The 2020–21 SM-liiga season was the 46th season of the SM-liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland, since the league's formation in 1975. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic all the games had to be played to a very limited audience or no audience at all. Two teams have temporarily let go of their coaches due to financial reasons: JYP and SaiPa. The season was Hakametsä's last full season.
Teams
Team City Head coach Arena Capacity Captain HIFK Helsinki Jarno Pikkarainen Helsingin jäähalli Jere Sallinen HPK Hämeenlinna Matti Tiilikainen Pohjantähti Areena Markus Nenonen Ilves Tampere Jouko Myrrä Tampereen jäähalli Eemeli Suomi Jukurit Mikkeli Marko Kauppinen12.3.2021Jari Kauppila Ikioma Areena Jesper Piitulainen JYP Mikko Viitanen (27.12.2020–) Jussi Tupamäki (21.10.2020–27.12.2020) Pekka Tirkkonen (furloughed 21.10.2020–31.3.2021) LähiTapiola Areena Jani Tuppurainen KalPa Kuopio Tommi Miettinen Olvi Areena Tommi Jokinen KooKoo Kouvola Jussi Ahokas Lumon Areena Alexander Bonsaksen Kärpät Oulu Mikko Manner Oulun Energia Areena Mika Pyörälä Lukko Rauma Pekka Virta Kivikylän Areena Heikki Liedes Pelicans Lahti Tommi Niemelä Isku Areena Hannes Björninen SaiPa Lappeenranta Ville Hämäläinen (8.11.2020–27.3.2021)Tero Lehterä (furloughed 8.11.2020–27.3.2021) Lappeenrannan jäähalli Jarno Koskiranta Sport Vaasa Risto Dufva Vaasan Sähkö Areena Erik Riska Tappara Tampere Jussi Tapola Tampereen jäähalli Jukka Peltola TPS Turku Raimo Helminen Gatorade Center Lauri Korpikoski Pori Ari-Pekka Selin Isomäki Areena Niklas Appelgren
Regular season Top six advanced straight to the quarter-finals, while teams between 7th and 10th positions played a wild card round for the final two spots. The SM-liiga is a closed series and thus there is no relegation. Due to several games having been cancelled due to COVID-19 cases in various teams in March 2021, not all teams got an even number of games, therefore SM-liiga decided that the rankings of the regular season will be determined by points per game average.
Rules for classification: 1) Points per game; 2) 3-point wins 3) Goal difference; 4) Goals scored; 5) Head-to-head points.
Playoffs Contrary to the best of three format used in the past seasons, the wild-card round will take place in two games and the aggregate score decides the team which advances. The remaining rounds will be played in the best-of-5 format instead of the typical best-of-7 format
Bracket
Wild-card round The worse ranked team will play the first game at home. The aggregate score of the two games decides the winner of the round. There will be no over-time or penalty shoot-outs in the first game even if the score is tied. If the aggregate score is tied after the second game, overtime will be played in 20 minute periods until a goal is scored.
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Bronze medal game
Finals
Lukko wins the finals 3–1.
Final rankings Lukko TPSHIFK4Tappara5KalPa6Pelicans7Kärpät8Ilves9KooKoo10Sport11HPK12Ässät13SaiPa14Jukurit15JYP
See also 2020–21 Mestis season
References
External links Official site