Current season, competition or edition: 2023–24 Liiga season
Formerly
SM-sarja (1933–1975) SM-liiga (1975–2013)
Sport
Ice hockey
Founded
1975; 49 years ago (1975)
First season
1975–76
CEO
Mikko Pulkkinen
Motto
Se on totta (It's for real)
No. of teams
16
Country
Finland
Most recent champion(s)
Tappara (13th title) (2023–24)
Most titles
Tappara (13 titles)
TV partner(s)
Telia Company, TV5
Level on pyramid
Level 1
Relegation to
Mestis
International cup(s)
Champions Hockey League
Related competitions
Naisten Liiga
Official website
Liiga.fi
The SM-liiga (marketed as just Liiga from 2013 on), colloquially called the Finnish Elite League in English or FM-ligan in Swedish, is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, but the league and association have an agreement of cooperation. SM is a common abbreviation for Suomen mestaruus, "Finnish championship".
The SM-liiga is a competition of 16 teams and it has relegation and promotion between the second highest league, the Mestis.[1][2]
Teams from the SM-liiga participate in the IIHF's annual Champions Hockey League (CHL), competing for the European Trophy. Participation is based on the strength of the various leagues in Europe (excluding the European/Asian Kontinental Hockey League). Going into the 2023–24 CHL season, the SM-liiga was ranked the No. 3 league in Europe, allowing them to send their top four teams to compete in the CHL.[3]
SM-liiga's 30 year anniversary (1975–2005) badge
^Hoffrén, Sami (2 May 2024). "Kiekko-Espoo pelasi kovaa peliä kulisseissa SM-liigan suuntaan – "Se oli kriittisin hetki"". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 4 May 2024.
^"Kommentti: SM-liiga poisti nyt ison murheenkryynin – kolikolla on kääntöpuolensa". mtvuutiset.fi (in Finnish). 2 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
^"Rankings". www.championshockeyleague.com. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
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Global Information
2023–24 Liiga season
