Tuesday’s Mestis evening at Nordis reached its climax: Valtteri Filppula nailed the puck into the net after 53 seconds had been played in the second period.
After that, Jokerit marched to a dull 5-0 victory over Tuto in a match that Jokerit had marketed for a long time with the theme “Valle returns home”.
For marketing reasons, Filppula did not play in the opening of the season yet, because it was an away game in Vantaa.
There was also a match Risto Dufvan the first as the head coach of the jester jerseys after Monday’s startling coaching news.
Opposite were the two Mestis teams, which have most straightforwardly announced their will to move up to the SM league.
Although in the end it was only one match of Mestis’ early season, at the same time it brilliantly underlined the stakes with which the Jokerit are now playing.
Market talk and rumblings
When the Jokerit did not play anywhere in the 2022–23 season, there was already talk about how “the SM league needs Jokers”. Every rumor about the club’s new owners made headlines.
I wondered how on earth there is so much fuss about a club that doesn’t even play.
Already early on, the SM League announced that no new league licenses will be granted for the 2023–24 season. The league clubs could no longer handle the rumor mill that revolved around the Jokers. The league was about to start, but the media was buzzing with Jokers.
It would certainly be a topic worthy of a book, what all happened in between, but on June 1, 2023, Jokerit Helsinki Oy, the Joker’s new background company, held its first official press conference.
Chairman Mikko Saarnithen CEO Antti-Jussi Niemibelonging to the owners Ossi Väänänen and the partners gave the lines that moved the Kohuts aside and started a really positive buzz around the new arrival of the Jokers.
The Mestis season has begun. Playing at Kerava and the fan treks there was one fun aspect. No matter which province the Jokers visited, there was news about audience records and long queues.
Jokerit also stormed towards the SM league successfully, getting support and column space for their cause.
For example, the club announced that it will not seek a league place for the 2025–26 season, because the price of the league share was said to be 3.8 million euros.
Hats off to how the poppoo led by Saarni succeeded in marketing the new rise of the Jokers and creating buzz.
So at the same time, I can admit that as a middle-Finnish rural junkie, I slightly underestimated the history, potential, fan base and brand value of the Helsinki club when I initially wondered about the headlines.
The note changed
But that was the first season. Back then, the name alone was enough to make the club attractive and relevant, meaningful in Mestis.
In the second season, the note is completely different.
Jokerit wants to be relevant, but it doesn’t carry the same initial drug anymore.
The price of a league share of 2.2 million euros is also acceptable. The target is in the main league in the 2025–26 season.
– Jokerit has fulfilled the conditions for promotion to the league financially and on behalf of the organization. Now is the time to meet the athletic requirements, the announcement was made in June.
The Dufva acquisition has raised a lot of questions. Why Tero Määtt was originally allowed to continue after last season’s playoff flop?
With what logic was the head coach changed after one match? Chairman Saarni has admitted in interviews that the final negotiations and decisions were quick.
There is logic in Dufva’s hiring, as he brings calmness, self-confidence, leadership skills and credibility. Dufva can be more of a manager, in which case Määtt, who has remained in the coaching team, can continue to guide more precise lines in the game.
What about next?
Joker’s player budget increased from 300,000 euros to half a million for this season. It doesn’t stop there.
First of all, the experts emphasize that the player material of the Jokers is not yet sufficient for the club’s goal. Secondly, it is the style of Dufva, who have traditionally relied on experienced players.
What about the lofty values outlined in Jokerit Helsinki Oy’s first press conference? Like the fact that in the 2025–26 season, the composition of the representative team consists of 50% of own growths.
– In theory, the SM league is open. However, we cannot try to rise at the expense of trains, for example. We have the seams, but you can’t put all your eggs in one basket, Ossi Väänänen vowed For MTV Sports.
The soles seem to be in good condition. Jokerit made a turnover of 3.15 million euros in their opening season, supported their club’s junior work with 400,000 euros and accumulated a profit of tens of tons, even though some of the matches were played in Kerava and partner sales stopped.
That’s why it’s worth coming back to the hustle and bustle at the end. “Valle” and “RD” also got me to the Nordis on Tuesday evening – for the first time at the Jokerire’s home game. The Jokerit management has also emphasized the duo’s marketing value.
Still, Nordis was not sold out on Tuesday. The audience was 6,039, when Jokerit sold out the hall twice last season (8,200) and exceeded Tuesday’s number of spectators a total of six times.
This season, it is even more difficult to sell out of the Nord, when all the home matches are played there, and you no longer see Kerava gigs in between.
With the marketing of returnees, great speeches and a club name familiar to everyone, Jokerit can be relevant enough, but only in its time.
The Jokers have realized that staying really relevant requires promotion to the SM league – immediately.
The stakes are high, and now they have also been revealed to the general public.