KalPa Naiset
Naisten Mestis ice hockey team in Kuopio, Finland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
KalPa Naiset[a] is a Finnish ice hockey team in the Naisten Mestis. Founded in 1990, the team plays at the Kuopion jäähalli[b] in Kuopio, the largest city in Finland's eastern-central province of North Savo; Lippumäen jäähalli serves as a secondary venue. It is opperated by Juniori-KalPa ry, a club comprising many youth and recreational teams that is affiliated with but distinct from KalPa, a men's professional ice hockey team that plays in the Liiga and is operated by KalPa Hockey Oy.
| KalPa Naiset | |
|---|---|
| |
| City | Kuopio, Finland |
| League | Naisten Mestis |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Home arena | Kuopion jäähalli Lippumäen jäähalli |
| Colours | Black, gold |
| General manager | Jukka Koskinen |
| Head coach | Artturi Rouhiainen |
| Captain | Lunasa Sano (2025–26) |
| Affiliates | KalPa Akatemia |
| Parent club | Juniori-KalPa ry |
| Website | Official website |
KalPa played in the Finnish premier league during 1990 to 2001 and 2009 to 2026. They were the Aurora Borealis Cup runners-up in 2021, for which they earned Finnish Championship (SM) silver medals, and also won SM bronze five times, in 1995, 1996, 2017, 2023, and 2024.
History
KalPa Naiset has been in continuous opperation since the team made its debut in the 1988–89 season of the Naiseten I-divisioona ('Women's 1st-division;' renamed Naisten Mestis in 2012). Despite attracting the highest attendance in the league across ten games played in 1988–89, the team finished the season in last place. Nana Lamberg led the team in scoring, with two goals, and Tuula Kuhmoinen and Marika Lentz tied for second, with one goal and one assist each.[1]
The 1990–91 season marked KalPa's debut in the Naisten SM-sarja, the Finnish Championship league for women's ice hockey in Finland. They finished the regular season in a tie with SaiPa for last place, after both teams amassed just four points across twelve games.[2] KalPa then lost a tie-breaker game to SaiPa and had to play a best-of-three relegation series against the first-placed team in Group A of the Naisten I-divisioona, JoKP. The series was pushed to game three before KalPa secured their place in the Naisten SM-sarja with a 4–3 victory over JoKP in the decisive match.[3]
KalPa qualified for the Aurora Borealis Cup playoff final for the first time in 2020. They were set to face the reigning champions, Kiekko-Espoo, and were guaranteed at least a SM silver medal, which would have been the highest finish in team history to that point, when the playoffs were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic before the first game of the series could be played. With the cancellation of the season no Finnish Championship (SM) medals were awarded in 2020.[4]
The team remained among the best performing teams in the league through the following season and were finally able to challenge Kiekko-Espoo for the Aurora Borealis Cup in the 2021 playoff finals. They fell short of the championship title but earned Finnish Championship silver medals as the finals runners-up and secured the best playoff finish in team history.
Voluntary relegation
Juniori-KalPa ry, the team's parent club, announced in April 2026 that it had selected not to apply for an Auroraliiga license on behalf of KalPa Naiset for the 2026–27 season.[5] The club asserted that the application was not submitted because internal assessment had determined that its operating association did not have the capacity to build and support a competitive Auroraliiga team due to financial limitations and concerns regarding operational changes required under the licensing system.[6]
On 29 April, KalPa Naiset players posted a collective message on the team's Instagram account detailing steps they had taken to keep the team in the Auroraliiga and to highlight "questions about the [Juniori-KalPa] association's values, commitment to equality, and long-term desire to develop the club as a whole" raised by the decision.[7] The players had asked Juniori-KalPa ry to apply for an Auroraliiga license with an exception allowing for team operations to be transferred during the season to a proposed association called KalPa Naiset ry. The team's proposal included a plan for the transfer of team operations under the leadership of an operations board that had already been mustered, a sponsorship group comprising more than 25 local businesses, and eighteen players committed to play for the Auroraliiga team. [8]
The club responded via press release a day after the player message was posted, reiterating that the team would not play in the 2026–27 Auroraliiga season and asserting that the decision was motivated by a desire to create a stronger foundation for women's ice hockey in the future. The press release contained no information regarding how the association intended to strengthen its women's program or its rejection of the player proposal, nor did it respond to any of the specific questions raised in the player message.[9]
Season-by-season results
This is a partial list of the most recent seasons completed by KapPa.
