# 2021–22 Naisten Liiga season

The 2021–22 Naisten Liiga season was the thirty-ninth season of the Naisten Liiga, the premier level of women's ice hockey in Finland, since the league's establishment as the Naisten SM-sarja in 1982. The season began on 11 September 2021 and concluded on 20 March 2022.

## League business
### Offseason
#### HPK Kiekkonaiset team transfer

In June 2021, it was announced that the HPK Kiekkonaiset team would be transferred to HPK Liiga Oy, owner of the Liiga team HPK and the U20 SM-sarja team HPK U20. HPK Kiekkonaiset had previously been a part of the HPK-affiliated junior club HPK Edustusjääkiekko Ry, a non-profit association. According to Antti Toivanen, CEO of HPK Liiga Oy and general manager of the HPK men's team, the move was motivated by an interest in capitalizing on the growing women's ice hockey market, which was highlighted by the record crowds that attended the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship in Espoo. Jorma Hassinen, general manager of HPK Kiekkonaiset, expressed hope that the transfer would allow female players to develop with the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

#### Financial support for RoKi players

Rovaniemen Kiekko ry announced it would begin supporting RoKi Naiset ice hockey players selected to women's national team camps and evaluation tournaments with grants of several hundred to a thousand euros. RoKi Naiset head coach Tuomas Liitola stated the club's long-term goal is to reduce the cost of playing with RoKi Naiset to zero.

### Coaching changes

| Team | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | Details |
| Off–season ||||
| HPK Kiekkonaiset | Mari Saarinen | Harri Nummela | Appointed in May 2021, Nummela is the fourth HPK head coach in as many seasons. He has previously served as head coach of men's teams in the Suomi-sarja and 2. Divisioona. |
| Oulun Kärpät Naiset | Janne Salmela | Samuli Hassi | Hassi was appointed as the new Kärpät head coach in April 2021, replacing Salmela after two seasons at the helm. The 27 year old, originally from Oulu, spent the previous four seasons studying in Rovaniemi and coaching in the junior organization of Rovaniemen Kiekko (RoKi). He served as the head coach of RoKi U18 in the 2020–21 season of the men's U18 Mestis. |
| TPS Naiset | Matti Tähkäpää, Kai Ortio | Terhi Mertanen | Ortio was promoted from assistant coach to head coach after Tähkäpää's contract was terminated with five games remaining in the 2020–21 regular season. Mertanen was named the 2021–22 head coach shortly thereafter, in March 2021. An Olympic medalist with the Finnish national team at the 2010 Winter Olympics, Mertanen spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach of RoKi Naiset. |

### Player signings of note

Note: The following tables do not include all player movements made during the Naisten Liiga season but rather feature moves involving national team players or international players, extra-league moves, and player movements determined to be otherwise notable.
Pre-season
| Player | Previous team | 2021–22 team |
| Incoming players ||||
| Nicole Andenmatten | Neuchâtel HA (SWHL A) | HPK |
| Samantha Benoit | Norwich Cadets (NCAA D3) | HPK |
| Megan Delay | Buffalo Beauts (PHF) | HPK |
| Paula Mandlíková | ŽHK Zvolen (Slovakia) | RoKi |
| Alena Mills | KRS Vanke Rays (ZhHL) | HPK |
| Noora Räty | KRS Vanke Rays (ZhHL) | HPK |
| Minttu Tuominen | KRS Vanke Rays (ZhHL) | Kiekko-Espoo |
| Lucie Velinská | HC 2001 Kladno | RoKi |
| Intra-league transfers ||||
| Elisa Holopainen | KalPa | Kiekko-Espoo |
| Julia Liikala | HPK | HIFK |
| Matilda Nilsson | KalPa | HIFK |
| Sanni Rantala | Team Kuortane | Kiekko-Espoo |
| Kiira Yrjänen | Team Kuortane | Kiekko-Espoo |
| Departing players ||||
| Julia Hagnäs | Vaasan Sport | Färjestad BK (Damettan) |
| Aino Laitinen | Team Kuortane | Budapest JA (EWHL) |
| Meeri Räisänen | HPK | JYP U20 Akatemia (U20 Mestis) |
| Jenna Suokko | Tampereen Ilves | Buffalo Beauts (PHF) |
Preliminaries
| Player | Initial 2021–22 team | Joining 2021–22 team |
| Incoming players ||||
| Lívia Kúbeková | ŠKP Bratislava (EWHL) | HPK |
| Lucia Ištocyová | ŠKP Bratislava (EWHL) | HPK |
| Departing players ||||
| Aino Karppinen | RoKi | Luleå HF/MSSK (L) (SDHL) |
| Jenna Pirttijärvi | RoKi | Luleå HF/MSSK (SDHL) |
Divisional series
| Player | Initial 2021–22 team | Joining 2021–22 team |
| Incoming players ||||
| Júlia Matejková | ŠKP Bratislava (EWHL) | HPK |
| Linnea Melotindos | St. Cloud State Huskies (NCAA D1) | Ilves |
| Kassidy Sauvé | Toronto (PWHPA) | HPK |
| Sofia Vysokajová | ŠKP Bratislava (EWHL) | HPK |
| Departing players ||||
| Nicole Andenmatten | HPK | Neuchâtel HA (SWHL A) |
| Anna Kilponen | Ilves | KRS Vanke Rays (ZhHL) |
| Lívia Kúbeková | HPK | ŠKP Bratislava (EWHL) |
| Lucia Ištocyová | HPK | ŠKP Bratislava (EWHL) |
| Paula Mandlíková | RoKi | HK Nové Zámky U16 (Slovakia U16) |
| Noora Räty | HPK | KRS Vanke Rays (ZhHL) |
| Minttu Tuominen | Kiekko-Espoo | KRS Vanke Rays (ZhHL) |

