2021–22 SM-liiga season

The 2021–22 SM-liiga season was the 47th season of the SM-liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland, since the league's formation in 1975.
==Teams==
Team 	City 	Head coach 	Arena 	Capacity	Captain
HIFK 	Helsinki 	Ville Peltonen 	Helsingin jäähalli 	 	Teemu Tallberg
HPK 	Hämeenlinna 	Matti Tiilikainen 	Pohjantähti Areena 	 	Markus Nenonen
Ilves 	Tampere 	Jouko Myrrä 	Tampereen jäähalli, Hakametsä (September - November 2021)Nokia Arena (December 2021 – present)	 	Eemeli Suomi
Jukurit 	Mikkeli 	Olli Jokinen 	Ikioma Areena 	 	Petrus Palmu
JYP 	 	Jukka Ahvenjärvi 	LähiTapiola Areena 	 	Jan Ščotka
KalPa 	Kuopio 	Tommi Miettinen 	Olvi Areena 	 	Tuomas Kiiskinen
KooKoo 	Kouvola 	Olli Salo 	Lumon Areena 	 	Alexander Bonsaksen
Kärpät 	Oulu 	Lauri Mikkola 	Oulun Energia Areena 	 	Atte Ohtamaa
Lukko 	Rauma 	Marko Virtanen 	Kivikylän Areena 	 	Anrei Hakulinen
Pelicans	Lahti 	Tommi Niemelä 	Isku Areena 	 	Joonas Jalvanti
SaiPa 	Lappeenranta	Pekka Virta 	Lappeenrannan jäähalli, Kisapuisto 	 	Jarno Koskiranta
Sport 	Vaasa 	Risto Dufva 	Vaasan Sähkö Areena 	 	Erik Riska
Tappara 	Tampere 	Jussi Tapola 	Tampereen jäähalli, Hakametsä (September - November 2021)Nokia Arena (December 2021 – present)	 	Otto Rauhala
TPS 	Turku 	Jussi Ahokas 	Gatorade Center 	 	Juhani Jasu
 	Pori 	Ari-Pekka Selin and Karri Kivi	Isomäki Areena (renamed to West Areena) 	 	Jarno Kärki
==Regular season==
===Standings===
Top six advanced straight to the quarter-finals, while teams between 7th and 10th positions played a wild card round for the final two spots. The Liiga is a closed series and thus there is no relegation. The top 3 teams of the regular season qualified for the Champions Hockey League and the 4th team to the Spengler Cup.
The match program was on hiatus during the EHT, Karjala Cup from 7 to 14 November. In December, Christmas was a week-long match break. 
In December, a new ice rink named Tampere Deck Arena (Nokia Arena) was opened in Tampere for the use of Ilves and Tappara. Two matches were played in the new arena on February 19, when Ilves hosts his own in the afternoon and Tappara in the evening.
===Statistics===
====Scoring leaders====
The following shows the top ten players who led the league in points, at the conclusion of the regular season. If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.
Player	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	Tappara 	55	26	35	61	+23	46
 	Jukurit 	59	26	33	59	+27	24
 	Pelicans	54	13	38	51	+23	30
 	HPK 	58	21	29	50	+18	16
 	Ilves 	54	19	30	49	+2 	34
 	HIFK 	54	18	30	48	+13	30
 	Pelicans	44	25	20	45	+16	32
 	Tappara 	57	21	23	44	+31	38
 	HIFK 	53	19	24	43	+11	8
 	Lukko 	52	17	26	43	+19	12
====Leading goaltenders====
The following shows the top ten goaltenders who led the league in goals against average, provided that they have played at least 40% of their team's minutes, at the conclusion of games played on 25 September 2021.
Player	Team(s) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	Jukurit 	5	279:42	1	2	1	7 	1	94.35	1.50
 	TPS 	7	415:17	5	0	2	11	0	93.25	1.59
 	HIFK 	3	180:00	3	0	0	5 	0	89.80	1.67
 	SaiPa 	6	358:06	2	1	3	11	1	90.83	1.84
 	Sport 	3	177:25	2	0	1	6 	1	91.89	2.03
 	KooKoo 	4	235:17	2	0	2	8 	0	92.16	2.04
 	Pelicans	3	142:54	1	2	0	5 	0	91.67	2.10
 	Kärpät 	6	366:32	3	3	0	13	0	92.07	2.13
 	Tappara 	4	238:58	2	1	1	9 	0	86.76	2.26
 	HIFK 	3	179:43	0	2	1	7 	0	88.89	2.34
==Playoffs==
Contrary to the best of three format used in the past seasons, the wild-card round will take place in best of two format, with overtime only played after the second game if the points are tied. The remaining rounds will be played in the best-of-7 format.
=== Bracket ===
===Wild-card round===
The wild-card round series will be decided as a two game series. Compared to normal playoffs format both games can also end on a tie. If after two games both teams have one win or both games have ended on a tie, immediately after the second game an additional game will play played, which will determine the team that will go through to next round. The additional game will be played as five against five game and with 20 minutes periods. Sudden death rule applies. Penalties received during the 2nd game, which have not ended when 2nd game ends, will be cancelled. Only exception is game misconducts, which will carry on to the additional game.
===Quarter-finals===
===Semifinals===
===Bronze medal game===
===Finals===
Tappara wins the finals 4-1.
==Final rankings==
align=center	Tappara
align=center	TPS
align=center	Ilves
4 	KooKoo
5 	Jukurit
6 	HIFK
7 	Kärpät
8 	Lukko
9 	HPK
10 	Pelicans
11 	KalPa
12 	Sport
13 	JYP
14 	SaiPa
15 	Ässät
==References==
== External links ==
*Official site 
*Liiga on eurohockey.com
Category:Liiga seasons
Liiga
Liiga