Jokerit re-enacted HIFK’s red Helsinki ice hall on Tuesday. The issue caused a stir and divided opinions.
Timo Uusitalo,
Jussi Saarinen
20:08•Updated 20:33
On Tuesday, Jokerit started its Mestis campaign in terms of home matches, when it faced TUTO Hockey at the Helsinki Ice Hall.
It came as a surprise to many viewers that the Jokerit had changed the “Nordis” ice rink to their own look.
In other words, Helsinki’s second-ranked club had hidden, among other things, HIFK’s championship pennants, the frozen jerseys of the club’s hockey legends and the IFK logos that were in the hall.
Joker’s beak man Mikko Saarni says that HIFK understood the need and desire of the Mestis club to take the HIFK material out of sight.
– They had been talked about. HIFK understood that the hall belongs to the city of Helsinki and now there are two teams here, said Saarni Yelle, reached from the stands.
The chairman of the Jokers said that he had not heard much acknowledgment from HIFK fans about the “holy desecration”.
– It has to be done. The interest of the sport comes first and also of the clubs, let’s forget the snarls. I think people (HIFK fans) understand what this is all about, emphasizes Saarni.
The only Finn to belong to the ice hockey triple club Valtteri Filppula returned to the domestic rinks on Tuesday and received a standing ovation from the Jokeri supporters before the TuTo match.
– It was a great moment, the chills went away. “Valle” was number one on the wish list, I’m really happy for the fans and the whole organization, Saarni smiled.
Before the third set, the Jokerit leads the Turku club by goals 5–0. Filppula – the most followed and talked about player of the match – finished off a drive through with a handsome 2–0 hit at the beginning of the second set.