Riikka Nieminen Award
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| League | Naisten Liiga |
| Awarded for | Best player in the Naisten Liiga |
| Local name | Riikka Nieminen -palkinto (Finnish) |
| Country | Finland |
| Presented by | Finnish Ice Hockey Association |
| History | |
| Most wins | Jenni Hiirikoski (5) |
| Most recent | Tanja Niskanen (2019–20) |
The Riikka Nieminen Award (Finnish: Riikka Nieminen -palkinto) is an ice hockey award given seasonally by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the best player of the Naisten Liiga, previously the Naisten SM-sarja. It is named after former SM-sarja centre Riikka Sallinen, née Nieminen, who is widely considered the best European women’s hockey player to ever compete internationally.[1][2]
Award winners
Player still active in Naisten Liiga
Player still active in league other than Naisten Liiga
| Season | Winner | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Michelle Karvinen | Espoo Blues | [3] |
| 2009–10 | Jenni Hiirikoski | Ilves Tampere | [3] |
| 2010–11 | Anne Helin | Kärpät Oulu | [3] |
| 2011–12 | Nina Tikkinen | Kärpät Oulu | [3] |
| 2012–13 | Jenni Hiirikoski | JYP Jyväskylä | [3] |
| 2013–14 | Jenni Hiirikoski | JYP Jyväskylä | [3] |
| 2014–15 | Jenni Hiirikoski | JYP Jyväskylä | [3] |
| 2015–16 | Jenni Hiirikoski | JYP Jyväskylä | [3] |
| 2016–17 | Isa Rahunen | Kärpät Oulu | [3] |
| 2017–18 | Linda Välimäki | Ilves Tampere | [4] |
| 2018–19 | Elisa Holopainen | KalPa Kuopio | [5] |
| 2019–20 | Tanja Niskanen | KalPa Kuopio | [6] |
All time award recipients
| Player | Wins | Year(s) won |
|---|---|---|
| Jenni Hiirikoski | 5 | 2010, 2013, 2014 2015, 2016 |
| Anne Helin | 1 | 2011 |
| Elisa Holopainen | 1 | 2019 |
| Michelle Karvinen | 1 | 2009 |
| Tanja Niskanen | 1 | 2020 |
| Isa Rahunen | 1 | 2017 |
| Nina Tikkinen | 1 | 2012 |
| Linda Välimäki | 1 | 2018 |
References
- ^ Foster, Meredith (15 June 2019). "Team Finland legend Riikka Sallinen retires". The Ice Garden. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ^ "Legends of Hockey: Profiles of Notable Women in Hockey". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i "SM-sarja (W) Best Player (Riikka Nieminen Award)". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Seppänen, Antti, ed. (2 May 2018). "Liiga palkitsi kauden 2017–18 parhaat – tässä palkittujen lista". liiga.fi (in Finnish). Liiga. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Mennander, Pasi (12 June 2019). "Leijonat - Tupu, Hupu ja Lupu jälleen yhdessä! Palkitsivat parhaat hyökkääjät Jääkiekkogaalassa". www.leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 27 May 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Mennander, Pasi (23 March 2020). "Naisten Liigan kauden 2019–20 palkitut pelaajat ja tähtikentät". leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)