## Teams

| Team | Location | Home venue | Head coach | Captain |
| HIFK Naiset or Stadin Gimmat | Helsinki | Pirkkolan jäähalli | Saara Niemi | Karoliina Rantamäki |
| HPK Kiekkonaiset | Hämeenlinna | Jääliikuntakeskus Hakio | Harri Nummela | Heta Seikkula |
| Ilves Naiset | Tampere | Tesoman jäähalli | Linda Leppänen | Anna Kilponen |
| KalPa Naiset | Kuopio | Niiralan Monttu | Marjo Voutilainen | Johanna Juutilainen |
| Kiekko-Espoo Naiset | Espoo | Tapiolan harjoitusareena | Sami Haapanen | Minttu Tuominen |
| Kärpät Naiset | Oulu | Raksilan jäähalli | Samuli Hassi | Suvi Käyhkö |
| RoKi Naiset | Rovaniemi | Lappi Areena | Tuomas Liitola | Emmi Mourujärvi |
| Sport Naiset | Vaasa | Vaasan Sähkö Arena | Susanne Uppgård | Pauliina Suoniemi |
| Team Kuortane | Kuortane | Kuortaneen jäähalli | Mira Kuisma | Nea Tervonen |
| TPS Naiset | Turku | Kupittaan jäähalli | Terhi Mertanen | Elina Heikkinen |
| Team promoted from the Naisten Mestis to the lower division |||||
| APV Naiset | Alavus | Alavus Areena | Noora Mäkiranta | Pinja Niemistö |
| Lukko Naiset | Rauma | Westinghouse Areena | Sami Piilikangas | Maija Koski |

## Preliminary series

The preliminary series began on 11 September and concluded on 12 December 2021. The Finnish Ice Hockey Association opted to use the points per game ranking system first implemented in the 2020–21 season to allow for the potential of cancelled matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some games in the preliminary series were rescheduled, however, each team was able to play all twenty matches.
The top six ranked teams in the preliminaries advanced to the regular season, also called the upper division series (Finnish: Ylempi jatkosarja) and were guaranteed playoff berths.

### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Final Result |
| 1 | Kiekko-Espoo | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 137 | 25 | +112 | 60 | Advanced to Upper division |
| 2 | HIFK | 20 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 100 | 31 | +69 | 51 | Advanced to Upper division |
| 3 | Oulun Kärpät | 20 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 67 | 38 | +29 | 41 | Advanced to Upper division |
| 4 | Tampereen Ilves | 20 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 59 | 42 | +17 | 33 | Advanced to Upper division |
| 5 | Team Kuortane | 20 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 65 | 72 | −7 | 31 | Advanced to Upper division |
| 6 | TPS | 20 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 72 | 68 | +4 | 28 | Advanced to Upper division |
| 7 | HPK | 20 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 47 | 68 | −21 | 26 | Proceeded to Lower division |
| 8 | RoKi | 20 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 43 | 83 | −40 | 20 | Proceeded to Lower division |
| 9 | KalPa | 20 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 36 | 78 | −42 | 10 | Proceeded to Lower division |
| 10 | Vaasan Sport | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 27 | 148 | −121 | 0 | Proceeded to Lower division |
Official ranking
Teams were officially ranked by average points per game with ties broken by greater number of games played, followed by best goal difference, then greater number of goals.
| Pos | Team | PpG |
| 1 | K-Espoo | 3.00 |
| 2 | HIFK | 2.55 |
| 3 | Kärpät | 2.05 |
| 4 | Ilves | 1.65 |
| 5 | Kuortane | 1.55 |
| 6 | TPS | 1.40 |
| Pos | Team | PpG |
| 7 | HPK | 1.30 |
| 8 | RoKi | 1.00 |
| 9 | KalPa | 0.50 |
| 10 | Sport | 0.00 |