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, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points, Top scorer: Points (Goals+Assists)
| Season | League | Regular season | Postseason results | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | Pts | Top scorer | |||
| 2015–16 | Naisten SM-sarja | 6th | 28 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 47 | 124 | 24 |  Jo. Juutilainen 32 (10+22) |
Lost quarterfinals to HPK, 0–2 |
| 2016–17 | Naisten SM-sarja | 3rd | 28 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 100 | 72 | 57 | T. Niskanen 36 (15+21) |
 Won bronze medal game, 1–0 (HPK) |
| 2017–18 | Naisten Liiga | 6th | 30 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 112 | 92 | 47 | T. Niskanen 44 (20+24) |
Lost quarterfinals to Blues, 1–3 |
| 2018–19 | Naisten Liiga | 4th | 30 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 154 | 83 | 57 | T. Niskanen 79 (31+48) |
Lost bronze medal game to Kärpät, 0–1 |
| 2019–20 | Naisten Liiga | 3rd | 30 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 124 | 64 | 61 | E. Holopainen 62 (37+25) |
Won semifinals, 3–0 (Ilves) Finals cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | Naisten Liiga | 2nd | 25 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 121 | 51 | 56 | E. Holopainen 64 (39+25) |
 Finals runner-up, 1–3 (K-Espoo) |
| 2021–22 | Naisten Liiga | 8th | 30 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 70 | 96 | 32 | Jo. Juutilainen 34 (9+25) |
Lost quarterfinals to K-Espoo, 1–3 |
| 2022–23 | Naisten Liiga | 2nd | 36 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 197 | 65 | 93 | E. Holopainen 75 (41+34) |
Won bronze medal game, 3–1 (HPK) |
| 2023–24 | Naisten Liiga | 4th | 32 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 119 | 81 | 60 | E. Holopainen 57 (32+25) |
Won bronze medal game, 3–1 (HPK) |
| 2024–25 | Auroraliiga | 6th | 32 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 81 | 87 | 40 | Jo. Juutilainen 27 (13+14) |
Lost quarterfinals to Kuortane, 1–3 |
| 2025–26 | Auroraliiga | 8th | 32 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 50 | 114 | 22 | E. Pekkarinen 14 (4+10) |
Lost quarterfinals to K-Espoo, 0–3 |
Players and personnel
2025–26 roster
| No. | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | |
Sanni Ahola | D | – | 19 | 2025 | |
| 26 |  |
Marie Chrastinová | D | – | 18 | 2025 | Náchod, Hradec Králové Region, Czechia |
| 61 | |
Annika Holopainen | F | – | 20 | 2025 | |
| 23 | |
Viivi Iso-Kouvola (A) | F | L | 27 | 2024 | Merimasku, Southwest Finland, Finland |
| 35 | |
Aida Jokela | G | – | 15 | 2025 | |
| 28 | |
Mimmi Keinonen | D | L | 22 | 2022 | |
| 20 | |
Kiira Kettunen | F | L | 23 | 2025 | Luumäki, Southern Finland, Finland |
| 6 | |
Viola Kärkkäinen | D | L | 17 | 2024 | Kiuruvesi, North Savo, Finland |
| 24 | |
Jemina Lepola | F | L | 20 | 2025 | Haapajärvi, North Ostrobothnia, Finland[15] |
| 27 | |
Dominika Malicka | F | L | 21 | 2025 | Třinec, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czechia |
| 12 | |
Vilmina Mäkkeli | F | R | 17 | 2025 | |
| – | |
Aino Määttänen (L) | G | L | 16 | 2025 | Joensuu, North Karelia, Finland |
| 11 | |
