New clubs can join the ice hockey championship league at the earliest by the fall of 2025. Championship league chairman Heikki Hiltunen emphasizes the athletic and financial competitiveness of those aspiring to join the league.
Emma Hyuppa,
Jussi Saarinen
The discussion about the future of the men’s SM league, league licenses and the new league system is more active than in a long time.
The SM League announced at the beginning of June that the league’s shareholders have decided to renew the license system, in other words, to change the conditions for promotion to the SM League. The SM League decided that during the review of the league license conditions, it will not accept new league license applications for the 2024–25 season.
Kiekko-Espoo, who won the Mestis championship, had previously said that it plans to apply for a SM league license next fall for the 2024–25 season. However, the SM league’s decision means that Kiekko-Espoo could only become a major league club for the 2025–26 season at the earliest. Until then, the SM league will remain as a closed series of 15 teams.
Chairman of the Ice Hockey Championship League Heikki Hiltunen now tells why the door was closed to Kiekko-Espoo and other clubs that want to join the SM league. According to the league boss, the primary reason is that the league wants to develop its operations and brand well into the next decade.
– These things still require preparation, which is why we had to take more time here and get the basics right. Thus, we can make moderate, good far-reaching decisions and not hasty solutions, says Hiltunen.
The price of a league share is up to four million
Kiekko-Espoo has done long-term work in recent years for its promotion to the SM league. According to Hiltunen, Kiekko-Espoo’s success in Mestis and the club’s high-quality junior work speak for the club’s league eligibility.
However, Hiltunen says that Kiekko-Espoo must also demonstrate financial success over several seasons and that the club has sufficient capital.
– The nominal price of a league share is already around 3.5–4 million kip. In addition to that, you have to build a professional organization, about 50 people. It easily makes a million to a half million just for summer time wages before there is any income. Equity is needed to get things going.
According to Hiltunen, the financial base of Kiekko-Espo is not sufficient.
– The league is a jump to the next level. From what I’ve seen, capitalizing on the financial side is crucial. Then managing the risks that may be associated with it, if there is no success, i.e. how to deal with crisis scenarios, says Hiltunen.
The SM league wants a credible success in its ranks not only financially but also athletically.
– Personally, I feel that there is quite a lot of work to be done before being eligible for the league, in order to be successful in the league. We have to get to the playoffs, semi-finals, or preferably even the finals, so that the Espoo audience can find it there, Hiltunen states.
According to Hiltunen, plans related to capital financing must be convincing, because running a league club is not cheap fun.
– That’s why capital financing can be done on a conditional basis, so that if the club gets a league share and a league place, then we’ll join in financing.
Hiltunen emphasizes that the new criteria do not only apply to teams that may advance to the league.
– This affects all current league clubs as well. Now it is essential that these do not only concern a possible new partner. They are equal for everyone, and all the current ones must also meet those conditions, says Hiltunen.
Urheilu reached out to the chairman of Kiekko-Espoo’s board by Ami Rubinsteinwho said that the club will not comment on the matter until after the summer.