ESPOO. Aku Kallonen played a big role in the growth of the Finnish technology company Wolt. He was the head of global sales until Wolt was sold to an American company in a billion-dollar deal.
Kallonen ended up in Lööppei after playing in honor of the success of the Lions. When Leijonat reached the 2019 World Cup final, Kallonen flew from Tromsø to Vienna on a business trip, from where he took a taxi to Bratislava.
When Nuoret Leijonat won the 2016 World Cup gold at home, Kallonen finished Cover of Iltalehti (you switch to another service) walking naked around the fountain in Helsinki’s Kauppatori.
The above examples aptly describe the qualities with which the CEO now plans to pilot Espoo back onto the league map.
On Wednesday evening, Kiekko-Espoo’s joyful spring got one more chapter, when the team came from three goals behind to win 4-3 in front of an audience of almost five thousand people. At the same time, it took a 3-2 lead in the Mestis finals against the agile Imatra.
“The talk of the town again”
Chairman of Espoo Kiekkokannattajat Ry Heidi Liukkonen mixed Olli Varhimo placing fan products at the point of sale before the start of the Mestis final.
They have seen colorful coverage of ice hockey in Espoo. Kiekko-Espoo was promoted to the SM league in the spring of 1992. Varhimo became a supporter even then.
The years 1998–2016 were the era of Espoo Blues, until it went bankrupt. It was replaced Jussi Salonojaan personified by Espoo United, which went awry already in 2018.
Supporters of Espoo United did not get fired up. The association’s activities froze and the name was changed to Espoo Kiekkokannattaji, so that it would not be directly related to any club’s name.
Now the supporters’ association has just under 250 members. The operation is strong and growing again, says Liukkonen.
Liukkonen and Varhimo glow the atmosphere of the Mestis finals and league dreams.
– You wouldn’t be able to handle this otherwise, Varhimo laughs.
The two unanimously agree that promotion to the SM League should be done by playing, but with the system being what it is, they consider promotion to the 2024–25 season completely realistic.
– This city deserves a league team, as long as it has a sustainable foundation and values, Varhimo sums up.
– It’s a huge deal for junkies, Liukkonen continues.
Kiekko-Espoo ry’s boys hockey includes the competitive teams bearing the Kiekko-Espoo name, as well as Blues, EKS and EPS. With more than 2,000 players, it is the largest junior hockey organization in Finland.
On Saturday, there were 5,200 spectators in the third final match in Espoo. On Friday, there were 800 fewer spectators in the league final between Pelicans and Tappara. Of course, the Pelicans’ arena was sold out, while Espoo’s arena could have accommodated even more.
– Kiekko-Espoo is being talked about a lot in the city again, Varhimo is happy.
“I’ve always been a passion type”
Kallos has enough thoughts. Stereotypically, you can tell that the man really comes from the world of sales and marketing.
When you initially ask what it was like to switch to work in sports, the answer is long and progresses to the wish that clubs and sports should cooperate more.
When Kallonen stopped working with Wolt, he began to map out alternatives. There was no rush, I had a little sabbatical in mind. For the passionate sportsman, hockey had always been his favorite and had somehow accompanied him in his life.
– I had thought that if such an opportunity arose, I could give something back, says Kallonen and adds that it could have meant, for example, volunteer work in juniors.
Kallonen sought out the talks of ice hockey people to understand what is being done in clubs, the SM league and the Ice Hockey Federation. The managing director was found as a chat buddy Kati Kivimäki and chairman Heikki Hiltunen like the owner of the Pelicans Pasi Nurminen and Jari Kurrik too.
In the end, Kallonen ended up with Kiekko-Espoo after learning that the club was “putting a new gear on” and was looking for a sales CEO.
– I have always been a passion type. I haven’t enjoyed duun because of the duun, but because of the story. I thought now, if ever. I’m still young enough, I think I have enough good ideas and I felt that I could inspire the hockey community.
Perää Kallonen emphasizes that he is only an additional resource in a project where work has been pushed from the beginning by the director of sports Kim Hirschowitz and Chief Operating Officer Antti Manninen.
– The culture and values they have created here are very important. No matter how tough a factor is, it does no one any good if you have to spend energy thinking about whether you can work with someone.
Unfathomable own goal, Twitter tantrum…
There has been enough drama in Mesti’s finals. The reigning champion Ketterä took a 2–1 lead in the match series in Espoo on Saturday.
The match ended in the second overtime, when Kiekko-Espoon Sakari Turtiainen kicked the puck into his own goal. Keeper Walter Ignatjew had left the finish line because Ketterä was getting cold.
On Monday, Kiekko-Espoo visited Imatra to level the final series with a 4–1 win.
