Naisten Liiga Season Preview

HIFK Celebrate Winning the 2023-24 Naisten Liiga Championship

The beginning of hockey season is almost here. With August comes players returning from summer vacations, pre-season training, hitting the gym, and friendly matches all in preparation for the new campaign.

This week, the first official pre-season matches in Finland kick off, and as the new season gets underway, hockey fans across the Scandinavian nation are preparing to welcome back some of the best athletes in the world. The Finnish Naisten Liiga, originally founded in 1982, has long been regarded as the second-best club competition in Europe. Over the years, the top Finnish women’s league has contributed not only countless members to the Finnish national team but has also played host to numerous players from Sweden, Canada, the USA, Germany, Switzerland, and, of course, Czechia. Czechs are no strangers to traveling to Finland for their professional club hockey. In recent years, Czechs have been the second most represented nationality in the Naisten Liiga, a trend that continues into the 2024-2025 season.

Michaela Pejzlová - H.I.F.K.

Last season saw a record-setting performance by Czech players, with five players in the Top 50 in points. Michaela Pejzlová, a seasoned veteran of the senior National Team, notched an impressive 78 points in just 31 games for HIFK, capturing the Marianne Ihalainen Award for leading the league in scoring. HIFK, like Pejzlová, clinched the Naisten Liiga title by defeating a worthy foe, Kiekko-Espoo, winners of 16 league titles between 1999 and 2024. Pejzlová was THE standout Czech in the league last season. Though sidelined with injury through November and December, her ability to create plays in the offensive end led to her being a finalist for the All-Star team, leaving many to wonder if her dominating performance would lead to broader ambitions, such as declaring for the PWHL draft. However, Pejzlová decided not to declare and is not returning to Finland, opting instead to expand her horizons in the Swiss League by signing with HC Ambri-Piotta.

Tereza Pištěková - HPK

But Pejzlová is not the only Czech star to depart the league after this past season. Also leaving is dynamic forward and rising talent Tereza Pištěková, another more-than-point-per-game player for HPK last season, tallying 44 points and helping lead her team to the league’s bronze medal game. Pištěková, with an equally impressive performance, departs for Djurgårdens IF in Sweden, joining Pejzlová as the top two scoring Czechs in Finland to seek new opportunities

Thus, the 24-25 season begins with a question: Of the players representing Czechia in Finland, who among them will rise to the challenge and deliver a noteworthy performance, elevating their game to become the next standout star in Europe’s second-best competition? There are several contenders. The biggest theme going into the new year is undoubtedly the return of a collection of very talented players on the national stage, including three members of the U18 World Junior Championship silver medal-winning team: Barbora Juříčková, Magdaléna Felcmanová, and Karolína Skořepová. All three are anticipated to take a step forward this season, bringing fresh energy to a national pool already brimming with talent.

Among this exciting group, one to keep an eye on is HPK’s Barbora Juříčková. Incredibly, the 17-year-old is already entering her third full season with HPK, showing early maturity in her game. Last season, she more than doubled her point total from the previous year, racking up 12 goals and 9 assists. She earned significant ice time with the U18 team during the World Championships, where despite tallying just one point during the tournament, she averaged over 18 minutes of ice time in the six games she featured in. Her continued development will undoubtedly be crucial for HPK, and she will likely be pushing for a chance to prove herself on the senior team.

Felcmanová and Skořepová are no different, as both will look to increase their outputs and roles within their respective teams. Felcmanová, standing tall at 5’10”, brings size and power to her game and finished third in scoring for RoKi with 17 points (2 goals, 15 assists). Skořepová, at 18, will be eager to improve after Karpat’s first-round playoff exit.

But perhaps the player to watch most closely this season is 21-year-old forward and teammate of Magdaléna Felcmanová at RoKi, Anna Kalová.

I had the chance to ask RoKi forward and recent National Team call-up Anna Kalová a few questions about her expectations for the season. Despite RoKi’s struggles last season, finishing last in the standings with just two wins, Kalová's primary goal is to lead her team out of the bottom of the table and into a playoff position. "We have a younger team this season, but I think we have potential to make it. We have been struggling to be consistent…but I am confident that with new management, new players, and a new game plan, we can make it happen." On her game specifically, Anna is looking to refine her physicality and improve her skating.

“I am confident that with new management, new players, and a new game plan, we can make it happen.” - Anna Kalová

This will be Kalová's third season at RoKi, where she has worn the 'A' on her chest for the last two seasons. When asked about her experience playing in Finland, she said, "I’ve made good friends and memories playing in Finland. It was hard at the beginning, to be away from family and my friends at home, but the people here really made it feel like a second home…and it helped having a Czech teammate to help me adjust from the start," referencing fellow Czech Magdalena Felcmanová. Kalová believes she can be her true self on and off the ice in Rovaniemi, mentioning that everyone on the team competes hard, which motivates her to improve. She mentioned that perhaps the most fun are the games where she gets to compete against her fellow Czechs, noting that she's especially excited to play against "Bara Juříčková, she is my national team roomie and it's always fun to play against her."

Kalová is one player I am personally very excited to watch this season. I cannot wait to see how she fares as she tries to lead her team back into a more competitive standing in the league.

While the departure of stars like Pejzlová and Pištěková marks the end of an era, it also opens doors for rising talent to shine and make their own marks on the league. As we eagerly await the start of the new season, we will watch with great interest to see who will rise to the challenge and take their game to the next level.