Women's_Japan_Ice_Hockey_League

Women's Japan Ice Hockey League

Women's Japan Ice Hockey League

Ice hockey league in Japan

The Women's Japan Ice Hockey League (Japanese: 女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ, Hepburn: Joshi Nihon Aisu Hokkē Rīgu) or WJIHL is the premier women's ice hockey league in Japan. Officially nicknamed the Smile Japan League,[1] it is also known as the Smile League (Japanese: スマイルリーグ). The league was founded in 2012 by the Japan Ice Hockey Federation and is contested in addition to the All-Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship tournament. Twelve teams participated in the 2023–24 season, of which eight were based in the northern island-province of Hokkaido, two in the Tokyo Metropolis, and two were junior teams comprising youth players from across Japan.

Quick Facts Sport, Founded ...

The league’s most successful team, the Seibu Princess Rabbits, won the first eight league titles and have been WJIHL Champions a total of nine times. DK Peregrine claimed second place in seven of the first eight league finals and won the league championship in 2021. Daishin IHC are the only other team to have played in the finals, finishing second in 2014 and winning their first league title in 2023.

History

2012–13 season

The first season of the JWIHL, 2012–13, was played in two stages: a placement tournament and a final tournament. In the first stage, held during 5 to 8 October 2012, the ten participating teams were divided into two groups of five and each group played a single round-robin of ten games.[2] The top two teams from each group and the third ranked team with the higher point total from the first stage qualified for the top league and the remaining five teams competed in the lower league of the second stage tournament. The second stage was also played as a single round-robin and was held during 22 to 25 November 2012. The first champions of the WJIHL were the Seibu Princess Rabbits.[3]

Teams

2023–24 season

More information Team, Location ...
Sources: JIHF[8][9][10]
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League
Princess Rabbits
Princess Rabbits
Blue Winds
Blue Winds
Map of Japan with locations of teams participating in the 2023–24 WJIHL season
Daishin
Daishin
Cygnus & Peregrine
Cygnus & Peregrine
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League
Bears
Bears
Vortex & Infinitys
Vortex & Infinitys
Mikage Gretz
Mikage Gretz
Obihiro Ladies
Obihiro Ladies
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League
Locations of WJIHL teams in Hokkaido.
Team name history
  • Bears
→ 1979–1993: Kushiro Bears
→ 1993–2007: Rokkatei Bears
→ 2007–2012: Kamori Kanko Bears
→ 2012–present: Kushiro Bears
  • Mikage Gretz
→ 1987–2008: Mikage Gretz
→ 2008–2018: Full-time System Mikage Gretz (FTS Mikage Gretz)
→ 2018–present: Takasu Clinic Mikage Gretz (TC Mikage Gretz)
  • Obihiro Ladies
  • → 2003–2019: Obihiro Ladies
→ 2019–2023: Obihiro Cranes Ladies
→ 2023–present: Tokachi Obihiro Ladies
  • Peregrine
→ 1977–1991: Tomakomai Peregrine
→ 1991–2010: Iwakura Peregrine
→ 2010–2015: Mitsuboshi Daito Peregrine (MD Peregrine)
→ 2015–present: Douro Kensetsu Peregrine (DK Peregrine)
  • Princess Rabbits
→ 1974–1992: Kokudo Keikaku WIHC
→ 1992–2006: Kokudo Ladies
→ 2006–present: SEIBU Princess Rabbits

Past participants

  • Daishin B (Kushiro, Hokkaido)
  • Daito Kaihatsu Nexus/Tomakomai Nexus (Tomakomai, Hokkaido)
  • Ganba X Maria Jaspers[11]
  • Hachinohe Reds [ja] (Hachinohe, Aomori)
  • Makomanai Ladies Ice Hockey Club (Sapporo, Hokkaido)
  • Queen Bears[12] (Nishitokyo, Tokyo)

Champions

More information Season, Champion ...

All-time medal count

More information Team ...

References

  1. [1]
    "第11回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ (2022-23 SMILE JAPAN LEAGUE)" (PDF). Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 26 February 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  2. [2]
    "The 1st Women's Japan Ice Hockey League 1st Stage" (PDF). Japan Ice Hockey Federation. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  3. [3]
    "The 1st Women's Japan Ice Hockey League 2nd Stage" (PDF). Japan Ice Hockey Federation. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  4. [4]
    Daishin IHC [@daishinicehockeyclub] (18 August 2023). "【今シーズンのチーム構成】" (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 September 2023 – via Instagram.
  5. [5]
    Sapporo Infinitys [@sapporo.infinitys] (30 June 2023). "【🔥head coach introduction🔥】" (in Japanese and English). Retrieved 5 September 2023 – via Instagram.
  6. [6]
    Sapporo Infinitys [@sapporo.infinitys] (21 June 2023). "👀 #66 GK 加藤早菜　　チームキャプテン🏁" [👀 #66 GK Sana Kato　Team Captain 🏁] (in Japanese and English). Retrieved 5 September 2023 – via Instagram.
  7. [7]
    "昭和大学女子アイスホッケークラブ｜選手紹介". Showa University Blue Winds (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  8. [8]
    "第12回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（１次リーグ）". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  9. [9]
    "Official Game Sheet: 女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（１次リーグ）". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese and English). 9 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  10. [10]
    "Official Game Sheet: 女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（１次リーグ）". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese and English). 9 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  11. [11]
    "The 1st Women's Japan Ice Hockey League 2nd Stage – Ganba X Maria Jaspers – Playing Statistics" (PDF). Japan Ice Hockey Federation. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  12. [12]
    "Queen Bears Ice Hockey Club Official site". Queen Bears IHC (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 3 March 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  13. [13]
    "第1回女子アイスホッケーリーグ（２次リーグ） Japan Women's Ice Hockey League 2nd Stage". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 25 November 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  14. [14]
    "第2回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 3 November 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  15. [15]
    "第3回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグSMILE JAPAN LEAGUE（ファイナルリーグ）【スポーツ振興くじ助成事業】". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 24 February 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  16. [16]
    "第4回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ(ファイナル)". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 7 February 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  17. [17]
    "第5回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル）". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 12 March 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  18. [18]
    "第6回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナルトーナメント）". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 11 March 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  19. [19]
    "第7回日本女子アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル）". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 11 February 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  20. [20]
    "第8回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル）". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 16 February 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  21. [21]
    "第9回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル）". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 28 February 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  22. [22]
    "第11回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル）". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 26 February 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  23. [23]
    "第12回女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル）". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 25 February 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
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