In Wednesday’s final, it was enough to turn around once again. Ketterä was effective in the opening set and took a 2–0 lead. On time 24.45 Janne Kettunen scored his second of the night, 3–0.
Kiekko-Espoo’s struggle started at the end of the second period and culminated in a 4–3 winning goal three seconds before the end of the third period.
In social media, Mestis’ final series has received wild praise, but a possible referee error at the end of last night’s match was also brought up.
In the aftermath of the match, Imatran Ketterä was also on the same topic, sharing a photo on Twitter showing seven Kiekko-Espoo players on the ice 13 seconds before the end.
The speeches of the duo of the supporters’ association were even moderate considering how great the atmosphere was in the Espoo Areena. The encouragement of the middle-aged young fan corner did not stop at Ketterä’s goals.
At last when Arttu Tuomaala hit the winning shot in the final seconds, the whole arena was confused.
Hugs were shared in the grandstand for a long time after the match. The head coach who walked across the ice Tomas Westerlundillustrious Erkka Westerlundin boy, got rhythmic thanks.
The final series is interrupted for Kiekko-Espo on Friday in Imatra. If Ketterä wins, game seven will be played on Saturday in Espoo.
Is “America” needed in Espoo?
Kallonen feels that clubs should more openly share information and successes about, for example, marketing efforts.
– Not that we start giving advice on how this should be done. By trying and sharing. Otherwise, nobody will learn anything.
According to Kallonen, Kiekko-Espoo has taken huge development steps this season, but he has only brought “the last catalyst to ignite the spark”.
– Maybe I have succeeded in bringing what I promised. That I can ignite people outside of the normal phrases of hockey, Kallonen describes and gives examples of his expertise in marketing and digital communication.
Still, the fact that I got more than 5,000 people to the Mestis final was the result of five years of daily work, the CEO reminds.
– Supporters’ trust has to be earned every day. And then there’s the common misconception that when this hall is full, we’re done.
Finland is a difficult sports market, because people do get excited, but it requires success, Kallonen continues.
– How can we create an event and community here that doesn’t just come after success? That people want to be a part of this, and they can’t get one on their couch?
For example, he makes club community days concrete.
– We have tried to tell that this is a story that the juniors will remember when our league dream comes true.
– The way we speak to the public reaches people. We are a team from Espoo. Finns don’t need “America”. Finns value basic values and their community. “America” too, of course, but with a delicate balance, says Kallonen and refers, among other things, to the strong opening show of the match.
According to Kallonen, continuity, and appropriately “America”, can be seen, for example, in social media productions. Celebrities, NHL stars, have urged people to the matches with Instagram videos From Miro Heiskas news anchor Keijo Leppänen.
Kallonen has been seen shouting at Kiekko-Espoo’s fan base and he has traveled to the away game in a fan bus.
– They do this every night. It’s the least that you come and talk and come up with ideas on how we can develop the operation, even though the ideas should come from the fans.
– That shout was such a thing that I promised to take one example of leading from the front if we go far.
Towards October and applying for a league license
In October, Kiekko-Espoo submits a league license application.
– There is no reason to cancel. Of course, it requires huge, initial commitments. We will raise our capital considerably. We collect enough private capital that we can enter the league credibly.
Kallonen has compared the league performance to his previous career, such as that “at first no one believed in Wolt’s startup hype”.
Kiekko-Espoo’s newest legend also has its doubters, especially after the recent bankruptcy of the couple.
– My expertise comes from being able to start something new without taking too much risk at once.
Private capital gives the league a basic backbone, then comes the TV money and the development of the average audience value, says Kallonen.
– We have now given a big biceps display that the people of Espoo are interested.
According to Kallonen, the league license application is being submitted in Espoo with confidence.
– I have 100% faith in what we’re doing, but then there are things we can’t influence.
This season, Kiekko-Espoo’s turnover will be around a million, while in the SM league clubs it will be between five and as much as 12 million.
A place in the league requires, in addition to finances, credible sporting success, conditions and a junior organization.
– The financial side is the biggest area as long as the series system is current. We have already proven the other areas.
Over the years, Espoo has seen different puck tunings. Kallonen wants to believe that lessons have been learned from previous times. He talks about moderation and a good base of values.
– The ultimate reason why this is being done, which few people remember, is to make it possible for those coming from the junior pipeline to dream of playing in the highest league level team in Espoo.
And what do you think now about when you ran naked in Kauppatori?
– I thought fondly. It was a comprehensive “skin in the game”. I try to be myself, you can only cheat for a while by pretending.
– This industry needs positivity, this is nothing but a damn happy thing.