (28 April 2022). "Naisten Liigan, Mestiksen ja Suomi-sarjan pelaamistavat vahvistettu kausille 22-23 ja 23-24". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  3. ^ Aalto, Markku (2016). "Kilpailutoiminta". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  4. ^ Urpunen, Janne (12 September 2019). "Miksi Lahti on naisjääkiekon musta aukko?". Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  5. ^ "2023-2024 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 1: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  6. ^ "2022-2023 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 2: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  7. ^ Urpunen, Janne (12 September 2019). "Miksi Lahti on naisjääkiekon musta aukko?". Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  8. ^ "2022-2023 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 1: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  9. ^ "2022-2023 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 2: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  10. ^ "2021-2022 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 1: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  11. ^ "2021-2022 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 2: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  12. ^ "2021-2022 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 3: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Suomi-sarja (W) - 2020-2021 Standings". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  14. ^ "2020-2021 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 2: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  15. ^ "2019-2020 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 1: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  16. ^ "2019-2020 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 2: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  17. ^ "2018-2019 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 1: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  18. ^ "2018-2019 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 2: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  19. ^ "2018-2019 Naisten Suomi-sarja, lohko 3: Sarjataulukko". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 March 2023.