Finland women's national under-18 ice hockey team

The Finnish women's national under-18 ice hockey team (Finnish: Suomen alle 18-vuotiaiden naisten jääkiekkomaajoukkue) is the national women's junior ice hockey team of Finland, which represents Finland at the International Ice Hockey Federation's Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship and other international U18 tournaments. The team is officially nicknamed the Tyttöleijonat (lit. 'Girl Lions')^[a] and the nickname is regularly used in Finnish-language media.^[1][2][3]

Finland

Nickname(s)	Tyttöleijonat ('Girl Lions')
Association	Finnish Ice Hockey Association
Head coach	Mira Kuisma
Assistants	Heikki Kemppainen Juho Lehto Aku Perala
Captain	Abigail Byskata (2025)
Most games	Nelli Laitinen (22) Krista Parkkonen (22)
Top scorer	Sanni Hakala (9) Emma Nuutinen (9) Susanna Tapani (9)
Most points	Emma Nuutinen (17)
IIHF code	FIN
First international
Germany 4 – 2 Finland  (Calgary, Canada; January 7, 2008)
Biggest win
Finland 11 – 1 France  (St. Catharines, Canada; January 8, 2016)
Biggest defeat
Canada 17 – 0 Finland  (Calgary, Canada; January 9, 2008)
IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship
Appearances	14 (first in 2008)
Best result	Bronze: (2011, 2019, 2022)
International record (W–L–T)
27–29–0

Medal record
World U18 Championship
	2011 Sweden
	2019 Japan
	2022 USA

U18 Women's World Championship record

Year	GP	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	Pts	Rank
2008	5	1	0	0	4	8	37	3	6th place
2009	5	1	2	0	2	5	11	8	5th place
2010	5	2	0	1	2	11	12	7	5th place
2011	6	2	1	0	3	11	16	8	Won bronze medal
2012	5	2	0	1	2	12	17	4	5th place
2013	5	3	0	0	2	13	12	9	5th place
2014	5	1	1	1	2	11	18	6	5th place
2015	5	3	0	0	2	13	9	9	5th place
2016	5	2	0	0	3	15	10	6	6th place
2017	5	3	0	1	1	10	6	10	5th place
2018	5	3	0	0	2	11	9	9	5th place
2019	6	3	2	0	1	15	13	14	Won bronze medal
2020	6	1	0	0	5	9	23	3	4th place
2021	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022	5	2	0	0	3	9	11	6	Won bronze medal
2023	6	1	0	1	4	7	32	4	4th place
2024	6	3	0	0	3	14	24	9	4th place
2025									6th place
2026

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2025 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship.^[4][5][6]

Head coach: Mira Kuisma
Assistant coaches: Heikki Kemppainen, Juho Lehto, Aku Perala (goaltender)

No.	Pos.	Name	Height	Weight	Birthdate	Team
1	G	Kerttu Kuja-Halkola	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)	70 kg (150 lb)	(2007-09-02) 2 September 2007 (age 17)	Team Kuortane
2	D	Nelly Andersson	1.61 m (5 ft 3 in)	85 kg (187 lb)	(2007-06-11) 11 June 2007 (age 18)	HIFK Helsinki
3	D	Neea Ketola	1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)	66 kg (146 lb)	(2008-08-22) 22 August 2008 (age 16)	Team Kuortane
4	D	Oona Hämäläinen	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)	75 kg (165 lb)	(2008-03-27) 27 March 2008 (age 17)	Team Kuortane
8	D	Katariina Junnila	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)	64 kg (141 lb)	(2009-01-03) 3 January 2009 (age 16)	Löwen Frankfurt U17
9	D	Viola Kärkkäinen	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)	62 kg (137 lb)	(2009-06-13) 13 June 2009 (age 16)	Pohti Pyhäjärvi U15
10	D	Fanny Kyrkkö	1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)	54 kg (119 lb)	(2010-09-08) 8 September 2010 (age 14)	HC Nokia U15
11	D	Viivi-Maija Ruonakoski	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)	69 kg (152 lb)	(2009-09-23) 23 September 2009 (age 15)	Kärpät Oulu
12	D	Elli Pohjanaho – A	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)	77 kg (170 lb)	(2007-02-06) 6 February 2007 (age 18)	HC Nokia U15
13	F	Yenna Kolmonen	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)	62 kg (137 lb)	(2009-11-05) 5 November 2009 (age 15)	Team Kuortane
15	F	Siiri Friederiksen	1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)	64 kg (141 lb)	(2008-04-19) 19 April 2008 (age 17)	TPS Turku
16	F	Ella Hautala	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)	67 kg (148 lb)	(2008-05-05) 5 May 2008 (age 17)	Kärpät Oulu
18	F	Emmi Loponen	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)	64 kg (141 lb)	(2009-02-20) 20 February 2009 (age 16)	Kiekko Laser
19	F	Tuulianna Artti	1.57 m (5 ft 2 in)	48 kg (106 lb)	(2010-03-14) 14 March 2010 (age 15)	KJT Haukat U15
20	F	Vilma Nurmisto – A	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)	59 kg (130 lb)	(2007-08-23) 23 August 2007 (age 17)	TPS Turku
21	F	Jannika Sten	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)	72 kg (159 lb)	(2008-03-20) 20 March 2008 (age 17)	Pelicans Lahti U16
22	F	Senja Siivonen	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)	63 kg (139 lb)	(2008-05-02) 2 May 2008 (age 17)	Team Kuortane
23	F	Minea Huovinen	1.48 m (4 ft 10 in)	46 kg (101 lb)	(2009-05-05) 5 May 2009 (age 16)	Kiekko-75 Leppävirta
24	F	Julia Kuhta	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)	60 kg (130 lb)	(2008-06-19) 19 June 2008 (age 17)	HIFK Helsinki
25	F	Abigail Byskata – C	1.53 m (5 ft 0 in)	62 kg (137 lb)	(2007-05-07) 7 May 2007 (age 18)	Team Kuortane
27	F	Eva Lamberg	1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)	58 kg (128 lb)	(2007-11-24) 24 November 2007 (age 17)	HPK Hämeenlinna
28	F	Tinja Tapani	1.62 m (5 ft 4 in)	54 kg (119 lb)	(2009-03-05) 5 March 2009 (age 16)	Lukko Rauma
29	F	Sara Loikkanen	1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)	50 kg (110 lb)	(2007-07-11) 11 July 2007 (age 18)	HIFK Helsinki
30	G	Annika Saastamoinen	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)	78 kg (172 lb)	(2007-05-08) 8 May 2007 (age 18)	RoKi Rovaniemi
31	G	Emilia Piekkari	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)	63 kg (139 lb)	(2007-02-25) 25 February 2007 (age 18)	Team Kuortane

