Women's Japan Ice Hockey League
女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ
Smile Japan League
SportIce hockey
Founded2012 (2012)
FounderJapan Ice Hockey Federation
No. of teams12
Most recent
champion(s)		Daishin IHC
(2022–23)
Most titlesSeibu Princess Rabbits (8)
Domestic cup(s)All-Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship

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 occasionally 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. Nine teams participated in the 2022–23 season, of which eight were based in the northern island-province of Hokkaido and one in the Tokyo Metropolis.

The league’s most successful team, the Seibu Princess Rabbits, won the first eight league titles. DK Peregrine claimed second place in seven of the first eight league finals and won the league championship in 2021. Daishin 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

TeamLocationEst.Head coachCaptain
Daishin IHC Kushiro 1997 Yūjirō Nakajimaya (中島谷 友二朗) Ayaka Tomiuchi (冨内 彩花)[4]
Douro Kensetsu Peregrine Tomakomai 1977 Yukiya Terao (寺尾 幸也) Suzuka Taka (高 涼風)
Jr. High School Selects – Kanae Aoki (青木 香奈枝) Rena Tsunoda (角田 怜奈)
Kushiro Bears Kushiro 1979 Hiroyasu Tōda (任田 大泰) Shioe Omori (青木 亜優子)
Sapporo Infinitys Sapporo 2012 Takanori Maejima (前島 臣政)[5] Sana Kato (加藤 早菜)[6]
Seibu Princess Rabbits Nishitōkyō 1974 Tomohito Okubo ( 大久保 智仁) Momoka Miura (三浦 桃佳)
Showa University Blue Winds Kanagawa (佐久間 勇) Anri Ogino (荻野 杏梨)[7]
Takasu Clinic Mikage Gretz Shimizu 1997 Hiroki Ota (太田 博樹) Harua Umemori (梅森 遥愛)
Tokachi Obihiro Ladies Obihiro 2003 Nana Ataka (安宅 奈々) Reina Satō (佐藤 礼那)
Toyota Cygnus Tomakomai 2001 Kon Takayuki (今 隆之) Yuuki Ito (伊藤 優希)
U18 National Selects – Yujiro Kasahara (笠原 裕二郎) (朝比奈 京)
Vortex Sapporo IHC Sapporo 2012 Nachi Fujimoto (藤本 奈千) Aoi Sawada (澤田 葵)
Sources: JIHF[8][9][10]
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League is located in Japan
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
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League is located in Hokkaido
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
  • Mikage Gretz
  • 2011–2018: Full-time System Mikage Gretz (FTS Mikage Gretz)
  • 2018–present: Takasu Clinic Mikage Gretz (TC Mikage Gretz)
  • Obihiro Ladies
  • Obihiro Cranes Ladies
  • 2023–present: Tokachi Obihiro Ladies
  • Peregrine
  • 2011–2015: Mitsuboshi Daito Peregrine (MD Peregrine)
  • 2015–present: Douro Kensetsu Peregrine (DK Peregrine)

Past participants

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

Champions

Season Gold Champion Silver Runner-up Bronze Third Place Fourth Place
1st 2012–13[12] Seibu Princess Rabbits MD Peregrine Daishin FTS Mikage Gretz
2nd 2013–14[13] Seibu Princess Rabbits MD Peregrine Daishin FTS Mikage Gretz
3rd 2014–15[14] Seibu Princess Rabbits MD Peregrine FTS Mikage Gretz Toyota Cygnus
4th 2015–16[15] Seibu Princess Rabbits Daishin DK Peregrine FTS Mikage Gretz
5th 2016–17[16] Seibu Princess Rabbits DK Peregrine Toyota Cygnus Kushiro Bears
6th 2017–18[17] Seibu Princess Rabbits DK Peregrine FTS Mikage Gretz Toyota Cygnus
7th 2018–19[18] Seibu Princess Rabbits DK Peregrine Toyota Cygnus Obihiro Ladies
8th 2019–20[19] Seibu Princess Rabbits DK Peregrine Daishin Kushiro Bears
9th 2020–21[20] DK Peregrine Seibu Princess Rabbits Daishin Toyota Cygnus
10th 2021–22 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
11th 2022–23[21] Daishin DK Peregrine Seibu Princess Rabbits Toyota Cygnus

All-time medal count

Team 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Princess Rabbits 8 1 1
Peregrine 1 8 1
Daishin 1 1 4
Mikage Gretz 0 0 2
Cygnus 0 0 1

References

  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. ↑ "The 1st Women's Japan Ice Hockey League 1st Stage" (PDF). Japan Ice Hockey Federation. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  3. ↑ "The 1st Women's Japan Ice Hockey League 2nd Stage" (PDF). Japan Ice Hockey Federation. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  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. ↑ Sapporo Infinitys [@sapporo.infinitys] (30 June 2023). "【🔥head coach introduction🔥】" (in Japanese and English). Retrieved 5 September 2023 – via Instagram.
  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. ↑ "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. ↑ "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. ↑ "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. ↑ "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. ↑ "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. ↑ "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.
  13. ↑ "女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ | 大会情報：シーズン別". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 3 November 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  14. ↑ "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】 | 大会情報：シーズン別". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  15. ↑ "女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ(ファイナル) | 大会情報：シーズン別". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 7 February 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  16. ↑ "女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル） | 大会情報：シーズン別". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 12 March 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  17. ↑ "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） | 大会情報：シーズン別". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 11 March 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  18. ↑ "日本女子アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル） | 大会情報：シーズン別". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 11 February 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  19. ↑ "女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル） | 大会情報：シーズン別". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 16 February 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  20. ↑ "女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル） | 大会情報：シーズン別". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 28 February 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  21. ↑ "女子日本アイスホッケーリーグ（ファイナル） | 大会情報：シーズン別". Japan Ice Hockey Federation (in Japanese). 26 February 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
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