Karoliina Rantamäki Award
The Karoliina Rantamäki Award (Finnish: Karoliina Rantamäki -palkinto) is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the playoff MVP of the Naisten Liiga. During 1982 to 2017, the league was called the Naisten SM-sarja. The Naisten SM-sarja Playoff MVP trophy was first awarded in the 1999–2000 season and the first recipient was forward Kati Kovalainen of the Espoo Blues Naiset.
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| League | Naisten Liiga |
| Awarded for | Playoff MVP |
| Local name | Karoliina Rantamäki -palkinto (Finnish) |
| Country | Finland |
| Presented by | Finnish Ice Hockey Association |
| History | |
| First award | 2000 |
| Editions | 20 |
| First winner | Kati Kovalainen |
| Most wins | Karoliina Rantamäki (3) |
| Most recent | Tiia Pajarinen, 2021 |
The most Karoliina Rantamäki Awards won by a single player is three, a record rather appropriately held by HIFK Naiset captain Karoliina Rantamäki. Rantamäki was recognized as the Naisten SM-sarja Playoff MVP in 2001, 2005, and 2007, all while playing with the Espoo Blues Naiset. The Playoff MVP award was named after Rantamäki in the 2010–11 season.[1] Of the ten players with Naisten Liiga trophies named in their honor, she is the only player to hold the most wins of her eponymous award. Rantamäki also holds the record for most Marianne Ihalainen Awards won, with six, and most Tiia Reima Awards won, with eight.
The Karoliina Rantamäki Award correlates with post-retirement coaching positions more than any other Naisten Liiga award; of the eight retired players who won the award during their playing careers, five have held or currently hold coaching positions: Maija Hassinen-Sullanmaa (2006), Sanna Lankosaari (2002), and Linda Leppänen (née Välimäki; 2010, 2014) in the Naisten Liiga, Riikka Sallinen (2016) in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL), and Mira Jalosuo (2017) with the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA).
Award winners
| Season | Winner | Team | Pos. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | Kati Kovalainen | Blues | D | |
| 2000–01 | Karoliina Rantamäki | Blues | F | |
| 2001–02 | Sanna Lankosaari | IHK | F | |
| 2002–03 | Heidi Wiik | Blues | G | |
| 2003–04 | Heidi Wiik | Blues | G | |
| 2004–05 | Karoliina Rantamäki | Blues | F | |
| 2005–06 | Maija Hassinen | Ilves | G | |
| 2006–07 | Karoliina Rantamäki | Blues | F | |
| 2007–08 | Noora Räty | Blues | G | |
| 2008–09 | Noora Räty | Blues | G | |
| 2009–10 | Linda Välimäki | Ilves | F | |
| 2010–11 | Annina Rajahuhta | HPK | F | |
| 2011–12 | Susanna Airaksinen | Kärpät | G | |
| 2012–13 | Emma Nuutinen | Blues | F | |
| 2013–14 | Linda Välimäki | Blues | F | |
| 2014–15 | Isabella Portnoj | Blues | G | |
| 2015–16 | Riikka Välilä | JYP | F | |
| 2016–17 | Mira Jalosuo | Kärpät | D | |
| 2017–18 | Johanna Oksman | Kärpät | G | [2] |
| 2018–19 | Ida Kuoppala | Espoo (L) | F | [3] |
| 2019–20 | Playoffs cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | [4] | ||
| 2020–21 | Tiia Pajarinen | K-Espoo | G | [5] |
All time award recipients
| Player | Wins | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| Karoliina Rantamäki | 3 | 2001, 2005, 2007 |
| Noora Räty | 2 | 2008, 2009 |
| Linda Leppänen (née Välimäki) | 2 | 2010, 2014 |
| Heidi Wiik | 2 | 2003, 2004 |
| Susanna Airaksinen | 1 | 2012 |
| Maija Hassinen-Sullanmaa (née Hassinen) | 1 | 2006 |
| Mira Jalosuo | 1 | 2017 |
| Kati Kovalainen | 1 | 2000 |
| Isabella Laiho (née Portnoj) | 1 | 2015 |
| Sanna Lankosaari | 1 | 2002 |
| Emma Nuutinen | 1 | 2013 |
| Johanna Oksman | 1 | 2018 |
| Tiia Pajarinen | 1 | 2021 |
| Annina Rajahuhta | 1 | 2011 |
| Riikka Sallinen (née Nieminen, prev. Välilä) | 1 | 2016 |
References
- ^ "Jääkiekkoliitto uudisti palkinnot: Pokaaleihin nimet Selänne, Koivu, Räty, Javanainen..." (in Finnish). MTV Uutiset. 14 November 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Mennander, Pasi (8 March 2018). "Naisten Liigan kauden 2017-18 palkitut pelaajat, erotuomarit ja tähtikentät". leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Mennander, Pasi (26 February 2019). "Naisten Liigan kauden 2018–19 palkitut pelaajat ja tähtikentät". leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "2019–20 Naisten Liiga, ylempi jatkosarja: Pelaajatilastot". tilastopalvelu.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Mennander, Pasi (15 March 2021). "Naisten Liigan kauden 2020–21 palkitut pelaajat ja tähtikentät". leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ^ Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto; Jääkiekkon SM-liiga Oy (2020). Aaltonen, Juha (ed.). "Jääkiekkokirja 2021: Suomen Jääkiekkoliiton ja Liiga Kausijulkaisu 2020–2021". Jääkiekkokirja (in Finnish). Helsinki: Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti: 527. ISSN 0784-3321. Retrieved 16 August 2022 – via hina.fi.
- ^ "Awards - Naisten Liiga (W) Most Valuable Player in Playoffs (Karoliina Rantamäki Award)". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)