Team biometrics

• Average age: 16
• Average height: 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
• Average weight: 64 kg (141 lb)

World Championship player awards

Best Defenseman
Selected by the tournament directorate

• 2020: Nelli Laitinen^[7]

Best Forward
Selected by the tournament directorate

• 2019: Elisa Holopainen^[8]

Best Goaltender
Selected by the tournament directorate

• 2011: Isabella Portnoj^[9]
• 2022: Emilia Kyrkkö^[10]

All-Star Team
Selected by members of the media

• 2013: Emma Nuutinen (F)^[11]
• 2019: Elisa Holopainen (F), Nelli Laitinen (D)^[12]
• 2020: Sanni Rantala (D)^[13]
• 2022: Emilia Kyrkkö (G), Sanni Vanhanen (F)^[14]
• 2023: Pauliina Salonen (F)^[15]
• 2024: Emma Ekoluoma (F), Tuuli Tallinen (D)^[16]

Top-3 Players on Team
Selected by the coaches

• 2008: Piia Räty (G), Linda Välimäki (F), Maiju Yliniemi (F)
• 2009: Susanna Airaksinen (G), Tiina Saarimäki (D), Tea Villilä (D)
• 2010: Isa Rahunen (D), Salla Rantanen (F), Susanna Tapani (F)
• 2011: Isabella Portnoj (G), Susanna Tapani (F), Saana Valkama (F)
• 2012: Anna Kilponen (D), Johanna Koivisto (D), Anni Rantanen (D)^[17]
• 2013: Anna Kilponen (D), Emma Nuutinen (F), Eveliina Suonpää (G)^[18]
• 2014: Anni Keisala (G), Marjut Klemola (D), Emmi Rakkolainen (F)^[19]
• 2015: Sanni Hakala (F), Anni Keisala (G), Nelli Salomäki (F)^[20]
• 2016: Sini Karjalainen (D), Petra Nieminen (F), Tiia Pajarinen (G)
• 2017: Sini Karjalainen (D), Jenniina Nylund (F), Jenna Silvonen (G)
• 2018: Sanni Ahola (G), Elisa Holopainen (F), Nelli Laitinen (D)
• 2019: Elisa Holopainen (F), Nelli Laitinen (D), Sanni Rantala (D)^[21]
• 2020: Nelli Laitinen (D), Sanni Rantala (D), Kiira Yrjänen (F)^[22]
• 2022: Oona Havana (F), Emilia Kyrkkö (G), Sanni Vanhanen (F)^[23]
• 2023: Pauliina Salonen (F), Tuuli Tallinen (D), Sanni Vanhanen (F)^[24]
• 2024: Emma Ekoluoma (F), Tuuli Tallinen (D), Kerttu Kuja-Halkola (G)^[25]
• 2025: Kerttu Kuja-Halkola (G), Eva Lamberg (F), Tinja Tapani (F)^[26]

Source: ^[27]