Jyväskylä JYP’s activities were admired when it beat its bigger ones and celebrated SM gold in 2009 and 2012.
JYP’s 100th anniversary season is now underway. At the same time, the second season of the three-year, infamous strategy that was supposed to return JYP to the top is underway.
If JYP has often been accused of tractor-like, boring machine-like but efficient operations, at least now there is no lack of color.
JYP’s festive season became an embarrassing and worthless play.
How did it end up like this? Let’s recap what all the strange things have been.
18/11/2023
Chairman of JYP and one of the main owners Jukka Seppänen demanded In Central Finland the piercing modernization of the entire club. JYP’s number one boss painted large, for example, hockey pucks without a place to play, which would be a competitive advantage against bigger clubs.
Seppänen later explained that he had only used the lack of a place to play as a general term and had meant modern playing, with which, for example, the USA junior national team won the World Cup gold.
There is nothing wrong with the fact that the club has an ambitious, community-permeating room table. But it is also the case that in the juniors you have to develop and in the professional league you have to win.
Above all, it is rare and questionable that the club boss intervened so directly through the media in the hustle and bustle of coaching. Seppänen patisti head coach Jukka Rautakorpea from words to actions, which had reportedly already been seen on the junior side.
– The activities there are close to people, but still demanding. The individual is given more responsibility, and the coaches do not share instructions through negations.
Seppänen’s exit surprised the experts. For example Petteri Sihvonen got dizzy MTV Sports in his story, considering Seppänen’s interference in the coaching activities as unintelligent and the situation embarrassing for the coaches and the sports director Mikko Viitanen in terms of
20/12/2023
It was shocking news when JYP announced that they had given Rautakorv a shoe.
– JYP has created a new JYP2025 strategy, for which Rautakorpi fits perfectly, JYP’s in the bulletin was once announced.
Now JYP stated For the mistake of hiring iron ear. According to Seppänen, Rautakorpi did not fit the strategy, whose key issues are “creativity, courage to play and positivity”.
The reasons for the firings were not fruitful, but Rautakorpi was unable to meet the plans of the JYP bosses. In proper consultant language: “the strategy did not take off”.
Read more: Comment: The smile froze and the flowers changed to twigs – it’s hard to understand JYP’s decision
Before Rautakorven and assistant coach Ville Nieminen moving aside, JYP was the sixth best in average points. Hard oats, because in the previous three seasons, JYP was not even close to a place in the playoffs.
JYP’s top players were satisfied with Rautakorpe and the game looked nuanced. We tried to praise how Rautakorpi has managed to renew itself in its “old days”.
JYP fans are wondering when April Fool’s Day will be. JYP graduate, Urheilu’s expert Top Nättinen could not believe the arguments he heard.
– The justifications are very interesting, I don’t believe them at all. I think they are explanations and excuses if we are talking about game ideology. However, in elite sports, the focus of everything is winning, and then comes what the game looks like.
Read more: “Who wants that?” – the expert is horrified by the JYP bosses’ explanations after the shock firings of Jukka Rautakorvi
Chairman Seppänen outlined In Central Finlandthat the firings may seem silly, but outsiders cannot know the reasons.
– I don’t make decisions based on how I look in public, but based on what is best for the club.
3.1.2024
For this season, the decision was not for the best. Since becoming head coach From Mikko Heiskas was previously asked in an interview with , what will change now. Heiskanen announced that “let’s have fun!”
In elite sports, the most fun is winning, but JYP has lost all seven of its matches under its new head coach and has fallen from last to last.
When JYP had lost 3–6 in their first match of 2024 against Kärppi, Heiskanen forcefully threw his leading players under the bus at a press conference. He praised the players of the bottom chains.
– But when you look at these players who demand everything here, they didn’t deserve to have earned more. The demands are tough, but you are not ready to bring anything to the field.
As a solution, Heiskanen offered a mirror.
Then the captain also changed in JYP, From Robert Rooba to Teemu Erose.
5/1/2024
JYP’s fan group organized a protest at a home match against KalPa. It didn’t come until the third set.
Hurrikanasydän said that it does not accept the situation from the side of the club management, the sports director, or the team. It required clarity and transparency as to why the expected 100th anniversary season turned into a crisis season.
– Dear JYP. Don’t underestimate your supporters. And especially don’t take your supporters for granted.
8–9 January 2024
The club management of JYP met the representatives of the fan groups and gave their explanation. They admitted their mistake, i.e. the fact that they had hired Rautakorven and Nieminen.
Then the Heart of the Hurricane made another startling exit. The sled had turned to the maximum. The representatives of the supporters said that they received the answers, free hands to use the information and that they stand behind the club’s decisions.
– The coaching duo did not treat the players the way they deserved, was the strictest claim.
The reaction on social media was, in this situation, understandably, fierce. JYP was barked at as cowardly and the fan group as easily bullied.
The JYP management had previously hinted at atmosphere issues, but now JYP managed to create the image that it outsourced the harshest accusations to fan groups. Suddenly, a group of fans shared new information about coach firings.
The president of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, i.e. the Players’ Association, was also surprised by the matter Teemu Ramstedt.
Häme Sanomat talked to five top coaches anonymously. The coaches considered the situation in their profession miserable, and JYP as a particularly sad example.
– Things can be handled elegantly or like JYP – really badly. I’ve never seen this in Finnish ice hockey before. After the kicks, mud is still thrown at the coach, it’s pretty outrageous, commented one of the coaches.
Iron Raven replied For Central Finnsthat he doesn’t want to start a counter-ball discussion.
– However, I can say that I hope JYP will find a world of values in the future that will promote and value sports and coaching sufficiently. I hope so with all my heart.
We immediately got a new spiral ball when Seppänen denied first For MTV Sports and later in an interview with Urheilu, saying that Rautakorpi and Nieminen did not treat the players the way they deserved.
Chairman of the Heart of the Hurricane Association Riina Friman on the other hand, replied to MTV that there was no room for interpretation in the meeting with the club management.
Life together in the JYP family doesn’t seem very open.
Result
I emphasize that I have not tried to analyze the nuances of JYP’s play, the strategy on the ice or the possibilities for the playoffs.
It’s about how JYP’s operations look on the outside and how successful the club has been in its communication. I guess it’s creativity and courage, but positivity has shone through its absence.
Regarding these themes, chairman Seppänen hit the nail on the head in an interview with Urheilu.
– I have failed and am responsible for how the club looks. At some point, things are exactly what they seem. I understand that it is important for supporters and partners how things look, because this is brand marketing and brand sports. This mess is my responsibility.
Seppänen repeated as one of the reasons for Rautakorven’s firing that “last winter there were challenges in getting players, this autumn it became even more pronounced”. It has also been emphasized to Urheilu that the magnet of certain head coaches is not the most attractive among player-agents.
But what kind of action do such adversities entitle the club management to? Are the players and coaches eager to get into the JYP camp now?
Looking at the timeline above and the media reactions to it, JYP’s mess has looked: embarrassing, unheard of, cowardly and worthless.
JYP’s 100th anniversary season became a startling farce. At the same time, the infamous JYP2025 strategy will be in pieces.
The tractor tire didn’t go flat – it exploded.