'Women's First Division') in 1985 by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, when the number of teams playing in the top-tier national league was limited, the league was renamed Naisten Mestis prior to the 2012–13 season.

The Naisten Mestis season format has changed many times since the founding of the league in 1985.

At that time, the intent was to fully implement the format for the 2023–24 season, but adjustments have been necessary with regards to number of teams and the postseason.

[1] The Finnish Ice Hockey Association intended for the Naisten Mestis to comprise ten teams in the 2023–24 season, however, operating costs led two teams – KJT Haukat and Kiilat – that qualified for the season to decline participation in the league.

[1][2] KJT Haukat qualified after finishing fourth in the 2022–23 Naisten Mestis regular season but the team ceased operations in May 2023, citing a lack of players willing to commit to an increased game schedule and insuficient financial resources.

Only APV, PaRa, and SaiPa – the three teams from clubs without Naisten Liiga teams – declared their willingness to vie for promotion to the Naisten Liiga in the postseason qualification series, meaning no qualifiers would be held if at least one of those teams did not end the season ranked in the top-three of the Naisten Mestis.

[4][a] Ultimately, the akatemia teams of HIFK, Kiekko-Espoo, and KalPa finished the season at the top of league standings and no Naisten Liiga qualifiers were held in the 2024 postseason.

[5] Excepting the ten teams of the Naisten Liiga, all women's ice hockey teams competing at the national level began the season in the Naisten Mestis qualifiers (Finnish: karsinta).

The qualifying round ran from the beginning of the season in September to late November or early December.

The team with the highest point total from each division of the qualifiers moved on the cross-qualifying round (Finnish: ristiinkarsinta).

The two teams earning the highest point totals at the end of the tournament continued their seasons in the Lower Division (Finnish: Alempi jatkosarja) of the Naisten Liiga and had the opportunity to gain promotion to the Naisten Liiga for the following season.

The cross qualifying round was played in late November and/or early December.

If the number of divisions was odd, the third ranked team from the qualifiers with the smallest point total would not qualify and moved to the Naisten Suomi-sarja so that an even number of teams was maintained in the Naisten Mestis.

KeuPa HT won the qualification series against Kärpät Akatemia in the 2024 postseason to gain promotion to the Naisten Mestis for the 2024–25 season; Kärpät Akatemia was relegated to the Naisten Suomi-sarja for the 2024–25 season.

[6] In May 2024, the women's department of Panelian Raikas (PaRa) entered into a cooperation agreement with Lukko, an ice hockey club in Rauma that had suspended the operation of its Naisten Liiga team following the 2022–23 season.

The manner in which the Mestis Championship is won has changed many times since the founding of the league in 1985.

It has, for example, been awarded to the most successful team in the regular season, the winner of Mestis playoffs (which have repeatedly changed format or not been held), or to the team able to win promotion through the Naisten Liiga qualification/relegation series.