Kiia Narinen | F | L | 23 | 2025 | Lappeenranta, South Karelia, Finland |
| 46 | |
Noora Oksanen | D | L | 23 | 2024 | Jyväskylä, Central Finland, Finland |
| 19 | |
Jessica Pappinen | F | L | 19 | 2024 | |
| 13 | |
Emilia Pekkarinen | F | L | 28 | 2021 | |
| 45 | |
Veera Pohjala (A) | D | L | 25 | 2021 | |
| 21 | |
Veera Puurula | F | L | 18 | 2025 | |
| 59 | |
Ramona Riekkinen | F | – | 16 | 2025 | |
| 4 | |
Anniina Rissanen | D | – | 28 | 2025 | |
| 34 | |
Annika Saastamoinen | G | L | 19 | 2025 | Kokkola, Central Ostrobothnia, Finland[16] |
| 17 | |
Alene Sankala | D | L | 21 | 2025 | |
| 7 |  |
Lunasa Sano (C) | F | L | 28 | 2023 | Tokyo, Kantō, Japan |
| 33 | |
Salla Sivula (A) | G | L | 28 | 2024 | Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland |
| 9 | |
Vilma Sneck (A) | F | L | 25 | 2022 | Lapinlahti, North Savo, Finland |
| 22 | |
Venla Tulppo | F | L | 21 | 2024 |
Coaching staff and team personnel
- Head coach: Artturi Rouhiainen
- Assistant coach: Jere Hakkarainen
- Assistant coach: Sami Tapaninen
- Goaltending coach: Joonas Rantanen
- Conditioning coach: Tiia Kukkonen
- Conditioning coach: Jaakko Uhlbäck
- Team managers: Mari Leskinen
- Equipment managers: Jarno Hakkarainen & Jari Hämäläinen
Team captains
- Johanna Juutilainen, 2010–11
- Isa Rahunen, 2011–12
- Marjo Voutilainen, 2012–13
- Venla Hovi & Anni Kettunen, 2013–14
- Johanna Juutilainen, 2015–2018
- Tanja Niskanen, 2018–19[17]
- Tiina Ranne & Emma Ritari, 2019–20[18]
- Emma Ritari, 2020–21
- Johanna Juutilainen, 2021–2024
- Elli Mäkelä, 2024–25
- Lunasa Sano, 2025–
Head coaches
- Mikko Miettinen, –2000
- Seppo Tirronen, 2000–
- Marjo Voutilainen, 2016–2022
- Mika Väärälä, 2022[19]–2024[20]
- Artturi Rouhiainen, 2024[21]–
Awards and honours
Finnish Championship
Aurora Borealis Cup Runners-up (1): 2021
Third Place (4) : 1995, 1996, 2017, 2023. 2024
Individual awards
- Riikka Nieminen Award (Player of the Year)
- Katja Riipi Award (Best forward)
- Marianne Ihalainen Award (Top point scorer)
- 2018–19: Elisa Holopainen[34]
- Tiia Reima Award (Top goal scorer)
- Sari Fisk Award (Best plus–minus)
- 2019–20: Matilda Nilsson[32]
- Emma Laaksonen Award (Fair-play player)
- Hannu Saintula Award (Coach of the Year)
- 2019–20: Marjo Voutilainen[28]
Player of the Month
All-Stars
- First Team
- 2023–24: Elisa Holopainen (LW), Sanni Rantala (D)
- 2022–23: Elisa Holopainen (LW), Sanni Rantala (D)
- 2020–21: Elisa Holopainen (LW), Matilda Nilsson (RW)
- 2019–20: Elisa Holopainen (LW), Matilda Nilsson (RW), Tanja Niskanen (C)
- 2018–19: Elisa Holopainen (LW), Tanja Niskanen (C)
- 2014–15: Matilda Nilsson (F)
- Second Team
- 2022–23: Jenna Kaila (LW), Adalmiina Makkonen (D), Tiina Ranne (G)
- 2020–21: Tiina Ranne (G)
- 2019–20: Tiina Ranne (G)
- 2018–19: Matilda Nilsson (RW)
- 2017–18: Elisa Holopainen (LW), Matilda Nilsson (RW)
Team records
Various individual KalPa Naiset player records achieved through the end of the 2022–23 season.[44][45]
Regular season
Single-season records
- Most points: Tanja Niskanen, 79 points (29 games; 2018–19)
- Most points in a season, defenseman: Sanni Rantala, 39 points (30 games; 2022–23)
- Most goals: Elisa Holopainen, 41 goals (28 games; 2022–23)
- Most assists: Tanja Niskanen, 48 assists (29 games; 2018–19)
