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Kiekko-Espoo Naiset

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For the men's ice hockey team, see Kiekko-Espoo.

Kiekko-Espoo Naiset
CityEspoo, Finland
LeagueAuroraliiga
Founded1989; 35 years ago (1989)
Home arenaTapiolan harjoitusareena
ColoursNavy, gold, blue
     
Owner(s)Kiekko-Espoo Oy
General managerEmma Terho
Head coachSami Haapanen
CaptainReetta Valkjärvi
AffiliatesKiekko-Espoo Akatemia
Kiekko-Espoo Challenger
WebsiteOfficial website
Franchise history
1989–1992Espoon Kiekkoseura (EKS)
1992–1998Kiekko-Espoo
1998–2016Espoo Blues
2016–17Espoo United
2017–2019Espoo Blues
2019–Kiekko-Espoo
Championships
Aurora Borealis Cup16 (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022)
Current season
Kiekko-Espoo players in 2021

Kiekko-Espoo Naiset are an ice hockey team in the Auroraliiga. They play in the Tapiola district of Espoo, Finland at the harjoitusareena (lit. 'training arena') of the Tapiolan urheilupuisto.[1] The team was founded as Espoon Kiekkoseura (EKS) in 1989 and has also been known as Espoo Blues Naiset and Espoo United Naiset during its tenure in the Auroraliiga. Kiekko-Espoo have won the Aurora Borealis Cup as the Finnish Champions in women's ice hockey sixteen times, six more wins than any other team in league history; at least one Finnish Championship medal (gold, silver, or bronze) was won under each of the four names.

The parent club, Kiekko-Espoo Oy, also has a representative men's ice hockey team in the Liiga, a representative ringette team in the Ringeten SM-sarja, and active sections in minor and junior ice hockey and youth ringette.

History

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EKS, 1990–1992

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The team entered Naisten SM-sarja (now Naisten Liiga) in the 1990–91 season under the name Espoon Kiekkoseura or EKS. The two seasons played as EKS were an impressive showing for the newcomers and each resulted in a bronze medal, one in the 1990–91 season after defeating Ässät and one in the 1991–92 season after defeating KalPa.

Several EKS players also played for the bronze medal winning Finnish women's national team at the 1992 IIHF World Championship including Liisa Karikoski, Katri-Helena Luomajoki, and Hanna Teerijoki.[2]

Kiekko-Espoo, 1992–1998

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In 1992 EKS was renamed Kiekko-Espoo, the same name as its brother-team in the Liiga. The team continued to be held to bronze or lower finishes, qualifying for five bronze medal series in six years and winning four of them (1993, 1994, 1997, 1998).

The Golden Age: Espoo Blues, 1998–2016

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The team was renamed Espoo Blues in 1998, continuing the trend of sharing the name of its brother-team in the Liiga, which also renamed Espoo Blues in that year. The name change unwittingly marked the beginning of a "golden age" for the team. Starting with their first SM-sarja gold medal in 1999, after achieving victory over JYP Jyväskylä in the finals, they went on to win a staggering seven consecutive championships (1999–2005) and a total of thirteen championships in eighteen years. The Blues were kept off the SM-sarja medal podium only three times in the 1998–2016 span; in addition to their championship titles, they earned the team's first silver medal in 2009 and two more bronze medals in 2006 and 2016.

The Espoo Blues were also strong competitors at international tournaments in this period, earning medals at six IIHF European Women's Champions Cups: three silver medals (2005, 2007-08, 2009-10) and three bronze medals (2008-09, 2013–14, 2014–15).[3]

Espoo United, 2016–17

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In March 2016 Jääkiekko Espoo Oy, the parent club of both the Espoo Blues of the Naisten Liiga and Espoo Blues of the Liiga, declared bankruptcy with estimated liabilities of approximately €3 million.[4] In response, Jussi Salonoja, a Finnish millionaire and film director who had previously owned the Espoo Blues franchise from 2002–2012, created a new club and organization called Espoo United Oy,[5] stating that he was "committed to supporting hockey in Espoo."[6] The Espoo Blues men's and women's basketball and ice hockey teams would play for Espoo United.

