The circle around the Jokers, who start the Mestis season, closes in many ways this season. The club returns to the domestic rinks after the KHL years and plays for a long time at the second highest league level, where it was last seen in the 1988–1989 season.
The team will also play its first home games at the Nordenskiöldinkatu ice rink in 36 years. In addition, there is a similar buzz around the jesters as in the successful years of the late 1980s.
– We already started gathering young fans in the divar in the unnumbered A3 stand. We conquered it. Previously unknown friends became their own gang. From there it started to grow and it became a really crazy thing, a lifelong fan of the Jokers Pasi “Pave” Mähönen remembers.
Now it’s the turn of a new generation. As an “older head of state”, Mähönen tries to build conditions for young supporters.
– They are now creating their own, which they can think about in 20–30 years, that this is how this time will go. The Jokers have a history, fans of different ages and a long-standing fan culture.
– Yes, there is hype and young people are really excited, which is great. Story continues.
The Jokers’ return to the Finnish leagues is very important to the club’s long-term supporters. Some didn’t go to watch KHL games at all, but now they find a place to go to the stands. Mähönen says that many who went to the KHL matches hoped to return to the home rinks.
– The Russian series had its own rules about whether you can win or not. The fact that we had the best gang and could have made it in the finals started to eat me terribly in recent years, but the crowns and other things came.
– The longing for Finnish leagues was very strong during the last couple of KHL years. We joked that we would go through the Finland series if there were any problems. Fortunately, we got through Mestis.
A five-year plan
Mähönen says that eight months ago in January, he couldn’t have imagined that the clown shirts would play Mest in a full hall next season.
– Back then there was no information about the gang. In the background, we talked about it and wanted to get things in order to get the team back on track. You couldn’t even imagine then. Eight months is a long time. I have reflected on it today.
A new group came to the background of the Jokers in February. The Ice Hockey Federation granted the Jokers a Mestis license in May. According to Mähönen, the confirmation of the license was a relief, even though he already had inside information as he was involved in the project.
– The only bad thing at that point was that I couldn’t tell anyone anything. It was a hard time keeping many things inside. The license made it easier for everyone and made me feel more relaxed. We knew there was enough work.
Ikifani emphasizes the importance of long-term work in the new arrival of the Jokers. It’s not about a two-year project aiming for quick success.
– I said before Mikko Saarni, Antti-Jussi Nieme and Ossi Väänänen, that dudes, put this on the calendar. Five years from today, the result of everyday work and where we are going will be measured.
Mähönen does not dream of success in Jokeri’s first Mestis season, even though the team has shown in training games that it can win. Last Friday, Jokerit beat last year’s silver team Imatra Ketterä 4–0 and before that Kiekko-Vantaa 8–5 in early September.
– This season we will just have fun and see how long it takes. Now we just build the bases in order. If there is success, everything will be accepted. I no longer take on the burden that I once had when I was younger, that I had to get by. Now I’m just going to let go and have fun.
Success may come in the future if the organization and junior activities can be made to function in a model and long-term way.
SM league open
The puck hype created by last season’s champion Kiekko-Espoo and the Jokers has made almost the entire sports community support the opening of the SM league, even though it was decided in the summer to keep the series closed until at least 2025. Mähönen has a strong opinion on the matter.
– Definitely an open league. Series system for new ones. Let’s drop weaker teams from the SM league, raise the level of Mestis and establish a qualifying series. We will play in Mestis until the promotion qualifiers are played. We want to get up just by getting up, not in the cabinet. This is largely a fan wish.
According to Mähönen, pressure should be put on the SM league to open the main series.
– At the moment, everyone who follows Lätää is in favor of opening, except for the bodies that decide the SM league, so this is a bit strange. Really, it’s beyond weird.
From Thursday’s debut match against Kiekko-Espoo, Mähönen especially expected a sense of togetherness, the Jokers’ “spontaneous madness” and encouragement.
– Marches to the hall and subway trips on top of that. It can’t be better.