### Schedule

Preliminaries :
| Date | Home | Score | Visitor | OT | Atn | Notes |
| 11 September | Ilves | 0–2 | HIFK | | 110 | Shutout recorded by Iina Kuusela (1) |
| 11 September | HPK | 4–7 | TPS | | 70 | |
| 11 September | Kuortane | 1–6 | Kärpät | | 35 | |
| 11 September | K-Espoo | 8–1 | KalPa | | 88 | |
| 11 September | RoKi | 8–1 | Sport | | 102 | |
| 12 September | RoKi | 5–2 | Sport | | 89 | |
| 12 September | TPS | 2–1 | Ilves | SO | 80 | |
| 12 September | KalPa | 1–2 | HPK | OT | 112 | |
| 18 September | K-Espoo | 8–0 | HPK | | 58 | Shutout recorded by Tiia Pajarinen (1) |
| 19 September | Kärpät | 2–1 | Ilves | | 98 | |
| 19 September | KalPa | 0–5 | K-Espoo | | 107 | Shutout recorded by Minja Drufva (1) |
| 19 September | HPK | 0–11 | HIFK | | 50 | Shutout recorded by Iina Kuusela (2) |
| 19 September | Kuortane | 5–3 | TPS | | 55 | |
| 25 September | RoKi | 2–3 | Kärpät | | 116 | |
| 25 September | TPS | 2–3 | Ilves | | 30 | |
| 25 September | HIFK | 4–1 | KalPa | | 90 | |
| 25 September | K-Espoo | 9–1 | Sport | | 56 | |
| 26 September | Ilves | 3–0 | TPS | | 50 | |
| 26 September | HIFK | 9–2 | Sport | | 62 | |
| 26 September | Kuortane | 6–5 | HPK | | 60 | |
| 26 September | K-Espoo | 9–3 | KalPa | | 62 | |
| 2 October | Kärpät | 5–0 | TPS | | 152 | Shutout recorded by Johanna Oksman (1) |
| 2 October | Ilves | 2–1 | HPK | SO | 110 | |
| 2 October | RoKi | 1–13 | HIFK | | 60 | |
| 2 October | Sport | 2–17 | K-Espoo | | 50 | Game with largest goal difference, ±15 |
| 3 October | Kärpät | 0–4 | HIFK | | 127 | Shutout recorded by Iina Kuusela (3) |
| 3 October | RoKi | 5–6 | TPS | SO | 75 | |
| 3 October | KalPa | 0–1 | HPK | | 165 | Shutout recorded by Noora Räty (1) |
| 3 October | Kuortane | 3–9 | K-Espoo | | 70 | |
| 9 October | Kärpät | 1–3 | HPK | | 101 | |
| 9 October | RoKi | 3–1 | KalPa | | 82 | |
| 9 October | HIFK | 4–0 | Kuortane | | 82 | Shutout recorded by Lumi Jääskeläinen (1) |
| 10 October | Ilves | 2–3 | HIFK | | 90 | |
| 10 October | RoKi | 0–4 | HPK | | 84 | Shutout recorded by Noora Räty (2) |
| 10 October | TPS | 8–0 | Sport | | 45 | Shutout recorded by Erica Jaskari (1) |
| 10 October | K-Espoo | 10–0 | Kuortane | | 84 | Shutout recorded by Tiia Pajarinen (2) |
| 10 October | Kärpät | 6–2 | KalPa | | 105 | |
| 15 October | K-Espoo | 2–0 | HIFK | | 172 | Shutout recorded by Tiia Pajarinen (3) |
| 16 October | Sport | 1–7 | Ilves | | 45 | |
| 16 October | TPS | 1–3 | Kärpät | | 40 | |
| 16 October | HPK | 1–2 | RoKi | | 60 | |
| 16 October | Kuortane | 5–1 | KalPa | | 60 | |
| 17 October | Ilves | 6–3 | Kuortane | | 75 | |
| 17 October | HPK | 2–1 | Kärpät | | 70 | |
| 17 October | TPS | 4–3 | RoKi | | 65 | |
| 23 October | Ilves | 1–3 | Kärpät | | 60 | |
| 23 October | TPS | 2–5 | HIFK | | 60 | |
| 23 October | K-Espoo | 8–1 | RoKi | | 65 | |
| 24 October | HPK | 1–7 | Kuortane | | 60 | |
| 24 October | Ilves | 1–5 | K-Espoo | | 75 | |
| 24 October | HIFK | 6–2 | RoKi | | 85 | |
| 24 October | Sport | 2–15 | TPS | | 55 | |
| 24 October | KalPa | 1–2 | Kärpät | OT | 59 | |
| 27 October | Kuortane | 7–2 | Sport | | 60 | |
| 30 October | KalPa | 6–4 | Sport | | 61 | |
| 30 October | HPK | 0–2 | Ilves | | 50 | Shutout recorded by Anni Keisala (1) |
| 30 October | Kuortane | 3–5 | HIFK | | 60 | |
| 30 October | Kärpät | 6–0 | RoKi | | 182 | Shutout recorded by Kati Asikainen (1); highest attended game |
| 30 October | K-Espoo | 5–2 | TPS | | 57 | |
| 31 October | Sport | 2–10 | HIFK | | 65 | |
| 31 October | KalPa | 0–4 | Ilves | | 87 | Shutout recorded by Anni Keisala (2) |
| 31 October | TPS | 2–1 | Kuortane | OT | 40 | |
| 3 November | Sport | 0–7 | Kuortane | | 41 | Shutout recorded by Hannele Tarkiainen (1) |
| 5 November | HIFK | 7–2 | TPS | | 72 | |
| 6 November | Ilves | 3–4 | KalPa | OT | 80 | |
| 6 November | RoKi | 0–7 | K-Espoo | | 51 | Shutout recorded by Minja Drufva (1) |
| 6 November | TPS | 3–1 | HPK | | 30 | |
| 7 November | Kärpät | 1–6 | K-Espoo | | 112 | |
| 7 November | Sport | 1–4 | KalPa | | 35 | |
| 7 November | RoKi | 1–5 | Ilves | | 68 | |
| 19 November | Sport | 0–3 | Kuortane | | 45 | Shutout recorded by Hannele Tarkiainen (2) |
| 20 November | Ilves | 4–2 | RoKi | | 68 | |
| 20 November | Sport | 0–6 | HPK | | 40 | No shutout recorded |
| 20 November | K-Espoo | 5–2 | Kärpät | | 42 | |
| 21 November | KalPa | 1–2 | RoKi | | 91 | |
| 21 November | HIFK | 5–2 | Kärpät | | 85 | |
| 21 November | Kuortane | 3–4 | Ilves | OT | 50 | |
| 21 November | HPK | 2–1 | TPS | SO | 80 | |
| 27 November | RoKi | 1–2 | Kuortane | OT | 69 | |
| 27 November | HPK | 4–2 | KalPa | | 52 | |
| 27 November | Ilves | 8–0 | Sport | | 80 | Shutout recorded by Salla Sivula (1) |
| 27 November | HIFK | 1–3 | K-Espoo | | 117 | |
| 28 November | Kärpät | 4–2 | Kuortane | | 102 | |
| 28 November | HPK | 5–3 | Sport | | 50 | |
| 28 November | TPS | 5–2 | KalPa | | 55 | |
| 3 December | K-Espoo | 5–1 | Ilves | | 46 | |
| 3 December | HIFK | 6–3 | HPK | | 77 | |
| 4 December | Kärpät | 6–1 | Sport | | 86 | |
| 4 December | TPS | 3–9 | K-Espoo | | 35 | |
| 4 December | HIFK | 3–1 | Ilves | | 69 | |
| 5 December | KalPa | 3–4 | Kuortane | | 75 | |
| 5 December | Kärpät | 4–0 | RoKi | | 158 | Shutout recorded by Kati Asikainen (2) |
| 11 December | Sport | 1–4 | Kärpät | | 20 | |
| 11 December | KalPa | 2–4 | TPS | | 61 | |
| 11 December | HIFK | 1–2 | K-Espoo | | 102 | |
| 11 December | Kuortane | 3–0 | RoKi | | 40 | Shutout recorded by Hannele Tarkiainen (3) |
| 12 December | Sport | 2–5 | RoKi | | 20 | |
| 12 December | KalPa | 1–2 | HIFK | | 61 | |
| 12 December | HPK | 2–5 | K-Espoo | | 70 | |
| 12 December | Kuortane | 0–6 | Kärpät | | 40 | Shutout recorded by Johanna Oksman (2) |

