SM league clubs can even incur unexpected expenses from injuries caused by match jams, writes Urheilu’s Simo Arkko.
Simo Arkkourheilhu journalist
When the lineups of the hockey SM league have been studied recently, you might have thought that we are once again living in corona time. Many clubs have been missing a lot of players due to injuries and illnesses.
In particular, HIFK has suffered a lot of injuries. Among the top clubs, Tappara and Ilves are also struggling with injuries.
On Saturday, well over 90 players were missing from the round of seven matches. That’s a crazy amount. In my calculations, I didn’t take into account the players who wouldn’t be able to fit into their team’s lineup anyway.
Of course, clubs can’t do anything about illness. One thing that the League and the clubs could influence, however, is the match schedule.
The league plays a lot and mainly on consecutive days on Friday and Saturday. Playing on consecutive days is not the only problem, because traveling also affects the mood.
It is not at all ideal that the team that played on Friday travels to the other side of Finland for Saturday in the worst case. In some situations, the opponent is a rested team, in which case the tired players have to respond to the demands of a tough game.
On Friday and Saturday, in practice, the clubs wish to play. On weekend evenings, it is possible to get more audiences and sell related products, mainly alcohol.
I understand the clubs’ point of view, but there is also another side to the matter. When the players are constantly tired in the rush of matches and playing for consecutive days, the load can lead to injuries.
In turn, the club may incur additional costs when it has to react and acquire new players before long.
When the wallet is burdened with new purchases, it may be that playing continuously on consecutive days is not as beneficial from a financial point of view as you think.
The absence of players is also reflected in the product. The Ilves–HIFK match played and expected before Christmas was even dreamy, as both sides lacked a lot of top players.
Similarly, the hurlum hei-type match between SaiPa and Kiekko-Espoo last Saturday was the best possible advertisement for the hockey SM league in terms of its entertainment.