The 15 member clubs of Jääkiekon SM-liiga Oy met on Thursday in Helsinki. After that, the chairman of the SM league Heikki Hiltunen and CEO Mikko Pulkkinen stepped in front of the media.
Hiltunen said in his introduction that “it’s time for the SM league to be renewed”. Hiltunen described the day as “historic”. Hiltunen said that the SM league had been working on its future plans since last spring and now Thursday was the day when the general meeting wanted to make decisions as well.
After that, Hiltunen presented the four decisions made at the meeting.
1st decision:
From the spring of 2025, i.e. from the end of the 2024–25 season, league qualifiers will be held in the SM league between the winner of Mestis and the last place in the SM league.
By winning the match series, the winner of Mestis gets the opportunity to move up to the SM league, but the club is also required to fulfill the valid license conditions of the SM league. The SM league is in the process of evaluating the license mechanisms that have been in use since 2014. The old criteria are in use for the time being.
2nd decision:
From the spring of 2024, the license conditions of SM-liiga Oy will include Mestis’ victory in that season as a condition for promotion. In other words, you can no longer get into the SM league “through the cabinets”, but only by beating Mestis and then the SM league team in the qualifiers.
3rd decision:
The number of teams in the league will be limited to a maximum of 16 teams from the 2025–2026 season.
Kiekko-Espoo has applied for a league place for the 2024–2025 season. So Kiekko-Espo has the opportunity to move up to the SM league next season based on the old license criteria, i.e. Kiekko-Espo is not required to win Mestis in order to move up to the league.
If Kiekko-Espoo is already promoted to the next season, then the number of teams in the league would be 16, which would remain the same through the qualifiers.
4th decision:
If a SM league club gives up its place, the vacant place in the league will not be filled, but the number of teams in the league will be reduced.
This is how Heikki Hiltunen opened decisions
According to Hiltunen, these four decisions were the “culminating decisions” of the general meeting of the SM League and, according to him, all of them were approved unanimously. All shareholders were present.
Hiltunen pointed out that after the decisions made now, we still have to take into account the agreements made with the SM league’s partners and the Ice Hockey Federation. Only then can a more detailed decision be made about, for example, the number of matches and series systems.
It has been decided to open the contract between the SM league and the Ice Hockey Association for a new review. In addition, recent decisions require negotiations with the Players’ Association, as in the future the player’s league level may change in the middle of the player’s contract period.
Hiltunen said that the general meeting lasted four hours. Future scenarios were discussed “openly and at length”.
– Emotions did not flare up. We were very much in agreement when the details were filed.
Hiltunen described the future benefits of the decisions in such a way that now a true “sportsmanlike measure” is being returned to the SM league. In addition, he reminded that the doors are not closed for the team that is now relegated, but that rebuilding and rising back up are truly possible.
Hiltunen pointed out that there is always a risk in business, but it is also possible that some team wants to drop down.
– Now the big change is that the league community assumes that the model is permanent. If you give up in the league once in a while, you can develop the activity and come back, there is no fear that the door will be closed immediately.
Hiltuse was also asked if the excitement brought by Kiekko-Espoo and Jokeri in Mestis has caused pressure for the opening of the SM league.
– The league does its own process. Of course we look at our surroundings. This has a significant impact on Finnish top hockey. The league has made its independent decisions, but we have interviewed our stakeholders and partners. Of course, we have a vision of what kind of operating environment we will have in the future.
According to Hiltunen, different series models were not discussed, but the general meeting considered different options between 14–16 teams.
Possible support packages for teams relegated from the SM League had also been discussed at the general meeting, but according to Hiltusen, these matters will be clarified later.
Ten years ago, Hiltunen was the chairman of Mestis when it was announced that the league qualifiers would not continue, but the series would be closed. Since 2016, he has been the chairman of the SM league. Hiltunen stated that he had said then that he was in favor of an open league.
– There are 15 shareholders in this community. Then there is no place for a dictator here. These processes take time. I am satisfied and relieved that we were able to make big decisions.
– I am relieved on behalf of all shareholders and I hope that we can focus more on the future of the league and the development of top hockey, and not on how the SM league is criticized. I would hope for constructive discussion and openness in this community.