### Major events

* 26 September 2021 – Ilves 3–0 TPS, Tesoman jäähalli (Tampere) TPS forward Maija Otamo was issued a six-game ban – the longest suspension ever handed down to a player in the Naisten Liiga – after rendering Ilves forward Emilia Varpula unconscious with two hits in the head and neck area. The hits came with just nine seconds left on the clock and less than a minute after Varpula contributed an assist to Ilves' third and final goal in the eventual shutout. Varpula was taken directly from the ice to hospital by ambulance and was ultimately diagnosed with a concussion. Following the hits, a fight broke out between TPS forward Estelle Duvin and Ilves defenseman Elli Suoranta, resulting in one game suspensions for both players.

### Player statistics

Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of games the preliminaries on 12 December 2021.
| | Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1 | Elisa Holopainen | K-Espoo | 19 | 19 | 23 | 42 | 2 |
| 2 | Matilda Nilsson | HIFK | 20 | 28 | 12 | 40 | 18 |
| 3 | Estelle Duvin | TPS | 17 | 23 | 16 | 39 | 49 |
| 4 | Kiira Yrjänen | K-Espoo | 20 | 20 | 15 | 35 | 6 |
| 5 | Emmi Rakkolainen | K-Espoo | 16 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 4 |
| 6 | Sofianna Sundelin | Kuortane | 17 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 8 |
| 7 | Maija Otamo | TPS | 14 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 33 |
| 8 | Julia Liikala | HIFK | 20 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 6 |
| 9 | Tinja-Mariia Haukijärvi | K-Espoo | 20 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 31 |
| 10 | Oona Havana | Kärpät | 20 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 6 |
| 11 | Nea Tervonen | Kuortane | 19 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 0 |
The following skaters were the top point scorers of teams not represented in the scoring leader table at the conclusion of the preliminary series, noted with their overall league scoring rank:
* 22. Johanna Juutilainen (F), KalPa: 18 GP, 6 G, 13 A, 19 Pts, 4 PIM
* 25. Jenna Heitala (F), RoKi: 19 GP, 11 G, 6 A, 17 Pts, 6 PIM
* 27. Susanna Viitala (F), Sport: 16 GP, 10 G, 6 A, 16 Pts, 2 PIM
* 49. Riikka Noronen (F), HPK: 19 GP, 2 G, 10 A, 12 Pts, 40 PIM
Elisa Holopainen was the leading point scorer in the preliminaries for the third consecutive season
Goaltenders
The following goaltenders lead the league in save percentage at the conclusion of the preliminary series on 12 December 2021, while starting at least one third of matches.
| | Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | L | S | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
| 1 | Noora Räty | HPK | 14 | 822:47 | 7 | 5 | 493 | 24 | 2 | .954 | 1.75 |
| 2 | Iina Kuusela | HIFK | 12 | 717:13 | 9 | 3 | 315 | 18 | 3 | .946 | 1.51 |
| 3 | Anni Keisala | Ilves | 15 | 891:38 | 6 | 7 | 462 | 27 | 3 | .945 | 1.82 |
| 4 | Tiia Pajarinen | K-Espoo | 12 | 680:00 | 12 | 0 | 231 | 14 | 3 | .943 | 1.24 |
| 5 | Kati Asikainen | Kärpät | 11 | 660:06 | 8 | 3 | 301 | 19 | 2 | .941 | 1.73 |
| 6 | Johanna Oksman | Kärpät | 9 | 537:17 | 6 | 3 | 261 | 17 | 2 | .939 | 1.90 |
| 7 | Minja Drufva | K-Espoo | 8 | 460:00 | 7 | 0 | 129 | 9 | 1 | .935 | 1.17 |
| 8 | Janita Haapasaari | RoKi | 10 | 559:41 | 4 | 5 | 351 | 33 | 0 | .914 | 3.54 |
| 9 | Erica Jaskari | TPS | 12 | 726:44 | 4 | 6 | 367 | 37 | 1 | .908 | 3.05 |
| 10 | Janika Järvikari | RoKi | 7 | 388:02 | 2 | 4 | 250 | 27 | 0 | .903 | 4.17 |
| 11 | Hannele Tarkiainen | Kuortane | 10 | 546:15 | 6 | 4 | 234 | 26 | 3 | .900 | 2.86 |
Vaasan Sport was the only team not represented in the top goaltenders table at the conclusion of the preliminary series. Sport's best goaltender was Oona Mäki, who played in thirteen games and recorded a .860 save percentage and 7.38 goals against average.

