The season opener of the Ice Hockey Championship League between Tappara and TPS will be watched on Tuesday, September 13. Puhe’s Ice Hockey Tour from 5:45 p.m. You can find the broadcast at this link.
The ice hockey championship league clubs start the season starting on Tuesday with big investments. The clubs have invested a total of 5.4 million euros more in their player budgets than last season.
The player budgets announced by the teams for the 2022–23 season have risen to a record 34.90 million euros, while, for example, before the corona era, in the 2019–20 season, the clubs’ numbers were still 32.85 million. So 2.05 million more have been invested in this season’s league players than before the uncertainty and corona pandemic.
In addition to the top three of the total budget comparison, Tappara (11.97 million /+25%), TPS (10.40 million /+30.5%) and Ilves (10 million /+46%) ) have made significant additional investments for the beginning season compared to the previous Jukurit (+23%), HPK (+22%), Sport (+20%) and JYP (18.5%).
The league clubs’ total business expenses are estimated to rise to more than 114.5 million euros for the 2022–23 season, which is also a record in the history of the SM league. It is 9.4 million more than in the 2019–20 season, when the total amount of the expenditure budgets was 105.1 million euros.
The ice hockey series The collapse of the KHL in terms of foreign players freed up a hundred players for Europe’s big leagues. Liiga also got a share of this, where the return stream has brought familiar, hard puck players. It is crystal clear that the lion’s share of the 5.4 million player budget increase goes to the acquisition of new league stars and directly to their salaries.
According to Urheilu’s report, the salary of the absolute top players in the SM league is in the 250,000-300,000 euro range. According to player-agents, just counting by one hand, a few star individuals can break the 300,000 euro threshold.
The league’s expectations have been bright for a long time. Every club in the league has increased their player costs in order to get an even tougher team together. No club has put a lock on their money chest, when there have been exceptionally famous returnees and other KHL-deserving players who have not been seen on the league ice in recent years.
Tapparan Jori Lehterä, Niko Ojamäki and Valtteri KemiläinenKärppien Joonas Kemppainenof JYP Sami Niku and Juuso Puustinenof HPK Juuso Hietanenthe lynx Jyrki Jokipakka and Ace Jesse Joensuu are the only players of the level expected to be of great interest to the public.
Master pilot Jussi Tapola knows that the public wants to see top hockey, but equally also superstars.
– It’s great that we got them to Tappara and also to other teams. The players mentioned above are star players at the European level, no matter what league they play in. As a result, the league is tough and interesting for the public.
Ilves coach Joko Myrrä describes that defender Jokipakka is an excellent example for many.
– Returnees are of great importance to the League and the fans. Then the away team is also more interesting, the product improves. Their value is also great for our everyday life. When there comes a big player who has seen a little bit of the rest of the world, that professionalism is also transmitted to our other players. Through this, we will certainly be able to play even better puck, believes Myrrä.
Lehterä also attracts attention in away bowls
Central striker Jori Lehterä is returning to Liiga and the Tappara shirt after 12 years.
– I was young and hungry back then. I’m hungry even now. When you have good coaching and a group, it’s really nice to come to training every day. We have a suitable competition and struggle for playing spots. From what I’ve seen myself, I think the SM league is the most sporting series today, if you compare it to the KHL or the NHL. Here, it is good for a person to develop as a player, states Lehterä.
The calm and experienced Lehterä drew the last two KHL regular season 2020–22 with almost a point per game in Spartak Moscow. At the age of 34, he is still a strong factor in the domestic League.
– Jori’s passion for hockey and his attitude towards success and winning are unique. He studies his opponents and his own playing, is ready to improve all the time, does all the training to the last. Leading players always play a big role in winning. Jori is a top-class professional who is good to follow in our booth as well, coach Tapola praises.
– I have learned quite a lot of things the hard way. When you have experience, smaller things don’t bother you anymore. Now you can look at the bigger picture. I pretty much draw one season at a time. After a season, I always look at what to do next. The goal is to play in as good a league as possible. Every day and journey should be enjoyed. Now I’m here (in Tampere), it’s pointless to think about next season, Lehterä line.
Lehterä admits that his player profile has changed over the years – at least since he last played in the main domestic league. In the season 2009–10, Lehterä, who is skilled on the puck, celebrated the victory of the SM league point exchange with an efficiency of 19+50=69 and bagged the Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy and the Lasse Oksanen award given to the league’s best player.
– After being a coach in the KHL Dmitry Kvartalnov and in the NHL again Ken Hitchcock, so the boy has also been taught to defend himself. When I left for Russia, I was still nothing in defense. I skipped that a bit then. Now my playing should be more comprehensive, there is understrength and overpowering, Lehterä analysed.
Transferred to the Pelicans for this season Jonas Enlund was Lehterä’s radar pair in Tappara when he last charmed the league audience 12 years ago.
– Enlund is a player of such a level that he could certainly have gone elsewhere if he wanted to. It’s good that you came here, we can get an audience to the galleries. Right now I’d roll that (radar pair) ball Waltteri Merelabut one should not forget the powerful fighter Veli-Matti from Savinaibecause he also has his foot between the door, grins Lehterä widely.
Lehterä has last represented Finland in a prestigious competition six years ago, in the 2016 World Cup.
– If you could put a business card in Leijon, that would be great. Of course, the lions and the World Cup in this ice rink are interesting.
Kärpät invested NHL compensation money in player acquisitions
After the corona virus and empty hockey stands, the prospects for hockey are clearly brighter for a few years. It is easier to believe in a new rise in the League even after last spring’s intense, dramatic and entertaining playoffs. The public found Tampere in the new arena, and the puck boom reared its head.
Successful leagues and series always need enough quality players, big personalities and big emotions. Faith in a better tomorrow has returned to the league family.
– Now it is believed that a return to normality is ahead. We in Kärpi got to the same budget as before the corona era. The opportunity opened up for us in the League to negotiate with players with whom there was not even an opportunity on the market before. Joonas Kemppainen, one of our top names, returned to the breeding club, rejoices Kärppie’s director of sports Harri Aho.
Kärpi has an exceptionally ready and strong package in terms of its players, and at the same time is ready to react also during the season if, for example, injuries happen along the way. Tommi Kivistö, David Rundblad, Cody Kunyk, Peter Tiivola, Marko Anttila and Teemu Turunen are not actual returnees, but still high-quality, former KHL players at the league level.
– It is clear that quality and top players always pay the most. For us in Kärpi, getting back to normal before the corona was the thing. We received another million in breeder’s allowances from the NHL, which helped us get the finances in really good shape from the last fiscal year. That also gives faith in the future, that you dare to invest in the team, Aho points out.
Aho is pleased that the clubs with smaller cash flows have also been able to increase their budgets, and at least initially the difference is no longer as big as in previous years. The Kärppä boss believes that if the acquisitions have been successful, it is possible that the series will be smoother than expected and that we will see more surprises than before.
– All the teams in the League have gotten stronger and that means even better quality hockey matches. If you think about this moment and how hockey has developed in recent years, then we are close to playing with the best chips for a long time in the Finnish League. A very interesting league is ahead, paints Aho.
Jussi Saarinen interviewed Jori Lehterä and Jussi Tapola.
The Ice Hockey League kicks off today, Tuesday, September 13, when last season’s finalists Tappara and TPS will clash in Tampere. Puhe will follow the match with a comprehensive special broadcast starting at 17:45.
See Urheiluruutu’s article on the famous returnees of the hockey SM league