The men who make the most significant decisions in ice hockey are in dire need of Christmas gifts that can do the sport good, writes Jussi Paasi.
Jussi Paasi sports reporter
Dear Santa, I haven’t written to you in about 40 years. Now I’m writing because I’ve noticed that people who are busy with hockey are in dire need of Christmas presents.
I do not wish for hockey sticks or equipment, although there is certainly a crying need for such. At least in those families where the ever-increasing price of the hockey hobby has already become too high.
This Christmas, I ask you to take packages to the men who make the most significant decisions in Finnish ice hockey.
Here is my gift wish for hockey bosses.
To the chairman of the SM league To Heikki Hiltuse you could take the book. I think Hiltunen needs a little more interesting reading, so Petri Kuoppamäki The 691-page New Competition Law would be a great gift.
The content is exactly what Hiltunen needs. The book opens in detail, among other things, the abuse of a dominant market position. This Christmas gift will definitely help the League chairman find out if the sports series he leads is a cartel that violates the competition law.
And if you still have time, take a couple of extra packages to the SM league office. A better internet interface and a bigger e-mail box would be needed there, so that important messages and their attachments could reach their destination. According to the League, the disciplinary request sent by the Pelicans “did not arrive due to the technical limitations of e-mails”.
Just to be sure, I’ll also put a similar gift set for the office of the Lahtela club.
DVD box
The newly elected president of the Ice Hockey Association Heikki Hietanen doesn’t need a book this Christmas, because in the spirit of recycling, Hiltunen, the namesake, can lend him his own gift book after reading it. Hietanen should read the book carefully, because he doesn’t seem to be completely clear about this possible abuse of market position either.
The best goat, I would ask Hietane for a DVD box. The legendary Sopranos mafia series is the perfect gift for Hietase. He has said that it would be best to take care of hockey matters in the family circle, inside the ice rinks.
Another package would go in the direction of the ice hockey association. Competition manager for someone who wields significant power in the union Pirkka for Antila it’s easy to come up with a gift: Olli Rausteen written by Children and youth sports legal rules.
I’m sure that you won’t find that textbook on Antila’s bookshelf, because he has shown by his actions that he doesn’t know the subject at all. According to an experienced lawyer, the club transfer rules for junior players are against basic rights. And under Antila’s leadership, they have been tightened even more.
And one more gift wish! You could take some soothing green tea, even sencha, to all the sports directors of the SM league. When you are having a good time and learning the basics of the Japanese tea ceremony at the same time, it can happen that hasty coach kicks are not given.
Thank you, dear goat! I am sure that these gifts will help make Finnish ice hockey much better.