The return project of the jokers’ representative team to the Finnish rinks took a new turn on Tuesday. However, Jarmo Koskinen is still confident about his return. The man himself is ready to become CEO.
Pertti Lappalainen,
Ann-Christine Karhu,
Laura Arffman
The federal board of the ice hockey association was supposed to process Team Jokerit Oy’s league place application for Mestis at its meeting today. However, this did not happen.
– Yesterday we received a request from Team Jokers not to process the application they submitted, chairman of the federal government Harri Nummela stated In Jääkkiekliito’s bulletin (you will switch to another service).
Profiled as the frontman of the Jokers comeback project Jarmo Koskinen opened the background of the request to Urheilu.
– Team Jokerit Oy asked to table the matter in order to get more time for the application. We wanted to make sure that we received an application that was valid. Now there were still unfinished issues that would have led to requests for additional clarification after processing, so the end result could have been the same, Koskinen says.
Nummela tells Urheilu directly that the Jokerires’ plan is not yet precise enough.
– There was no such application that had any conditions to be accepted, he sums up.
– Jokerit has told about his plans. The level of accuracy of the plans is currently not such that there are conditions for awarding a place in the series. The preparation of things is clearly still in progress, Nummela continues.
Koskinen did not want to specify whether the unfinished issues of the application were related to the lack of clarity, ownership or financing of the home hall.
– In all aspects of the application, the aim is to reach a significantly more concrete level.
About the CEO?
One of the biggest questions regarding the Joker’s future has been regarding the home hall. Recently, the so-called multi-hall concept has been talked about as the most viable option. Koskinen says that there is a positive outlook on the matter.
– We have preliminary additional information. These are unfinished business, but hopefully we will make progress in that matter, explains Koskinen.
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Koskinen’s own role in the Joker’s return project is clear. He says he is the strongest candidate for CEO, as no other candidates have appeared for the role.
– I will start running the business in the role of managing director, when this becomes concrete in such a way that we get a license and a series place, says Koskinen.
According to the Ice Hockey Federation’s announcement, when granting league spots, the situation is examined in relation to the license conditions, in which case the applicant’s ownership, financing and operational arrangements such as the playing and training venue play a central role. These things have to be quite advanced already when the series places are awarded.
The license application for the 2023–2024 season must be submitted by March 31. Before this, the entity applying for a license must have a series seat granted by the federal government.
If you are worried about assembling the team in the schedule. We want players from the A-juniors of the Jokerites for a possible representative team. If the spring progresses far, young and promising players can look for a place to play for the next season elsewhere.
– Little by little, we are busy with the team, Koskinen states.
How busy are you on a scale of 1-10?
– Good question, probably closer to ten than number one, Koskinen laughs.