Katja Riipi Award
Finnish ice hockey award
| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| League | Naisten Liiga |
| Awarded for | Best forward |
| Presented by | Finnish Ice Hockey Association |
| History | |
| First winner | Saara Tuominen, 2006 |
| Most wins | Elisa Holopainen (5) |
| Most recent | Elisa Holopainen, 2023 |
The Katja Riipi Award (Finnish: Katja Riipi -palkinto) is an ice hockey trophy, seasonally awarded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the best forward of the Naisten Liiga, previously the Naisten SM-sarja. Best forward in the Naisten Liiga was first awarded in the 2005–06 season, to Saara Niemi (née Tuominen). The award was named in honor of Katja Riipi during the 2010–11 season.[1]
Ten players have won the award and, of the ten, three have won it more than once. Young phenom Elisa Holopainen, a left winger, is the current title holder and has won the award in each of the past five seasons, making her the first player to win the award more than two consecutive times. Holopainen's win in 2023 broke the four-win record first set by Linda Leppänen (née Välimäki). Leppänen, a centre, first won the trophy in the 2009–10 season, while playing with Ilves Tampere – the team she would later coach during 2020 to 2022. Her later three titles were awarded while playing with the Kiekko-Espoo franchise, winning consecutive trophies in 2014 and 2015, when the team was called the Espoo Blues, and in the 2017, when the team was called Espoo United. Anne Helin, who won the trophy in the 2010–11 season and 2012–13, is the only other player to have been awarded the Katja Riipi Award more than once.
Award winners
| Season | Winner | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 | Saara Tuominen | Ilves Tampere | |
| 2006–07 | Karoliina Rantamäki | Espoo Blues | |
| 2007–08 | Eini Lehtinen | Oulun Kärpät | |
| 2008–09 | Michelle Karvinen | Espoo Blues | |
| 2009–10 | Linda Välimäki | Ilves Tampere | |
| 2010–11 | Anne Helin | Oulun Kärpät | |
| 2011–12 | Nina Tikkinen | Oulun Kärpät | |
| 2012–13 | Anne Helin | Oulun Kärpät | |
| 2013–14 | Linda Välimäki | Espoo Blues | |
| 2014–15 | Linda Välimäki | Espoo Blues | |
| 2015–16 | Tanja Niskanen | JYP Jyväskylä | [2] |
| 2016–17 | Linda Välimäki | Espoo United | |
| 2017–18 | Petra Nieminen | Team Kuortane | [3] |
| 2018–19 | Elisa Holopainen | KalPa Kuopio | [4] |
| 2019–20 | Elisa Holopainen | KalPa Kuopio | [5][6] |
| 2020–21 | Elisa Holopainen | KalPa Kuopio | [7] |
| 2021–22 | Elisa Holopainen | Kiekko-Espoo | [8] |
| 2022–23 | Elisa Holopainen | KalPa Kuopio | [9] |
Source: Elite Prospects[10]
All-time award recipients
| Player | Wins | Year(s) won |
|---|---|---|
| Elisa Holopainen | 5 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Linda Välimäki | 4 | 2010, 2014, 2015, 2017 |
| Anne Helin | 2 | 2011, 2013 |
| Michelle Karvinen | 1 | 2009 |
| Eini Lehtinen | 1 | 2008 |
| Petra Nieminen | 1 | 2018 |
| Tanja Niskanen | 1 | 2016 |
| Karoliina Rantamäki | 1 | 2007 |
| Nina Tikkinen | 1 | 2012 |
| Saara Tuominen | 1 | 2006 |
References
- ^ "Jääkiekkoliitto uudisti palkinnot: Pokaaleihin nimet Selänne, Koivu, Räty, Javanainen..." MTV Uutiset (in Finnish). 14 November 2010. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ Mennander, Pasi (4 March 2016). "Naisten SM-sarjan kauden 2015-16 palkitut pelaajat, erotuomarit ja tähtikentät". leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ Mennander, Pasi. "Kuortaneella juhlistettiin runkosarjapalkintoja - Pystejä pelaajille ja valmennukselle". leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
- ^ Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto; Liiga (2019). Aaltonen, Juha (ed.). Jääkiekkokirja 2020: Suomen Jääkiekkoliiton ja Liiga Kausijulkaisu 2019–2020 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti. p. 554. ISSN 0784-3321. OCLC 476321083. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Suomen Jääkiekkoliitto; Jääkiekkon SM-liiga Oy (2020). Aaltonen, Juha (ed.). Jääkiekkokirja 2021: Suomen Jääkiekkoliiton ja Liiga Kausijulkaisu 2020–2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Uusi Suomi/Kiekkolehti. p. 528. ISSN 0784-3321. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ Mennander, Pasi (15 March 2021). "Naisten Liigan kauden 2020–21 palkitut pelaajat ja tähtikentät". leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ Mennander, Pasi (13 June 2022). "Naisten Liigan kauden 2021–22 palkitut pelaajat ja tähtikentät". leijonat.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
- ^ Mennander, Pasi (10 June 2023). "Naisten Liigan kauden 2022–23 palkitut pelaajat, valmentajat ja tuomarit". Finnish Ice Hockey Association (in Finnish). Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ^ "Award - SM-sarja (W) Best Forward (Katja Riipi Award)". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
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