Finnish ice hockey has gone from one ups and downs this fall. There have been cases of rape, bullying, humiliation, substance abuse problems and the junior team’s drunken game trips.
The ice hockey association has also received towels for its attitude to the racism scandal that was addressed in the spring.
Many have wondered if Finnish ice hockey has a problem related to the culture of the sport. Are even publicized cases taken seriously? Are we going to do anything about it?
This is how the sport bosses respond:
– It has been painful to notice that inappropriate behavior occurs even in the field of hockey, which cannot be accepted by anyone or any organization in any form. Yes, it can be said that, along with many other organizations, the culture of ice hockey also needs to change, says the president of the Ice Hockey Association Harri Nummela.
– Of course, this kind of thing raises questions in your own mind and in the sport in general. We need to look at the situation more broadly and take these events seriously. The work continues and we need to find out more, says the CEO of the SM league Mikko Pulkkinen.
In many speeches, however, we want to remind you that hockey is part of Finnish society, so it is in a way natural that unpleasant cases, even crimes, also happen to people who represent the sport.
Can hockey-related upheavals be offset by the fact that they occur in society anyway?
– Can not. Yes, each sport or industry must take care of its own activities. Under no circumstances can it be accepted that something is happening somewhere else. We get a lot of visibility, and we also have to act accordingly, says Pulkkinen.
Will measures be taken in hockey?
The worst case of the fall is the one representing JYP Severi Lahtinen rape sentence. The judgment is not binding. Lahtinen also has a conviction for aggravated drunk driving. This was followed by Tapparan Rönnin’s top rape charge.
JYP canceled Lahtinen’s contract, Rönni, meanwhile, has returned to Tappara after being sidelined for a few weeks. Tappara announced the matter on Monday.
During the past year, rumblings of racist and homophobic yelling have also been revealed in the field of hockey. Urheilu’s hockey expert Top Nättinen according to all the cases are mild manifestations of the discussion culture that is stubbornly embedded in hockey.
– The discussion culture in ice hockey, even when it comes to sex and women, is boastful, macho, masculine and really toxic. Bragging is commonplace in Kaados, Nättinen opened a dressing room culture in October.
Nättinen emphasizes that the discussion culture does not encourage rape or accept sexual violence.
– But when you combine it with intoxicants and the kind of immortality that many privileged hockey players have in this country, it is no coincidence that this has happened, Nättinen states.
Chairman of the Finnish Ice Hockey Players’ Association, i.e. the Players’ Association At Teemu Ramstedt is a more moderate view of the problems associated with hockey.
– My own subjective view is that we don’t have any special cultural problem, but of course, we need more research data. That’s how we get to grips with things. More factual information, what kind of problems we have, and we have already worked on that.
The Players’ Association is, together with the SM League and the Ice Hockey Association, conducting a new well-being study, which will investigate, among other things, the social factors that affect an individual’s well-being and performance. In addition to the SM league, Mestis and the Women’s League are also included in the survey.
– On the basis of information, you can react better. A rough feeling is always a bit of a bad starting point, says Teemu Ramstedt.
How have players reacted to concussions and the fact that they are strongly associated with hockey?
– Some will certainly find it unfair, but I believe that in the big picture, people can see that people make mistakes. You can’t generalize that everyone in the sport does things badly.
Macho culture
Competition director of the Ice Hockey Association Pirkka Antila recently declared at Suomi-kieko’s development days that the age of macho culture is over.
CEO of the SM League Mikko Pulkkinen, is there a macho culture in hockey?
– Of course, I hope that it wouldn’t be, that macho culture is already a life left behind. All sports and industries must change as society changes.
Has the SM league taken any measures due to the recent scandals?
– We have had close discussions with clubs where these cases have occurred. Next, we will discuss ethical issues with the management team and how these incidents could be avoided, and how we could act as a support network for the entire hockey community.
Thanks to the organization of two consecutive World Cups, more than 20 million euros have flown into the coffers of the Ice Hockey Federation.
According to Nummela, who is about to step down as chairman, at least part of this money is to be directed to some kind of educational work, where the focus is on the younger age groups.
– More detailed decisions on the use of World Cup winnings will be made in the coming years in the ice hockey association’s central administrative bodies. But yes, that responsibility work is definitely the target of increasing efforts.
– It is above all about attitude modification, a long-term one.