Mestis vs Suomi Sarja

How would you compare/contrast Mestis and Suomi Sarja?

Mestis is one level above Suomi-Sarja so side by side, it's a stronger overall league skill and talent-wise. Both leagues have good players, but you'll find more depth in Mestis as you go through clubs lineups top to bottom. In Mestis, you'll find more players who are aiming to have upward trajectory to Liiga (or who are on loan from a top club there).
mestis vs suomi sarja hockey image
We've scouted both of these leagues for a number of years and have had numerous players move through these levels at different times of their careers.
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Leagues At A Glance

Mestis

Mestis is the 2nd highest level of ice hockey in Finland.

Suomi Sarja

Suomi Sarja is the 3rd highest level of hockey in Finland.

Location: Finland

Location: Finland

Skill Level in Mestis

It's a quality 2nd league in a powerhouse hockey country. In general, Mestis is a slightly younger league with a lot of quality up-and-coming talent. Compared to other hockey countries, most clubs here don't have the same financial budgets that other 2nd leagues (HockeyAllsvenskan, DEL2) might have. The majority of players in the league are Finnish.

Skill Level in Suomi Sarja

Suomi Sarja is a quality third league in Europe. Teams here don't have a ton of financial backing throughout Suomi Sarja but with how strong Finnish hockey is from youth up through the pro ranks, a wide array of quality players end up playing here. Many Finns that live in the region continue to play locally near their hometowns.

Player Perspective: Mestis

"It's a good league with lot of young players coming up. We play in southern Finland (Södra) so our travel schedule is a bit lighter, but we keep busy between all training, matches, and team event. I have played in Liiga of course, but am happy here now raising a family in my home town."

Player Perspective: Suomi Sarja

"I played in Finland (Suomi-Sarja) as an import following college in the states. Our team didn't have the biggest budget but the club treated our team well during my stay here. It's the 3rd tier, but the level of play was close to that of college hockey back home in North America. I was surprised by this but was pleasantly surprised."

Number of Teams in Mestis: 12

Number of Teams in Suomi Sarja: 14

Caliber of Players and Imports in Mestis

As we mentioned above, the majority of players across Mestis are Finnish. This equates to less imports on each team throughout the league. The caliber of play in Mestis is good as it's filled with a mix of talented young players and veterans. The average age across all teams is young with team average ages ranging from 22 on the lower side and 25-26 average age on on the high end. In most cases, if you're an import here, teams will expect you to have some good pro experience or strong stats playing in NCAA/USports/etc. Since they're picky about imports in Mestis, this is especially the case.

Caliber of Players and Imports in Suomi Sarja

You'll find a wide range of players in the league. A number of Finnish players in the league have a bit of experience playing in the higher leagues (Mestis, Liiga). Other players come to Suomi Sarja from various junior programs, II-divisoona (which sits one level below), and so on.
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