Jokerit said that they are aiming for a place in Finnish league ice hockey for the 2023–2024 season. The people of the new background company have not been officially disclosed to the public.
According to the Helsingin Jokerit ry, which runs Joker junior hockey Jari Kurri and Harry Harkimo have nothing to do with the new background company of the Helsinki club.
Jokerit ry said on Wednesday that it has handed over the management of the Joker brand to a new background company with a long contract.
According to the release, the league project of the Joker’s representative team is managed by a new background company, and the Helsingin Jokerit ry is a part owner of it.
– Helsingin Jokerit ry does not yet speak publicly about the other entities and financiers behind the background company, because the negotiations regarding the matter are still ongoing. We hope for peace of mind for our project, the goal of which is to return the Jokerit to Finnish league ice hockey for the 2023–24 season, Jokerit ry wrote in a press release.
There has been speculation about the return of the Jokers to the domestic rinks since the club left the Russian-led ice hockey league KHL last spring.
What is known about the Jokers comeback project?
Jokerit went public on April 20 by announcing that the club is aiming to return to the SM league for the 2023–2024 season. The club said they would apply Jari Kurrin along with a new ownership base and that he will submit his license application by the deadline, i.e. by the end of October.
– We are not going to accept any such link to Russia, the chairman of the SM league board Heikki Hiltunen your line.
Another of the groups is a hockey legend Teemu Selänten represented by Naurava Narri oy, whose leading figures also included another former joker player Keijo Säilynoja. To everyone’s surprise, the company announced on Sunday that the negotiations with Helsingin Jokerit ry ended without results.
Joel Harkimo denied on Wednesday that he is the face of the Joker’s comeback project. He also denied to IS that he bought the company.
However, according to the newspaper, Joel Harkimo would have contacted on Tuesday Teemu Selänten to the Naurava Narri company centered around. According to IS, the company refused the partnership because, in their view, the project has the wrong starting points.
Joker’s trademark and logo have been on the surface for the past few days. Jokerit ry, which owns the name and logo, announced on Monday that the junior organization still has a valid agreement on the Jokerit trademark with Jari Kurrinomitama’s Jokerit Hockey Club Oy.
Consequently, the company directed the groups to negotiate with Kurri. IS told (you switch to another service), that Kurri should be paid at least half a million euros for Jokeri’s business. According to IS information, the negotiations between Selänte’s group and the Jokers ended precisely because of this.
However, Jokerit ry has now handed over the administration of the trademark to a new background company. The goal is to return the Jokers to Finnish league hockey for the 2023–24 season. The release did not specify whether the Jokerit is aiming for a place in the SM league or in the lower leagues.
If Jokerit wants to play in the SM league in the 2023–24 season, a league license must be applied for by the end of October 2022.