- Best points per game, over ten games played:
- Elisa Holopainen, 3.00 P/G (19 games; 2023–24)
- Marjo Voutilainen, 3.00 P/G (14 games; 1997–98)
- Most penalty minutes: Kirsi Hänninen, 66 PIM (23 games; 1995–96)
- Best save percentage (Sv%), over five games played: Tiina Ranne, .942 Sv% (18 games; 2019–20)
- Best goals against average (GAA), over five games played: Jenna Juutilainen, 1.49 GAA (10 games; 2022–23)
- Most shutouts in a season: Tiina Ranne, 3 shutouts (accomplished in three different seasons)
- 20 games; 2022–23
- 18 games; 2018–19
- 14 games; 2020–21
Career records
- Most points: Tanja Niskanen, 488 points (301 games; 2006–2022)
- Most points, defenseman: Tanja Koljonen, 103 points (137 games; 2016–2023)
- Most goals: Tanja Niskanen, 257 goals (301 games; 2006–2022)
- Most assists: Johanna Juutilainen, 260 assists (348 games; 2009–2024)
- Best points per game, over 30 games played: Elisa Holopainen, 2.15 points per game (176 games; 2016–2024)
- Most penalty minutes: Salla Rantanen, 322 PIM (272 games; 2012–2023)
- Most games played, skater: Johanna Juutilainen, 348 games (2009–2024)
- Most games played, goaltender: Tiina Ranne, 130 games (2017–2024)
- Best save percentage, over twenty games played: Tiina Ranne, .921 Sv% (130 games; 2017–2024)
- Best career goals against average, over twenty games played: Tiina Ranne, 2.41 GAA (130 games; 2017–2024)
- Most shutouts: Tiina Ranne, 17 shutouts (130 games; 2017–2024)
All-time scoring leaders
The top regular season point scorers in KalPa Naiset history, as of June 2024[update].[44]
Note: Nat = Nationality; Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; = 2024–25 KalPa player
| Nat | Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tanja Niskanen | F | 301 | 257 | 231 | 488 | 1.62 |
|
Johanna Juutilainen | F | 348 | 162 | 260 | 422 | 1.21 |
|
Elisa Holopainen | F | 176 | 206 | 173 | 379 | 2.15 |
|
Matilda Nilsson | F | 189 | 164 | 140 | 304 | 1.61 |
|
Salla Rantanen | F | 272 | 97 | 112 | 209 | 0.77 |
|
Marjo Voutilainen | F | 177 | 86 | 101 | 187 | 1.06 |
|
Tanja Koljonen | D | 169 | 26 | 91 | 117 | 0.69 |
|
Liisa Kastikainen | F | 199 | 54 | 63 | 117 | 0.59 |
|
Kati Kovalainen | F | 70 | 72 | 35 | 107 | 1.53 |
|
Emma Ritari | D | 251 | 34 | 68 | 102 | 0.41 |
|
Eija Rahunen | F | 80 | 28 | 54 | 82 | 1.03 |
|
Tiina Paananen | F | 58 | 46 | 35 | 81 | 1.40 |
|
Isa Rahunen | D | 135 | 34 | 47 | 81 | 0.60 |
|
Kaisla Kortelainen | F | 120 | 29 | 46 | 75 | 0.63 |
|
Venla Hovi | F | 49 | 38 | 36 | 74 | 1.51 |
Notable alumni
Years active with KalPa listed alongside player name.[44]
- Elisa Holopainen, 2016–2021 & 2022–2024
- Venla Hovi, 2012–2014
- Kirsi Hänninen, 1995–96
- Kati Kovalainen, 1993–1996
- Rose Matilainen, 1993–1996
- Terhi Mertanen, 1999–2001
- Matilda Nilsson, 2014–2021
- Tanja Niskanen, 2006–2008, 2009–2015 & 2016–2022
- Oona Parviainen, 1993–1999
- Tuula Puputti, 1992–1995
- Isa Rahunen, 2006–2013
- Sanni Rantala, 2022–2024
- Saila Saari, 2020–21
- Riikka Sallinen, 1995–96
- Eve Savander, 2013–14
- Marjo Voutilainen, 1995–2001 & 2010–2014
International player(s)
Emma Hall, 2024–25
Nozomi Kiribuchi, 2015–16
Sarah Knee, 2022–23- Kokoro Ota, 2024–25
