SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. It was constituted in 1975 to replace SM-sarja, which was fundementally an amateur league. SM-liiga has an agreement of co-operation with Finnish ice hockey association Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto.
At the moment, there are 13 teams. The league was closed in 2000 so that no team can be relegated to or promoted from lower leagues without approval of the board of SM-liiga. Such decision has not been made yet.
- Chairman of the board: Timo Rajala
- Managing director: Urpo Helkovaara
Currently participating clubs
| club | ___location | home venue, capacity |
| Blues | Espoo | LänsiAuto Areena, 7000 |
| HIFK | Helsinki | Helsingin jäähalli, 8100 |
| HPK | Hämeenlinna | Hämeenlinnan jäähalli, 5000 |
| Ilves | Tampere | Tampereen jäähalli, 8070 |
| Jokerit | Helsinki | Hartwall Areena, 13665 |
| Jyp | Jyväskylä | Jyväskylän jäähalli, 4812 |
| Kärpät | Oulu | Raksilan jäähalli, 7200 |
| Lukko | Rauma | Äijänsuo Arena, 5867 |
| Pelicans | Lahti | Lahden jäähalli, 5098 |
| SaiPa | Lappeenranta | Kisapuisto, 5200 |
| Tappara | Tampere | Tampereen jäähalli, 8070 |
| TPS | Turku | Elysee Arena, 11820 |
| Ässät | Pori | Porin jäähalli, 6500 |
Past participants: clubs that have been renamed or relegated
- FoPS were relegated in 1977 and are today FPS
- JoKP were relegated in 1992 and are today Jokipojat
- JyP HT are today Jyp
- KalPa were relegated in 1999
- Kiekko-Espoo are today Blues
- Kiekkoreipas, Hockey-Reipas, Reipas are previous names of Pelicans
- KooKoo were relegated in 1990
- Koo-Vee were relegated 1980
- Sport were relegated in 1976
- TuTo were relegated in 1996
Current format of competition
Regular season: all teams play 56 matches, a quadruple round robin with extra local double rounds (every team plays four matches against every other team, plus two or four extra matches against defined local opponents).
Scoring: two points for a win, one point for a tie or a loss by sudden-death, and no points for a loss on regulation time or a loss by sudden-death with six skaters. Teams will be ranked by points, and teams tieing by points are ranked by goal differential - teams tieing by goal differential as well are ranked by goals scored for.
Play-offs: Six best teams at the conclusion of regular season proceed directly to quarter-finals. Teams placing between seventh and tenth (inclusive) will play preliminary play-offs best-out-of-three - the two winners take the last two slots to quarter-finals. Quarter-finals are best-out-of-seven, semi-finals and finals best-out-of-five. Losers of semi-finals play a bronze medal match. Teams are coupled up for each round according to regular season results, so that the highest-ranking team will play against the lowest-ranking, second highest against the second lowest, etc. Higher-ranking team play first match at home, then by turns away, home, away, etc.
Scheduling: Regular season starts around mid-September. It takes a two-week break around the change of October to November, when Team Finland plays in a European competition. Christmas break is two weeks. During Olympic winters a break is reserved for the Games. Regular season is completed around mid-March and preliminary play-offs ensue almost instantly. Play-offs are completed by mid-April, so that all players are available for World Championships.
Winners
Winners of the play-offs receive gold medals and Canada-malja, the trophy of SM-liiga. Winners of the regular season receive a trophy (Harry Lindbladin muistopalkinto) as well, though it is in practice even less valued than bronze medals.
| year | champions | silver | bronze | regular season |
| 1976 | TPS | Tappara | Ässät | TPS |
| 1977 | Tappara | TPS | KooVee | Tappara |
| 1978 | Ässät | Tappara | TPS | Tappara |
| 1979 | Tappara | Ässät | TPS | Ässät |
| 1980 | HIFK | Ässät | Kärpät | TPS |
| 1981 | Kärpät | Tappara | TPS | Tappara |
| 1982 | Tappara | TPS | HIFK | TPS |
| 1983 | HIFK | Jokerit | Ilves | Jokerit |
| 1984 | Tappara | Ässät | Kärpät | Tappara |
| 1985 | Ilves | TPS | Kärpät | TPS |
| 1986 | Tappara | HIFK | Kärpät | Tappara |
| 1987 | Tappara | Kärpät | HIFK | Kärpät |
| 1988 | Tappara | Lukko | HIFK | Ilves |
| 1989 | TPS | JyP HT | Ilves | TPS |
| 1990 | TPS | Ilves | Tappara | TPS |
| 1991 | TPS | KalPa | HPK | TPS |
| 1992 | Jokerit | JyP HT | HIFK | JyP HT |
| 1993 | TPS | HPK | JyP HT | TPS |
| 1994 | Jokerit | TPS | Lukko | TPS |
| 1995 | TPS | Jokerit | Ässät | Jokerit |
| 1996 | Jokerit | TPS | Lukko | Jokerit |
| 1997 | Jokerit | TPS | HPK | Jokerit |
| 1998 | HIFK | Ilves | Jokerit | TPS |
| 1999 | TPS | HIFK | HPK | TPS |
| 2000 | TPS | Jokerit | HPK | TPS |
| 2001 | TPS | Tappara | Ilves | Jokerit |
| 2002 | Jokerit | Tappara | HPK | Tappara |
| 2003 | Tappara | Kärpät | HPK | HPK |
| 2004 | Kärpät | TPS | HIFK | TPS |
Awards
Kultainen kypärä ("golden helmet") is given to the best player of SM-liiga. It is the most appreciated of the awards, as it is voted for by the players. It has been awarded since 1987.
| year | Kultainen kypärä |
| 1987 | Pekka Järvelä, JyP HT |
| 1988 | Jarmo Myllys, Lukko |
| 1989 | Jukka Vilander, TPS |
| 1990 | Jukka Tammi, Ilves |
| 1991 | Teemu Selänne, Jokerit |
| 1992 | Mikko Mäkelä, TPS |
| 1993 | Juha Riihijärvi, JyP HT |
| 1994 | Esa Keskinen, TPS |
| 1995 | Saku Koivu, TPS |
| 1996 | Juha Riihijärvi, Lukko |
| 1997 | Kimmo Rintanen, TPS |
| 1998 | Raimo Helminen, Ilves |
| 1999 | Brian Rafalski, HIFK |
| 2000 | Kai Nurminen, TPS |
| 2001 | Kimmo Rintanen, TPS |
| 2002 | Janne Ojanen, Tappara |
| 2003 | Antti Miettinen, HPK |
| 2004 | Timo Pärssinen, HIFK |
External links
- SM-liiga Official website, in Finnish