Kiekko-Espoo Naiset

EKS, 1990–1992

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

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

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

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 to 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

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]

2025–26 roster

As of 5 April 2026^{[18][19][20][21][22]}

More information No., Nat ...

No.	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
35		Minja Drufva	G	L	24	2018	Lohja, Uusimaa, Finland
13		Ada Eronen	D	L	22	2018	Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland
–		Kaisa Eronen	F	L	25	2025
19		Tinja Haukijärvi	F	L	28	2017	Järvenpää, Uusimaa, Finland
8		Hilpi Hohti	D	L	17	2025
27		Riikka Järvinen	D	L	25	2022	Kotka, Kymenlaakso, Finland
17		Nea Katajamäki (A)	F	R	29	2013	Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland
12		Elli Kemppainen	F	L	20	2023
16		Nea Koskipalo	F	L	22	2022
62		Nia Käyhty	F	L	20	2023	Nurmijärvi, Uusimaa, Finland
43		Jenina Lampinen	D	R	20	2023
88		Siru Lehtopelto	D	L	30	2014	Lohja, Uusimaa, Finland
–		Miliana McIntire	F	–	18	2025
26		Anni Montonen	F	L	25	2024	Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland
20		Nenna Montonen	F	L	18	2025
61		Emma Nuutinen	F	L	29	2023	Vantaa, Uusimaa, Finland
33		Heta Paasilinna	D	L	21	2020
31		Tiia Pajarinen	G	L	28	2019	Polvijärvi, North Karelia, Finland
11		Karoliina Rantamäki	F	L	48	2024	Vantaa, Uusimaa, Finland
89		Riia Saarni	D	R	18	2023	Lohja, Uusimaa, Finland
23		Elsa Talvitie (A)	F	L	21	2020
5		Vilma Timonen	D	L	20	2023
21		Aliisa Toivonen	F	L	25	2023
15		Minttu Tuominen	D	R	35	2026	Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
87		Lisette Täks	D	L	23	2022	Tartu, Estonia
20		Reetta Valkjärvi (C)	D	L	29	2015	Hollola, Päijät-Häme, Finland
28		Henni Virtanen	D	L	23	2022	Lohja, Uusimaa, Finland
–		Roosa Vuosalmi	F	L	19	2025	Vantaa, Uusimaa, Finland
25		Kiira Yrjänen	F	L	24	2025	Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme, Finnish

Close

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: Minttu Tuominen
• Team manager: Niklas Ekroos
• Equipment manager: Marko Ahlroth

Team captaincy history

• Katri-Helena Luomajoki, 1997–98
• Essi Sievers, 2007–2009
• Emma Terho (née Laaksonen), 2009–2011
• Essi Sievers, 2011–12
• Emma Terho, 2012–2014
• Minttu Tuominen, 2014–2016
• Linda Välimäki, 2016–17
• Minttu Tuominen, 2017–2020
• Annina Rajahuhta, 2020–21
• Minttu Tuominen, 2021–22
• Emmi Rakkolainen, 2022–23
• Reetta Valkjärvi, 2023–

Head coaches

• Johanna Ikonen, 1998–99
• Jari Kalho, 2000–01
• Hannu Saintula, 2001–02
• Jari Peltonen, 2002–2006
• Sami Haapanen, 2008–2011
• Kai Jansson, 2011–2013
• Sami Haapanen, 2013–

Finnish Championship

• Aurora Borealis Cup (17): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025, 2026
• Runners-up (3): 2010, 2017, 2023, 2024
• Third Place (8): 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2006, 2016

IIHF European Women's Champions Cup

• ‹See Tfd› Silver (3): 2005, 2007–08, 2009–10
• ‹See Tfd› Bronze (3): 2008–09, 2013–14, 2014–15

Single-season records

• Most goals: Karoliina Rantamäki, 39 goals (24 games; 2002–03)
• Most assists: Minttu Tuominen, 50 assists (30 games; 2018–19)
• Most points: Michelle Karvinen, 81 points (22 games; 2008–09)
• Most points, defenseman: Minttu Tuominen, 63 points (30 games; 2018–19)
• Most penalty minutes: Tea Villilä, 76 PIM (16 games; 2008–09)
• Best save percentage: Two goaltenders, .954 SVS%

• Noora Räty (19 games; 2006–07)
• Isabella Portnoj (19 games; 2013–14)

• Best goals against average: Minja Drufva, 1.20 GAA (12 games; 2021–22)
• Most shutouts: Jenna Silvonen, 6 shutouts (28 games; 2017–18)

Career records

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, 368 goals (358 games; 1992–2007, 2024–25)
• Most assists: Petra Vaarakallio, 351 assists (286 games; 1992–1994, 1995–2006)
• Most points: Karoliina Rantamäki, 672 points (338 games; 1992–2007, 2024–25)
• Most points, defenseman: Minttu Tuominen, 409 points (271 games; 2006–2009, 2013–2016, 2017–2020, 2021–22, 2023–2025)
• Best points per game: Michelle Karvinen, 3.667 points per game (39 games; 2007–2009)
• Most career penalty minutes: Tea Villilä, 455 penalty minutes (261 games; 2008–2010, 2016–2025)
• 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

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

International players