Karoliina Rantamäki
| Karoliina Rantamäki | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rantamäki with the Finnish national team in 2008. | |||
| Born |
23 February 1978 | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| Auroraliiga team Former teams |
Kiekko-Espoo | ||
| National team | Finland | ||
| Playing career | 1992–present | ||
Karoliina Stina Margaretha Rantamäki (born 23 February 1978) is a Finnish ice hockey player who plays as a forward for Kiekko-Espoo in the Auroraliiga.
Rantamäki holds the record for the most appearances with the Finnish women's national ice hockey team, having competed in 256 elite international games. She represented Finland in five Olympic Games, earning bronze medals in the women's ice hockey tournaments in 1998 and 2010. Additionally, she played in thirteen IIHF Women's World Championships, capturing eight bronze medals in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015. At the club level, Rantamäki has been part of championship-winning teams in Finland's Naisten Liiga as well as Russia's Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) and its predecessor, the Russian Women’s Hockey League.
Starting in the 2010–11 season, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association honored Rantamäki's outstanding contributions to women's hockey by renaming the Most Valuable Player trophy for the Naisten Liiga playoffs in her name. The award, now known as the Karoliina Rantamäki Award, is presented each season to the player deemed most valuable during the league's playoff run.