For the 2016–17 season the Espoo United women's ice hockey team played in the Naisten SM-sarja and won silver in the 2017 Finnish Championship. The Espoo United men's team played in the Mestis, the league below the premier-level Liiga, where they won bronze in the playoffs.

On 15 August 2017 Salonoja announced that the Espoo United was abandoning its women's ice hockey and basketball teams for financial reasons.[7] “The reason is twofold: the men's teams' budgets are far greater than those of women's teams, so their running is more demanding, but on the other hand, [the men's teams] are more interesting to sponsors and audiences,” Salonoja said.[8][9]

The future of women's ice hockey team was left uncertain and many possible solutions were proposed, including being acquired by HIFK[10] or merging with Espoo Blues Juniorit (a junior club with strong ties to the franchise).[8]

Espoo Blues part 2, 2017–2019

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In September 2017 the Finnish Ice Hockey Association announced that it had supported the creation of an independent association, Ysikoppi ry, to oversee the team and had given its approval for the team to compete in the upcoming 2017–18 season under the name Espoo Blues.[11][12]

Season-by-season results

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This is a partial list of the most recent seasons completed by the franchise. The team was called the “Espoo Blues” during the 2015–16, 2017–18, and 2018–19 seasons; “Espoo United” in the 2016–17 season, and “Kiekko-Espoo” from the 2019–20 season onward.

Note: Finish = Rank at end of regular season; GP = Games played; W = Wins (3 points); OTW = Overtime wins (2 points); OTL = Overtime losses (1 point); L = Losses (0 points); GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points

Season League Regular season Post season results
Finish GP W OTW OTL L GF GA Pts Top scorer
2015–16 Naisten SM-sarja 2nd 28 19 3 1 5 162 67 64 Finland L. Välimäki 70 (31+39) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Won bronze medal, 1–0 (Kärpät)
2016–17 Naisten SM-sarja 2nd 28 17 3 1 7 109 68 58 Finland L. Välimäki 60 (29+31) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Lost final, 2–3 (Kärpät)
2017–18 Naisten Liiga 3rd 30 16 2 4 8 125 74 56 Finland E. Rakkolainen 27 (16+11) 4th: Lost bronze medal, 0–1 (Kuortane)
2018–19 Naisten Liiga 1st 30 23 1 0 6 164 58 71 Finland A. Rajahuhta 66 (36+30) 1st place, gold medalist(s) Won Championship, 3–0 (Ilves)
2019–20 Naisten Liiga 1st 30 20 3 2 5 145 60 68 Finland E. Rakkolainen 42 (13+29) Won semi-final, 3–0 (Team Kuortane);
Finals cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Naisten Liiga 1st 27 21 1 0 5 124 46 65 Finland N. Laitinen 37 (13+24) 1st place, gold medalist(s) Won Championship, 3–1 (KalPa)
2021–22 Naisten Liiga 1st 30 27 1 0 2 182 44 83 Finland E. Holopainen 56 (29+27) 1st place, gold medalist(s) Won Championship, 3–2 (HIFK)
2022–23 Naisten Liiga 3rd 36 23 2 1 10 142 70 74 Finland A. Montonen 42 (21+21) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Lost final, 0–3 (HIFK)
2023–24 Naisten Liiga 1st 32 24 2 3 3 168 66 79 Finland E. Nuutinen 63 (28+35) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Lost final, 1–3 (HIFK)

Source(s): Finnish Ice Hockey Association[13][14][15][16][17]