## Regular season

The Finnish Ice Hockey Association opted to use the points per game ranking system first implemented in the 2020–21 season to allow for the potential of cancelled matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The top six ranked teams from the preliminary series advanced to the regular season, also called the upper division series (Finnish: Ylempi jatkosarja), while teams ranked seventh through tenth progressed to the lower division series (Finnish: Alempi jatkosarja). The regular season began on 8 January 2022.

### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Final Result |
| 1 | Kiekko-Espoo | 30 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 182 | 44 | +138 | 83 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 2 | HIFK | 29 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 137 | 41 | +96 | 78 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 3 | Oulun Kärpät | 29 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 85 | 62 | +23 | 52 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 4 | Tampereen Ilves | 30 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 78 | 72 | +6 | 43 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 5 | TPS | 29 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 101 | 108 | −7 | 38 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 6 | Team Kuortane | 27 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 72 | 104 | −32 | 31 | Playoff quarterfinals |
Official ranking
Teams are officially ranked by average points per game with ties broken by greater number of games played, followed by best goal difference, then greater number of goals.
| Pos | Team | PpG |
| 1 | K-Espoo | 2.77 |
| 2 | HIFK | 2.69 |
| 3 | Kärpät | 1.79 |
| 4 | Ilves | 1.43 |
| 5 | TPS | 1.31 |
| 6 | Kuortane | 1.15 |

### Schedule

Regular Season :
| Date | Home | Score | Visitor | OT | Atn | Notes |
| 8 January | Kuortane | 0–5 | Kärpät | | 1 | Shutout recorded by Kati Asikainen (1) |
| 9 January | TPS | 6–4 | Kuortane | | 0 | |
| 15 January | TPS | 2–1 | Kärpät | | 0 | |
| 26 February | Kuortane | 1–3 | Ilves | | 60 | |
| 26 February | Kärpät | 1–2 | K-Espoo | | 82 | |
| 26 February | TPS | 3–5 | HIFK | | 60 | |
| 27 February | Kuortane | 1–4 | K-Espoo | | 60 | |
| 27 February | HIFK | 5–0 | TPS | | 87 | Shutout recorded by Iina Kuusela (1) |
| 27 February | Kärpät | 2–1 | Ilves | | 115 | |
| 2 March | K-Espoo | 1–5 | HIFK | | 143 | |
| 2 March | Ilves | 3–1 | Kuortane | | 70 | |
| 5 March | Ilves | 5–4 | TPS | | 85 | |
| 5 March | HIFK | 3–0 | Kuortane | | 137 | Shutout recorded by Lumi Jääskeläinen (1) |
| 5 March | K-Espoo | 7–0 | Kärpät | | 53 | Shutout recorded by Tiia Pajarinen (1) |
| 6 March | TPS | 3–2 | Ilves | | 60 | |
| 6 March | HIFK | 2–0 | Kärpät | | 76 | Shutout recorded by Iina Kuusela (2) |
| 6 March | K-Espoo | 8–0 | Kuortane | | 45 | Game with largest goal difference, ±8; shutout recorded by Minja Drufva (1) |
| 9 March | HIFK | 3–0 | Ilves | | 89 | Shutout recorded by Iina Kuusela (3) |
| 12 March | Kärpät | 6–3 | TPS | | 84 | |
| 12 March | K-Espoo | 5–1 | Ilves | | 52 | |
| 12 March | Kuortane | X | HIFK | | | Match cancelled |
| 13 March | Ilves | 0–4 | K-Espoo | | 45 | Shutout recorded by Minja Drufva (2) |
| 13 March | Kärpät | 1–6 | HIFK | | 86 | |
| 13 March | Kuortane | | TPS | | | Match cancelled |
| 16 March | HIFK | 3–2 | K-Espoo | | 145 | Highest attended game |
| 18 March | K-Espoo | 5–4 | TPS | OT | 51 | |
| 19 March | Ilves | 3–5 | HIFK | | 110 | |
| 19 March | Kärpät | | Kuortane | | | Match cancelled |
| 19 March | TPS | 4–7 | K-Espoo | | 30 | |
| 20 March | Ilves | 1–2 | Kärpät | OT | 50 | |

