2017–18 Liiga season


The 2017–18 Liiga season was the 43rd season of the SM-liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland, since the league's formation in 1975. Tappara was the season as a defending champion. This season included a record number of matches played on Fridays and Saturdays. In autumn, there was a national team break from 5 November until 13 November.
The specialties of the season included, for the first time in Liiga history, double games between KooKoo and Vaasan Sport. Teams met twice in October in consecutive evenings in Kouvola and in February twice in succession in Vaasa. In December, HIFK and Kärpät met in the hockey outdoor show at Kaisaniemi, Helsinki.
In 2018, the Liiga continued on Wednesday, 3 January. Ice hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea's Pyeongchang start with the Finland men's national ice hockey team on February 14, 2018. In Liiga, a full round was played on Saturday 17 February, after which the Olympic Games started. Liiga games resumed on Tuesday, February 27.
Kärpät won the championship by winning Tappara in the final series 4-2.

Teams

TeamCityHead coachArenaCapacityCaptain
HIFKHelsinkiAri-Pekka SelinHelsingin jäähalliLennart Petrell
HPKHämeenlinnaAntti PennanenPatria-areenaOtto Paajanen
IlvesTampereKarri KiviTampereen jäähalliTapio Laakso
JukuritMikkeliRisto DufvaKalevankankaan jäähalliMiika Roine
JYPMarko VirtanenSynergia-areenaJuha-Pekka Hytönen
KalPaKuopioSami KapanenNiiralan monttuTommi Jokinen
KooKooKouvolaTuomas TuokkolaLumon arenaToni Kähkönen
KärpätOuluMikko MannerOulun Energia AreenaLasse Kukkonen
LukkoRaumaPekka VirtaÄijänsuo ArenaJanne Niskala
PelicansLahtiPetri MatikainenIsku AreenaStefan Lassen
SaiPaLappeenrantaTero LehteräKisapuistoVille Koho
SportVaasaTomek ValtonenVaasa ArenaMarkus Kankaanperä
TapparaTampereJukka RautakorpiTampereen jäähalliJukka Peltola
TPSTurkuKalle KaskinenHK ArenaTomi Kallio
PoriJyrki Aho14 Jan 2018
Mikael Kotkaniemi
Porin jäähalliMatti Kuparinen

Regular season

Top six advance straight to quarter-finals, while teams between 7th and 10th positions play wild card round for the final two spots. The Liiga is a closed series and thus there is no relegation.

Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) 3-point wins 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Head-to-head points.

Playoffs

Bracket

Wild card round

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Bronze medal game

Finals

Kärpät wins the series 4-2 and wins the championship.

Final rankings