Players and personnel

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2024–25 roster

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As of 9 September 2024[18][19]
No. Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
35 Finland Minja Drufva G L 22 2018 Lohja, Uusimaa, Finland
13 Finland Ada Eronen D L 20 2018 Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland
24 Finland Erica Grönlund F L 19 2021
19 Finland Tinja Haukijärvi F L 27 2017 Järvenpää, Uusimaa, Finland
27 Finland Riikka Järvinen D L 24 2022 Kotka, Kymenlaakso, Finland
17 Finland Nea Katajamäki F R 27 2013 Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland
12 Finland Elli Kemppainen F L 19 2023
16 Finland Nea Koskipalo F L 21 2022
62 Finland Nia Käyhty F L 19 2023 Nurmijärvi, Uusimaa, Finland
43 Finland Jenina Lampinen D R 18 2023
88 Finland Siru Lehtopelto D L 28 2014 Lohja, Uusimaa, Finland
26 Finland Anni Montonen F L 24 2024 Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland
61 Finland Emma Nuutinen F L 28 2023 Vantaa, Uusimaa, Finland
33 Finland Heta Paasilinna D L 19 2020
41 Finland Lilli Packalen G L 20 2023
31 Finland Tiia Pajarinen G L 26 2019 Polvijärvi, North Karelia, Finland
11 Finland Karoliina Rantamäki F L 46 2024 Vantaa, Uusimaa, Finland
89 Finland Riia Saarni D R 17 2023 Lohja, Uusimaa, Finland
23 Finland Elsa Talvitie (A) F L 20 2020
5 Finland Vilma Timonen D L 19 2023
21 Finland Aliisa Toivonen F L 24 2023
15 Finland Minttu Tuominen (A) D R 34 2023 Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
87 Finland Lisette Täks F L 21 2022 Tartu, Estonia
20 Finland Reetta Valkjärvi (C) D L 28 2015 Hollola, Päijät-Häme, Finland
14 Finland Susanna Viitala F L 25 2024 Kokkola, Central Ostrobothnia, Finland
8 Finland Tea Villilä D L 33 2016 Hyvinkää, Uusimaa, Finland
28 Finland Henni Virtanen F L 22 2022 Lohja, Uusimaa, Finland
Coaching staff and team personnel
  • Head coach: Sami Haapanen
  • Assistant coach: Casimir Öhman
  • Assistant coach: Emmi Polviander (née Leinonen)
  • Goaltending coach: Risto Jaakkola
  • Conditioning coach: Viola Kaukonen
  • Team manager: Riku Eskelinen
  • Equipment manager: Marko Ahlroth & Jarkko Malm

Team captaincy history

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Head coaches

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Team honours

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Finnish Championship

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  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) Aurora Borealis Cup (16): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Runners-up (3): 2010, 2017, 2023, 2024
  • 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Third Place (8): 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2006, 2016

IIHF European Women's Champions Cup

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Franchise records and leaders

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Players holding franchise records per documentation available from the 1992–93 Naisten SM-sarja season through the conclusion of the 2023–24 Naisten Liiga season. Data from the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons is incomplete and has not been included.

As of March 2024[20][21]

Single-season records

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Career records

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Only skaters appearing in more than thirty games and goaltenders appearing in more than ten games with Kiekko-Espoo are included.

  • Most goals: Karoliina Rantamäki, 355 goals (338 games; 1992–2007)
  • Most assists: Petra Vaarakallio, 351 assists (286 games; 1992–1994, 1995–2006)
  • Most points: Karoliina Rantamäki, 639 points (338 games; 1992–2007)
  • Most points, defenseman: Minttu Tuominen, 360 points (241 games; 2006–2009, 2013–2016, 2017–2020, 2021–22, 2023–24)
  • Best points per game: Michelle Karvinen, 3.667 points per game (39 games; 2007–2009)
  • Most career penalty minutes: Tea Villilä, 441 penalty minutes (243 games; 2008–2010, 2016–2024)
  • Best save percentage: Isabella Portnoj, .938 SVS% (109 games; 2010–2017
  • Best goals against average: Erika Jaskari, 1.66 (25 games; 2017–2021)

All-time scoring leaders

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Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game

