Bandyliiga


Bandyliiga or Bandyligan is the top level of bandy in Finland. The league was founded in 1908 and the 2018-19 season is the 109th season of the Bandyliiga. The present name has been used since the 1991/1992 season. The league has ten teams and JPS are the reigning champions.

History

The competitive side of bandy in Finland was organized in 1907 and the first Finnish championship series was played in the winter of 1908. The very first title was won by Polyteknikkojen Urheiluseura, who beat IFK Helsingfors in the final match with a score of 8-3. The championship was decided as a cup competition until 1931. The league was played as single round-robin tournament with various numbers of divisions up until the 1969-70 season, when the current double round-robin format was introduced. The season was split into regular season and playoffs in the 1976-77 season.
The competition has been played every year since 1908, with the exceptions of 1918, 1940 and 1942, when the competition was cancelled first due to Finnish civil war and then due to Winter War and the Continuation war. An unofficial wartime league was played during those years.
In 2008 Bandyliiga celebrated its 100th anniversary with a grand final match of the season, when Oulun Luistinseura beat Tornion Palloveikot in a penalty shoot-out and claimed the Finnish championship.
The 2014-15 season of Bandyliiga ended with Mikkelin Kampparit taking their second championship title. Kampparit beat HIFK 6-3 in the final, played in HIFK's homeground Kallio Ice Rink. The 2016-17 season ended with Veiterä taking their fifth championship title. Veiterä beat Akilles 3-5 in the final, played in Akilles' homeground in Porvoo.

Current teams

TeamStadiumCityFounded
Borgå AkillesBollplanPorvoo1902
Botnia-69Åggelby konstisbanaHelsinki1969
HIFK BandyKallio Ice RinkHelsinki1897
Jyväskylän Seudun PalloseuraViitaniemen tekojäärataJyväskylä1962
Mikkelin KampparitHännin kenttäMikkeli1972
NarukeräPorin tekojäärataPori1964
OLSRaksilan tekojäärataOulu1880
Warkauden Pallo -35KämäriVarkaus1935
VeiteräKisapuiston tekojäärataLappeenranta1950

Updated for 2014-15 season.

Recent champions

SeasonChampionRunner-upThird placed
2016-17VeiteräAkillesJPS
2015-16Botnia-69AkillesMikkelin Kampparit
2014-15Mikkelin KampparitHIFKVeiterä
2013-14Oulun LuistinseuraJyväskylän Seudun PalloseuraAkilles
2012-13HIFKNarukeräMikkelin Kampparit
2011-12Mikkelin KampparitNarukeräHIFK
2010-11HIFKMikkelin KampparitNarukerä
2009-10HIFKOulun LuistinseuraNarukerä
2008-09Oulun LuistinseuraHIFKOulun Palloseura
2007-08Oulun LuistinseuraTornion PalloveikotWarkauden Pallo -35
2006-07Tornion PalloveikotHIFKNarukerä
2005-06Tornion PalloveikotOulun LuistinseuraNarukerä
2004-05Tornion PalloveikotNarukeräOulun Luistinseura
2003-04Tornion PalloveikotOulun LuistinseuraWarkauden Pallo -35

Updated as of season 2016-17.