### Player statistics

Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the regular season on 20 March 2022. In a change from the previous seasons, scoring statistics were carried over from the preliminaries and points scored in the regular season were added to those totals.
| | Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1 | Estelle Duvin | TPS | 26 | 31 | 26 | 57 | 65 |
| 2 | Elisa Holopainen | K-Espoo | 27 | 29 | 27 | 56 | 4 |
| 3 | Matilda Nilsson | HIFK | 29 | 37 | 18 | 55 | 22 |
| 4 | Kiira Yrjänen | K-Espoo | 28 | 26 | 20 | 46 | 10 |
| 5 | Maija Otamo | TPS | 23 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 37 |
| 6 | Michaela Pejzlová | HIFK | 21 | 15 | 27 | 42 | 8 |
| 7 | Tinja-Mariia Haukijärvi | K-Espoo | 30 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 33 |
| 8 | Emmi Rakkolainen | K-Espoo | 23 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 10 |
| 9 | Emmanuelle Passard | HIFK | 28 | 18 | 15 | 33 | 0 |
| 10 | Julia Liikala | HIFK | 27 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 10 |
| 11 | Nelli Laitinen | K-Espoo | 23 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 16 |
| 12 | Anniina Kaitala | Ilves | 27 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 10 |
| 13 | Sofianna Sundelin | Kuortane | 22 | 16 | 13 | 29 | 8 |
| 14 | Oona Havana | Kärpät | 25 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 10 |
| 15 | Tilli Keränen | Kärpät | 22 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 4 |
Goaltenders
The following goaltenders lead the league in save percentage at the conclusion of games played on 20 March 2022, while starting at least one third of matches. Goaltending statistics were not carried over from the preliminaries, only statistics accumulated in the regular season were counted towards totals.
| | Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | L | S | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
| 1 | Iina Kuusela | HIFK | 6 | 360:00 | 6 | 0 | 113 | 4 | 3 | .966 | 0.67 |
| 2 | Minja Drufva | K-Espoo | 4 | 240:00 | 4 | 0 | 75 | 5 | 2 | .938 | 1.25 |
| 3 | Kati Asikainen | Kärpät | 5 | 299:04 | 2 | 3 | 188 | 13 | 1 | .935 | 2.61 |
| 4 | Johanna Oksman | Kärpät | 4 | 244:25 | 2 | 2 | 151 | 11 | 0 | .932 | 2.70 |
| 5 | Tiia Pajarinen | K-Espoo | 6 | 357:42 | 4 | 2 | 164 | 13 | 1 | .927 | 2.18 |
| 6 | Anni Keisala | Ilves | 6 | 357:41 | 3 | 3 | 196 | 18 | 0 | .916 | 3.02 |
| 7 | Emilia Kyrkkö | Kuortane | 5 | 285:35 | 0 | 4 | 178 | 17 | 0 | .913 | 3.57 |
| 8 | Lumi Jääskeläinen | HIFK | 3 | 180:00 | 3 | 0 | 53 | 6 | 1 | .898 | 2.00 |
| 9 | Mila Houni | TPS | 7 | 407:07 | 1 | 6 | 211 | 33 | 0 | .865 | 4.86 |
| 10 | Hennele Tarkiainen | Kuortane | 3 | 125:41 | 0 | 3 | 68 | 12 | 0 | .850 | 5.73 |

## Lower division series

The teams ranked seventh through tenth in the Naisten Liiga preliminaries – HPK, KalPa, RoKi, and Sport – progressed to the lower division series (Finnish: Alempi jatkosarja), where they were joined by the top two teams from the Naisten Mestis cross-qualifiers, Alavuden Peli-Veikot (APV) and Rauman Lukko. The lower division series began on 5 February and concluded on 20 March. It was played as a double round-robin, with every team playing each of their five opponents twice. The two teams with the top points per game averages at the conclusion of the series, HPK and KalPa, progress to the playoff quarterfinals. The remaining four teams – APV, Lukko, RoKi, and Sport – proceed to the qualifiers (Finnish: karsintasarja), where they face potential relegation.

### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Postseason placement |
| 1 | HPK | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 12 | +55 | 30 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 2 | KalPa | 10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 34 | 18 | +16 | 22 | Playoff quarterfinals |
| 3 | RoKi | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 46 | 46 | 0 | 15 | Qualifiers |
| 4 | Lukko | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 32 | −13 | 12 | Qualifiers |
| 5 | Sport | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 45 | −21 | 6 | Qualifiers |
| 6 | APV | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 29 | 66 | −37 | 5 | Qualifiers |
Official ranking
| Pos | Team | PpG |
| 1 | HPK | 3.00 |
| 2 | KalPa | 2.20 |
| 3 | RoKi | 1.50 |
| 4 | Lukko | 1.20 |
| 5 | Sport | 0.60 |
| 6 | APV | 0.50 |

### Schedule

Lower Division :
| Date | Home | Score | Visitor | OT | Atn | Notes |
| 5 February | RoKi | 11–5 | APV | | 61 | |
| 5 February | Sport | 2–3 | Lukko | | – | |
| 12 February | Sport | 1–7 | HPK | | 25 | |
| 13 February | RoKi | 1–9 | HPK | | 53 | |
| 13 February | APV | 5–4 | Sport | OT | 100 | |
| 19 February | APV | 4–6 | Lukko | | 60 | |
| 20 February | APV | 1–6 | HPK | | 95 | |
| 26 February | HPK | 7–2 | RoKi | | 40 | |
| 26 February | KalPa | 3–1 | APV | | 52 | |
| 27 February | HPK | 5–3 | Lukko | | 40 | |
| 27 February | APV | 7–5 | RoKi | | 80 | |
| 2 March | RoKi | 3–8 | KalPa | | 64 | |
| 2 March | Lukko | 0–2 | HPK | | 60 | Shutout recorded by Kassidy Sauvé (1) |
| 5 March | RoKi | 5–0 | Lukko | | 55 | Shutout recorded by Janika Järvikari (1) |
| 5 March | APV | 2–7 | KalPa | | 85 | |
| 6 March | RoKi | 7–1 | Sport | | 64 | |
| 6 March | HPK | 13–2 | APV | | 50 | Largest goal difference, ±11 |
| 6 March | KalPa | 4–0 | Lukko | | 53 | Shutout recorded by Tiina Ranne (1) |
| 9 March | KalPa | 2–1 | Sport | OT | 43 | |
| 12 March | Sport | 8–1 | APV | | 68 | |
| 12 March | HPK | 4–0 | KalPa | | 40 | Shutout recorded by Kassidy Sauvé (2) |
| 12 March | Lukko | 2–5 | RoKi | | 50 | |
| 13 March | Sport | 5–6 | RoKi | OT | 40 | |
| 13 March | Lukko | 0–3 | KalPa | | 60 | Shutout recorded by Tiina Ranne (2) |
| 16 March | Sport | 1–3 | KalPa | | 40 | |
| 19 March | HPK | 9–0 | Sport | | 120 | Highest attended game; shutout recorded by Kassidy Sauvé (3) |
| 19 March | KalPa | 2–1 | RoKi | OT | 62 | |
| 19 March | Lukko | 3–1 | APV | | 40 | |
| 20 March | KalPa | 2–5 | HPK | | 63 | |
| 20 March | Lukko | 2–1 | Sport | | 60 | |

