Sometimes you should also focus on good things and positive changes. It doesn’t eliminate criticality, and it doesn’t reduce the need to deal with grievances, writes Jussi Paasi.
Jussi Paasi sports reporter
Nega, nega and one more time nega.
No posies.
Negative news has surrounded the hockey SM league from month to month.
And right on the topic, because the confusion has at times seemed endless. The ridiculously high price of the league stock, the license conditions required for promotion to the league that are still kept secret, the players’ exclusion from decision-making, and so on.
But. At the same time, positive news and changes have wanted to be completely forgotten. Believe it or not, there are some.
I will introduce a few here.
Discipline
The discipline of the SM league has traditionally been one of the spitting cups of the hockey people. In recent years, there was repeated reason for scathing criticism, when no common thread could be found in the decisions.
Now the line has been clear and, if necessary, bold. When there has been a reason for a big ban, it has also been handed down. Flies Nick Ritchie beat the frozen grounded TPS Markus Nurmea and the discipline gave back in equal measure: an eight-game ban.
Credibility and consistency are key in discipline. Individual solutions can always be twisted and disagreed with, but the famous big overall picture is currently drawn admirably clearly for all to see.
Uniformity
There is a little less than a third of the regular season left, but the playoffs are hard to come by. Now it seems that the places in the top six and top ten will only be divided once and for all at the end of the regular season. It’s the best thing that can happen to the closed League in terms of sports.
Of course, the teams at the tail end are unfortunately forced in the current series to trade players before the transfer limit expires, as SaiPa and HPK already did.
But when you look through the positive glasses, you can see, among other things, Jukurie’s wild mood, Pelicans’ handsome rise from the predicament of the autumn, and Tampere’s teams’ fierce race to win the regular season. The final culmination will probably be here, expert Top from Nätti to quote, an epic romp.
Statistical reform
Just a couple of years ago, the SM league’s website was a laughing stock. Nothing worked, nothing was found. At the beginning of the season, the site traditionally crashed.
But what can be found there now! The league quietly made a big statistical reform. Lätkä fans interested in statistics are already well served, to say the least.
For those who are thirsty for history, there is a real treasure trove there. From the pages, you can comprehensively browse the gallant history of Finnish club hockey. The statistics and records since the end of the 1920s are admired by all people.
Sure, these should have been fixed years, even decades ago, but better late than never.
The SM-liiga’s website is still quite museum-like in terms of its usability and appearance, but now the content is starting to be what the fans of the league have been waiting for from the main series for a long time.
Saipa
The Lappeenranta team has been swimming in jet black waters all season. Even so deep that, according to the expert, it is appropriate to think about how SaiPa’s place in the League can be justified.
However, a miracle happened last week that made the hearts of sports romantics skip a beat. SaiPa won three away matches in a row. HIFK fell first, then Sport and third JYP.
That kind of away tour that shuttles through Finland at breathtaking speed is a difficult tick for any team. With his feat, Sputnik reminded us of the beautiful side of sports.
The players showed that professional pride has not disappeared, even though the walls of the Kisapuisto hall have felt like they are falling on the necks of the players and the panic button has been pressed in the office for months.
In addition to the positive aspects mentioned above, there are numerous other good things and phenomena in the SM league. I recommend, at least sometimes, to focus on them as well. That doesn’t eliminate criticality and doesn’t reduce the need to bite down on grievances.