Women's Japan Ice Hockey League

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.

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 teams9
Most recent
champion(s)		Daishin IHC
(2022–23)
Most titlesSeibu Princess Rabbits (8)
Domestic cup(s)All-Japan Women's Ice Hockey Championship

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

2022–23 season
Team Location Est. Head coach Captain
Daishin IHC Kushiro 1997 Yūjirō Nakajimaya (中島谷 友二朗) Moeka Tsutsumi (堤 萌香)
Douro Kensetsu Peregrine Tomakomai 1977 Yukiya Terao (寺尾 幸也) Chika Otaki
Kushiro Bears Kushiro 1979 Hiroyasu Tōda (任田 大泰) Ayuko Aoki (青木 亜優子)
Obihiro Cranes Ladies Obihiro 2003 Nana Ataka (安宅 奈々) Reina Satō (佐藤 礼那)
Sapporo Infinitys Sapporo 2012 Tomimasa Maejima (前島 臣政) Tomoko Sato (佐藤 智子)
Seibu Princess Rabbits Nishitōkyō 1974 Ayako Senoo (瀬野尾 綾子) Tomo Eguchi (江口 とも)
Takasu Clinic Mikage Gretz Shimizu 1997 Hiroki Ota (太田 博樹) Harua Umemori (梅森 遥愛)
Toyota Cygnus Tomakomai 2001 Kon Takayuki (今 隆之) Yuki Ito (伊藤 優希)
Vortex Sapporo IHC Sapporo 2012 Nachi Fujimoto (藤本 奈千) Runa Miyawaki (宮脇 瑠那)
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
Seibu Princess Rabbits
Seibu Princess Rabbits
Map of Japan with locations of teams participating in the 2022–23 WJIHL season
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League is located in Hokkaido
Daishin
Daishin
DK Peregrine/Toyota Cygnus
DK Peregrine/
Toyota Cygnus
Kushiro Bears
Kushiro Bears
Sapporo Infinitys/Vortex Sapporo
Sapporo Infinitys/
Vortex Sapporo
Mikage Gretz
Mikage Gretz
Obihiro Ladies
Obihiro Ladies
Women's Japan Ice Hockey League
Locations of WJIHL teams in Hokkaido.
Team name history
  • Peregrine
    • 2015–present: Douro Kensetsu Peregrine (DK Peregrine)
    • 2011–2015: Mitsuboshi Daito Peregrine (MD Peregrine)
  • Mikage Gretz
    • 2018–present: Takasu Clinic Mikage Gretz (TC Mikage Gretz)
    • 2011–2018: Full-time System Mikage Gretz (FTS Mikage Gretz)

Past participants
  • Daishin B (Kushiro, Hokkaido)
  • Daito Kaihatsu Nexus/Tomakomai Nexus (Tomakomai, Hokkaido)
  • Ganba X Maria Jaspers[4]
  • Hachinohe Reds (Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture)
  • 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[5] Seibu Princess Rabbits MD Peregrine Daishin FTS Mikage Gretz
2nd 2013–14[6] Seibu Princess Rabbits MD Peregrine Daishin FTS Mikage Gretz
3rd 2014–15[7] Seibu Princess Rabbits MD Peregrine FTS Mikage Gretz Toyota Cygnus
4th 2015–16[8] Seibu Princess Rabbits Daishin DK Peregrine FTS Mikage Gretz
5th 2016–17[9] Seibu Princess Rabbits DK Peregrine Toyota Cygnus Kushiro Bears
6th 2017–18[10] Seibu Princess Rabbits DK Peregrine FTS Mikage Gretz Toyota Cygnus
7th 2018–19[11] Seibu Princess Rabbits DK Peregrine Toyota Cygnus Obihiro Ladies
8th 2019–20[12] Seibu Princess Rabbits DK Peregrine Daishin Kushiro Bears
9th 2020–21[13] DK Peregrine Seibu Princess Rabbits Daishin Toyota Cygnus
10th 2021–22 Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
11th 2022–23[14] 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. "The 1st Women's Japan Ice Hockey League 2nd Stage" (PDF). Japan Ice Hockey Federation. 25 November 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. "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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. "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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