### Player statistics

Scoring leaders
The following players led the series in points at the conclusion of lower division play on 20 March 2022. No statistics were carried over from the preliminaries, all totals represent tallies from the lower division only.
RoKi forward Jenna Hietala topped the scoring charts for both goals and points, with 18 goals and 24 points in 10 games played. Slovak forward Júlia Matejková of HPK and KalPa's Johanna Juutilainen tied to lead the series in assists, both tallying 12 assists in 10 games played.
| | Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1 | Jenna Hietala | RoKi | 10 | 18 | 6 | 24 | 0 |
| 2 | Kiti Seikkula | HPK | 10 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 0 |
| 3 | Julia Matejkova | HPK | 10 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 6 |
| 4 | Jutta Stoltenberg | HPK | 10 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 12 |
| 5 | Noora Mylläri | Sport | 9 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 6 |
| 6 | Riikka Noronen | HPK | 8 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 2 |
| 7 | Jade Mäkivaara | HPK | 8 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 0 |
| 8 | Kaisla Kortelainen | KalPa | 10 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 2 |
| 9 | Johanna Juutilainen | KalPa | 10 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 0 |
| 10 | Saimi Lehto | HPK | 7 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 2 |
| 11 | Susanna Järvenpää | APV | 10 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 4 |
Rauman Lukko was the only team not represented in the scoring leaders table at the conclusion of the lower division series. Lukko's top scorer was Roosa-Maria Kangasniemi, who notched 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points in ten games played. She ranked 28th overall on the list of lower division scoring leaders.
Goaltenders
The following goaltenders lead the series in save percentage at the conclusion of lower division play on 20 March 2022, while starting at least one third of matches. Goaltending statistics were not carried over from the preliminaries, only statistics accumulated during the lower division series were considered.
| | Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | L | S | GA | SO | SV% | GAA |
| 1 | Kassidy Sauvé | HPK | 8 | 480:00 | 8 | 0 | 188 | 7 | 3 | .964 | 0.88 |
| 2 | Tiina Ranne | KalPa | 9 | 543:10 | 7 | 2 | 245 | 17 | 2 | .935 | 1.88 |
| 3 | Melisa Mörönen | Sport | 8 | 482:13 | 1 | 7 | 283 | 28 | 0 | .910 | 3.48 |
| 4 | Janika Järvikari | RoKi | 7 | 371:10 | 4 | 1 | 197 | 20 | 1 | .908 | 3.23 |
| 5 | Johanna Niemi | Lukko | 7 | 419:00 | 4 | 3 | 159 | 18 | 0 | .898 | 2.58 |
| 6 | Riina Valkama | APV | 10 | 543:59 | 2 | 7 | 358 | 56 | 0 | .865 | 6.18 |

## Playoffs

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| 1 | Kiekko-Espoo | 3 | | | | | | |
| 8 | KalPa Kuopio | 1 | | | | | | |
| 8 | KalPa Kuopio | 1 | 1 | Kiekko-Espoo | 3 | | | |
| | | | 5 | TPS Turku | 0 | | | |
| 4 | Ilves Tampere | 0 | 5 | TPS Turku | 0 | | | |
| 5 | TPS Turku | 3 | | | | | | |
| 5 | TPS Turku | 3 | | | | | Kiekko-Espoo | 3 |
| | | | | | | | HIFK Helsinki | 2 |
| 2 | HIFK Helsinki | 3 | | | | | | | HIFK Helsinki | 2 |
| 7 | HPK Hämeenlinna | 1 | | | |
| 7 | HPK Hämeenlinna | 1 | 2 | HIFK Helsinki | 3 | Bronze medal game | Bronze medal game | Bronze medal game |
| | | | 3 | Kärpät Oulu | 0 |
| 3 | Kärpät Oulu | 3 | 3 | Kärpät Oulu | 0 | | Kärpät Oulu | 3 |
| 6 | Team Kuortane | 0 | | | | 4 | TPS Turku | 2 |

## Qualification series

The qualification series (Finnish: karsintasarja) began on 26 March and concluded 10 April.
Three teams from the 2021 qualification series returned to the promotion/relegation tournament in 2022: Lukko, RoKi, and Vaasan Sport. Promoted from the Naisten Mestis to the lower division series alongside Lukko, APV last appeared in the 2020 qualification series, in which they did not gain promotion.
On April 3, Rovaniemen Kiekko (RoKi) and Rauman Lukko both amassed unbeatable point advantages and secured league positions. RoKi will remain in the Naisten Liiga for the 2022–23 season and Lukko will make their return to the league after being relegated to the Naisten Mestis in the 2020–21 Naisten Liiga qualifiers.
Vaasan Sport will be relegated to the 2022–23 Naisten Mestis, following four seasons in the Naisten Liiga in which they qualified for the playoffs as the eighth-seed in 2020 and faced relegation in both 2021 and 2022. APV will return to the Naisten Mestis after missing out on the opportunity for promotion for the second time in three seasons.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 2022–23 placement |
| 1 | RoKi | 16 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 80 | 62 | +18 | 27 | Qualify for Naisten Liiga |
| 2 | Lukko | 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 39 | 50 | −11 | 24 | Qualify for Naisten Liiga |
| 3 | Sport | 16 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 42 | 70 | −28 | 15 | Relegated to Naisten Mestis |
| 4 | APV | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 45 | 95 | −50 | 8 | Relegated to Naisten Mestis |
Official ranking
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | PpG |
| 1 | RoKi | 16 | 27 | 1.69 |
| 2 | Lukko | 16 | 24 | 1.50 |
| 3 | Sport | 16 | 15 | 0.94 |
| 4 | APV | 16 | 8 | 0.50 |