Points
Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G
Karoliina Rantamäki F 338 355 284 639 1.89
Petra Vaarakallio F 286 280 351 631 2.21
Annina Rajahuhta F 232 192 234 426 1.84
Linda Välimäki F 151 174 186 360 2.38
Minttu Tuominen D 241 116 244 340 1.49
Oona Parviainen F 223 119 143 262 1.18
Emma Nuutinen F 123 113 127 240 1.95
Piia Lallukka F 195 101 138 239 1.23
Emma Terho D 262 54 173 227 0.87
Tinja Haukijärvi F 196 117 108 225 1.15

Notable alumnae

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Main category: Kiekko-Espoo Naiset players

Seasons active with Kiekko-Espoo listed alongside player name.[20]

International players

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References

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  1. ^ Foster, Meredith (26 March 2019). "The Espoo Blues are the 2019 Aurora Borealis Cup Champions". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Historia". Kiekko-Espoo Naiset (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Espoo Blues Women - In English". Blues Naiset. 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  4. ^ Hiitelä, Juha (12 April 2016). "Konkurssipesä myöntää: Bluesin tilanteeseen ei ratkaisua" [Bankrupt organization concedes: Blues situation has no solution]. Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  5. ^ Lempinen, Marko (28 April 2016). "Nyt se on varmaa: Jussi Salonoja perusti uuden seuran – "Lähetän hakupaperit tänään"" [Now it is certain: Jussi Salonoja founded a new club - "I'm submitting league entry papers today"]. Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Espoo Unitedin konkurssista tuli virallista" [Espoo United's bankruptcy becomes official]. Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). 4 May 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Espoo United Cuts Women's Basketball & Ice Hockey Teams". News Now Finland. 15 August 2017. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  8. ^ a b Oivio, Janne; Lempinen, Marko (15 August 2017). "Jussi Salonojalta raju ratkaisu: Espoo United hylkää naisjoukkueet" [Jussi Salonoja makes a drastic decision: Espoo United to reject women's teams]. Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 16 August 2019. Syy kaksijakoinen: miesten joukkueiden budjetit ovat selvästi suuremmat kuin naisten joukkueissa, eli niiden toiminnan pyörittäminen on vaativampaa, mutta toisaalta juuri ne kiinnostavat sponsoreita ja yleisöä enemmän, Salonoja sanoo.
  9. ^ Foster, Meredith (17 August 2017). "Espoo United women's team folds one month before puck drop". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  10. ^ Tammilehto, Teemu; Leinonen, Simu (15 August 2017). "HIFK on kiinnostunut Salonojan hylkäämästä Espoo Unitedin naisjoukkueesta" [HIFK is interested in the Espoo United women's team that Salonoja has abandoned]. Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Espoo Unitedin sarjapaikka Naisten Liigassa Ysikoppi ry:lle" [Espoo United has a place in the Naisten Liiga with Ysikoppi ry]. Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). 4 September 2017. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  12. ^ Saarinen, Joska (4 September 2017). "Espoo Unitedin hylkäämä joukkue sai tarvittavat rahat kasaan: "Kumppaneita on sen verran, että uskallamme lähteä kauteen"" [Rejected by Espoo United, the team got the money they needed: "There are so many partners that we dare to enter the season"]. Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  13. ^ "2015–16 Naisten SM-sarja playoff" (.xls). Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). March 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  14. ^ "2016–17 Naisten SM-sarja playoff". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). March 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  15. ^ "2017–18 Naisten Liiga pudotuspelit". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). March 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  16. ^ "2018–19 Naisten Liiga pudotuspelit". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). March 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  17. ^ "2019–20 Naisten Liiga pudotuspelit". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). March 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  18. ^ "Naisten Liiga (W) – Kiekko-Espoo 2024-2025 Roster". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  19. ^ "2024-2025 Auroraliiga – Kookoonpano K-Espoo". Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Kiekko-Espoo - All Time Regular Season Player Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  21. ^ "Kiekko-Espoo - All Time Regular Season Player Stats per Season". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
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