Karoliina Rantamäki Award

The Karoliina Rantamäki Award (Finnish: Karoliina Rantamäki -palkinto, lit. 'Karoliina Rantamäki trophy') is an ice hockey trophy awarded by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association to the playoff MVP of the Naisten Liiga, called the Naisten SM-sarja during 1982 to 2017. The Naisten SM-sarja Playoff MVP trophy was first awarded in the 1999–2000 season and the first recipient was forward Kati Kovalainen of Espoo Blues Naiset.

The most Karoliina Rantamäki Awards won by a single player is three, a record fittingly held by HIFK Naiset captain Karoliina Rantamäki. Rantamäki was recognized as the Naisten SM-sarja Playoff MVP in 2001, 2005, and 2007, all while playing with the Espoo Blues. The award was named after Rantamäki in the 2010–11 season.^[1] Of the ten players with Naisten Liiga trophies named in their honor, Rantamäki is the only player to hold the most wins of her eponymous award; she also holds the record for most Marianne Ihalainen Awards, with six, and most Tiia Reima Awards, with eight.

The Karoliina Rantamäki Award correlates with post-retirement coaching positions more than any other Naisten Liiga award; of the nine retired players who won the award during their playing careers, six have held or currently hold coaching positions: Maija Hassinen-Sullanmaa (2006), Sanna Lankosaari (2002), Linda Leppänen (née Välimäki; 2010, 2014), Isabella Laiho (née Portnoj; 2015) in the Naisten Liiga, Riikka Sallinen (née Nieminen, previously Välilä; 2016) in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL), and Mira Jalosuo (2017) in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).

Source: Jääkiekkokirja 2021,^[3] Elite Prospects^[4]