### Statistics

Scoring leaders
The following players led scoring in the qualification series at the conclusion of games played on 9 April 2022.
| | Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1 | Maija Koski | Lukko | 5 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 0 |
| 2 | Jenna Hietala | RoKi | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 |
| 3 | Sanni Kontiosalo | RoKi | 5 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 2 |
| 4 | Moona Keskisarja | RoKi | 5 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| 5 | Emmi Mourujärvi | RoKi | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| 6 | Noora Mylläri | Sport | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| 7 | Ella Lahtela | RoKi | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | Sara Hyytiä | Lukko | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 9 | Susanna Järvenpää | APV | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 18 |
| 10 | Susanna Viitala | Sport | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 11 | Viivi Iso-Kouvola | RoKi | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Leading goaltenders
The following goaltenders have played at least one match in the qualification series at the conclusion of games played on 9 April 2022, sorted by save percentage.
| | Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | L | SA | GA | SO | SV% | GA60 |
| 1 | Janita Haapasaari | RoKi | 2 | 120:00 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 1 | 1 | .981 | 0.50 |
| 2 | Johanna Niemi | Lukko | 3 | 180:00 | 2 | 1 | 88 | 7 | 0 | .926 | 2.33 |
| 3 | Oona Mäki | Sport | 3 | 112:22 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 4 | 0 | .925 | 2.14 |
| 4 | Saara Rintamaa | Lukko | 2 | 120:00 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 5 | 0 | .912 | 2.50 |
| 5 | Riina Valkama | APV | 4 | 238:07 | 1 | 3 | 144 | 14 | 0 | .911 | 3.53 |
| 6 | Olivia Last | RoKi | 2 | 80:00 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 4 | 0 | .911 | 3.00 |
| 7 | Janika Järvikari | RoKi | W | 96:55 | 0 | 2 | 42 | 5 | 0 | .894 | 3.10 |
| 8 | Rosa-Marie Ojala | APV | 1 | 60:00 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 7 | 0 | .860 | 7.00 |
| 9 | Melisa Mörönen | Sport | 4 | 187:38 | 1 | 3 | 101 | 18 | 0 | .849 | 5.76 |

## Awards and honours
### Finnish Ice Hockey Association awards

* Riikka Nieminen Award (Player of the Year): Anni Keisala, Ilves
* Tuula Puputti Award (Best goaltender): Anni Keisala, Ilves
* Päivi Halonen Award (Best defenceman): Nelli Laitinen, Kiekko-Espoo
* Katja Riipi Award (Best forward): Elisa Holopainen, Kiekko-Espoo
* Noora Räty Award (Rookie of the Year): Tuuli Tallinen, Team Kuortane
* Marianne Ihalainen Award (Top point scorer): Estelle Duvin, TPS
* Tiia Reima Award (Top goal scorer): Matilda Nilsson, HIFK
* Sari Fisk Award (Best plus/minus): Kiira Yrjänen, Kiekko-Espoo
* Emma Laaksonen Award (Fair-play player): Emmanuelle Passard, HIFK
* Student Athlete Award: Emmi Rakkolainen, Kiekko-Espoo
* U18 Student Athlete Award: Oona Havana, Kärpät
* Hannu Saintula Award (Coach of the Year): Sami Haapanen, Kiekko-Espoo
* Karoliina Rantamäki Award (MVP of the Playoffs): Nelli Laitinen, Kiekko-Espoo
* Anu Hirvonen Award (Best referee): Johanna Tauriainen
* Johanna Suban Award (Best linesman): Linnea Sainio
Source: Finnish Ice Hockey Association
French forward Estelle Duvin of TPS claimed the Marianne Ihalainen Award as regular season scoring champion, amassing a staggering 31 goals and 26 assists for 57 points in 26 games played. She became the second international player to ever capture the honor, following Czech forward Michaela Pejzlová who won the award in 2021. HIFK Naiset winger Matilda Nilsson was the top goalscorer of the regular season, notching 37 goals in 29 games played and winning the Tiia Reima Award for the second consecutive season.

### All-Star Teams

All-Star Team
* Goaltender: Anni Keisala, Ilves
* Defenceman: Nelli Laitinen, Kiekko-Espoo
* Defenceman: Sanni Rantala, Kiekko-Espoo
* Left Wing: Elisa Holopainen, Kiekko-Espoo
* Center: Estelle Duvin, TPS
* Right Wing: Kiira Yrjänen, Kiekko-Espoo
All-Star Team II
* Goaltender: Iina Kuusela, HIFK
* Defenceman: Krista Parkkonen, HIFK
* Defenceman: Oona Koukkula, Team Kuortane
* Left Wing: Sofianna Sundelin, Team Kuortane
* Center: Michaela Pejzlová, HIFK
* Right Wing: Matilda Nilsson, HIFK
Source: Finnish Ice Hockey Association

### Player of the Month

* September 2021: Kiira Yrjänen (F), Kiekko-Espoo
* October 2021: Estelle Duvin (F), TPS
* November 2021: Elisa Holopainen (F), Kiekko-Espoo
* December 2021: too few games played due to holiday break, no player named
* January 2022: number of games limited due to COVID-19 Omicron, no player named
* February/March 2022: Suvi Käyhkö (F), Kärpät