Finnish Hockey League

The SM League was created in 1975, primarily for the development of national hockey and the strongest hockey clubs in Finland . The predecessor of the league - SM-Series, being an amateur competition, had a number of shortcomings, which were assessed as an obstacle to creating in Finland a strong and competitive ice hockey league.

One of the main problems of the SM-Series was that all important issues were resolved at a meeting of the championship clubs, at which decisions were made by voting. The right to vote had many amateur clubs that were not interested in the development of the league and the level of Finnish hockey.

Also, the SM-Series is outdated on its own, as it was formed in accordance with the principles of amateur hockey. Clubs were not required to pay compensation in case of loss of players' salaries. However, in the 1970s, many clubs created a business and provided work to players through an employment contract. Thus, wages were issued secretly, while clubs evaded taxes. However, in 1974, all clubs, in terms of wages, were placed under tight control. Copies of the hockey players' contracts were sent to the SM League to provide hockey players with adequate security, such as insurance and retirement benefits.

There were also restrictions on the SM Series. During one season, a player could play for only one club. Personal sponsorship was prohibited. The SM-League lifted all sorts of restrictions and introduced the so-called transfer list. Players who wanted to change the club had to register in it, and then the league extended the right to negotiate to all the championship clubs. These changes moved the league towards a professional championship.

The large financial development of professional hockey in Finland became possible after the introduction of playoff games . Despite the fact that the playoffs was the standard way to determine the winner of the championship in North American professional sports, elimination games, at that time, were not common in Europe.

The SM League was created rather hastily. The decision to create was made in 1974 at the annual meeting, as a result of which the SM-League was supposed to earn from the 1975 season - 76 years. This was the first decision to create a professional sports league in Finland.

Initially, 10 teams participated in the SM League. The four best regular season clubs made it to the playoffs. The relegation system of the clubs has been preserved: the last team of the regular season fought for a place in the SM League with the clubs of the second highest league in Finland.

The total attendance of SM League matches for the first eleven regular seasons was about 900,000 spectators. Since the 1986–87 season, the number of matches has increased from 36 to 44. The current number of games held by each team in the regular championship is 60. The SM League has been expanded to 12 clubs since the 1988 season - 89 . It is worth noting that the popularity of hockey in Finland is directly related to the success of the men's national team . Thus, in the 1990s, about 1.8 million people attended the championship matches. This contributed to an increase in the profitability of the hockey business. The transition to the professional league has been completed.

There are currently 15 teams in the league. Since 2000, no team can leave the league or get into it from the lower league without a corresponding decision of the league board. The board may admit to the SM league a team from the lower division only subject to certain requirements.

Regular season : each team plays 60 matches. The match consists of 60 minutes of regular time. In the event of a tie, a 5-minute overtime is played in the main time until the first goal is scored. If overtime does not reveal a winner, then a series of shootouts follows.

Scoring : Victory in regular time - 3 points, victory in overtime - 2 points, loss in overtime - 1 point. The team's place in the standings is determined by the number of points scored.

Playoffs : The six best teams in the regular season immediately make it to the quarter finals. Teams ranked from seventh to tenth (inclusive) play an additional series of playoff matches to two wins. Two winners make it to the quarter finals. Series of matches up to 4 wins are played in the quarter finals, semi-finals and finals (with the semifinals and finals played up to 3 wins of one of the teams until the 2008/09 season). Losers in the semi-finals of the team play the match for the bronze medal. In each round of the playoffs, the couples are selected so that the best team according to the results of the regular season meets the worst team according to the results of the regular season, the second team - from the penultimate and so on. The more highly nominated team plays the first match at home, the second away, the third again at home, the fourth away and so on. The playoff match consists of 60 minutes of regular time. In the event that the main time ends in a draw, overtime is followed by 20 minutes before the first goal scored.

Schedule : The regular season starts in mid-September. The season provides for breaks while the Finnish team participates in the Eurotour . There is a two-week break for Christmas . There is also a break for the duration of the Winter Olympic Games . The regular season ends in mid-March and the playoffs start immediately after that. The season ends in mid-April so that Finnish players can participate in the World Cup .

The winner of the playoffs receives gold medals and Canada-Malia ( Fin. Kanada-malja ) - the main trophy of the SM League. The losing team will receive silver medals. The team that won the match for 3rd place receives bronze medals. The winner of the regular season receives a prize named after Harry Lindblad ( Fin. Harry Lindbladin muistopalkinto ), but he is considered even less prestigious than bronze medals.

SM Series Winners

Liigi Winners

• Golden Helmet ( Fin. Kultainen kypärä ) - the best player
• Kalevi Numminen Trophy - for the best coach
• Trophy Lasse Oksanen - the best player in the regular season
• Trophy Jari Kurri - best playoff player
• Trophy Urpo Ülönen - the best goalkeeper
• Pekki Rautakallio Trophy - Best Defender
• Trophy of memory of Yarmo Vasam - the best newcomer
• Raimo Kilpieu Trophy - Gentleman
• Trophy of Aarne Honkavaara - who scored the most goals in the regular season
• Veli-Pekki Ketola Trophy - the highest score in the regular season
• Matti Keynonen Trophy - Best Plus or Minus

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