Restoring the SM league qualifiers is the best thing that has happened to hockey’s main league in years, maybe decades. It is a huge helping hand for racing, writes Jussi Paasi.
Jussi Paasi Sports reporter
Is the name before?
That’s what I was thinking when I was waiting on Thursday evening with the rest of the media community at the door of the conference room of a hotel in Helsinki. The name of the farm was written on the door: “Vision II”.
Visions of the future of the ice hockey SM league have been feverishly awaited. And now perhaps some kind of clarity would be gained.
The media was told in advance that this event will present the SM league’s “ongoing future work” and related decisions. These decisions were made at the general meeting of the SM league, which had already started in the afternoon at 4 p.m.
While waiting for the door to open, I went through different options with a few colleagues about what we would be informed about.
Would a sports romantic’s wet daydream come true? Would the SM league open up to sporting competition? League open and qualifiers back? I already admitted that I belong to this brave group.
The more skeptical expected that the same trend in the closed series would continue. You can submit a license application, a possible increase will be made by cabinet decision. No qualifiers. Hohhoija.
Then the door to Vision II opened. Exactly at 21:00.
League President Heikki Hiltunen and CEO Mikko Pulkkinen were standing behind the lecterns.
– A historic day. It’s time for the league to renew, Hiltunen began.
My heart rate went up immediately. A historic day! Is Hiltunen’s point really saying that the series will open and the qualifiers will be restored?
– The qualifiers will be played in the spring of 2025.
Is not true. Can not be.
But it’s true. The SM league will open for sports competition from next season onwards. The winner of Mesti will qualify for a place with Jumbo in the SM league. The winner of the match series plays in the main league the following season.
The news is the best thing that has happened to the SM league in years, maybe decades. It’s a huge boost for racing.
Second, at the highest league level, Mestis, you can once again dream of something big. And major league clubs have to prove their athletic competitiveness every season. The possibility of rising and the fear of falling make miracles happen.
At the same time, the main series is finally saying goodbye to shameful clearance sales.
Sport, KooKoo and Jukurit were promoted to the SM league through the cabinets. Kiekko-Espoo can still get up to the SM league at the end of this season with the same model, i.e. without qualifying games.
But right now it doesn’t seem to matter, because the sports romantic’s heart is beating! Qualifiers! Finally!
For the second team, the most painful pressure cooker, a direct hellish pre-mansion. And for another, the biggest dream.
While listening to Hiltusen’s speech, I remembered the spring of 2009. Almost no one remembers the Finnish hockey champion of that year, but everyone remembers the legendary qualifying series of Ässie and Sport, which went to the seventh game.
A similar treat may be available in the spring of 2025.
Now Finnish ice hockey has a vision again. Of course, there will still be plenty of work to do, but now the most important thing has been done: competitiveness has been restored to our country’s only full professional series.
The name was before.