Ossi Väänänen remembers the feeling of excitement that the Jokers’ move to the KHL once generated. Since then, according to him, eyes have been opened and shock has replaced it.
– I’m ashamed of myself, how naive we’ve been.
Ossi Väänänen is known as an outspoken person, and he is not afraid to speak his mind even now.
The Russian attack on Ukraine that started in February came as a shock to the vast majority of Finns. Väänänen, 41, was no exception.
– The events in Ukraine have gone really badly under the skin. I don’t know what cotton wool has been living in here. It was thought that this kind of thing wouldn’t happen again, but it just happened, Väänänen, who played in the star match of the Katulätäk SM tour in Helsinki, told Urheilu.
According to the former top defender, the situation in Ukraine is on his mind every day. Today, Väänänen, who works as an expert at Viasat, among other things, actively follows news on the subject.
– I try to read as many different sources as possible so that I don’t rely on just one source. Shocking thing.
The sports world has reacted to the prevailing world situation more strongly than ever before. Athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus have been banned from numerous international events, including prestigious ice hockey competitions. Väänänen has been satisfied with the actions.
– You can always do more, that’s clear. But these measures have clearly raised feelings in Russia as well. Go and find out how much it helps in the endgame, but I think all the little actions add up at least a little.
Most of the Europeans who played in the rich Russian leagues have moved elsewhere after the war started, but not all of them. Ice hockey player Teemu Pulkkinen has been training in the strength of his KHL club Traktor Chelyabinsk for the past few days. Ice ball player Tuomas Määtä will play next season in Khabarovsk in the SKA-Neftjanik team. Volleyball player Lauri Kerminen has not ruled out the possibility of continuing his career in Russia.
The actions of the athletes in question have spawned a lot of harsh criticism. Väänänen’s view on the topic that has been talked about in sports circles is concise.
– I can only say that I myself would not go to Russia. I would not want to be associated with anything that represents that war of aggression.
“The occupation of Crimea should have opened the eyes”
At the end of his successful career, Väänänen played more than 100 KHL matches in Dinamo Minsk and the Jokers. The defender played in Minsk in the 2009–2010 season. I remembered a strange way of life, which was guided by the country’s dictator-like ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
– Lukashenka ran the show. I don’t know many presidents who would drive their own car in the middle of a motorcade. However, it has been many years since my time there, and a lot has happened in between. Today it seems that Lukashenka is a puppet of Russia who does what he is told, Väänänen said and stated that he felt sympathy for the Belarusians who oppose Lukashenka.
Väänänen represented his parent club, Jokeri, when the club moved to the KHL for the 2014–2015 season, accompanied by a lot of noise. The president came to the background of the club Vladimir Putin the billionaires belonging to the close circle Gennady Timchenko and Roman Rotenbergwho acquired the then Hartwall arena.
– At that time, everyone was probably a little bit naïve, even though the occupation of Crimea in 2014 should have opened everyone’s eyes. I myself was an active player at the time and lived in quite a bubble. Ice hockey and my own profession took all the focus. I thought it would be a very tough series and the fans would see top-level hockey. I repeat myself, but it has been a very naive way of thinking.
The Jokers’ KHL trip, which garnered criticism, ended in the spring after the start of the Russian invasion war. The club’s future game and financial patterns are still open. What was left of the KHL time in the end?
– When you look back, it’s easy to be wise. Things don’t look good. However, the past cannot be changed. Mistakes must be admitted, learned from and in the future we must try to make better decisions, commented Väänänen.
Jokerit was the only team that Väänänen represented while playing in Finland. In total, he played more than 570 matches for the Jokers in his junior and adult years. It says something about the importance of the club.
– Jokerit is a dear club to me in every way. I know everyone there and I’ve been around the arena all my life. Jokerit is such a good brand that the KHL period cannot be allowed to tarnish everything. Jokerit will definitely return to the SM league. Probably not for next season, but hopefully very soon.
Väänänen does not take a position on whether he himself will be involved in the designs of the Jokers in the future. In any case, he believes that the return of clown shirts will be good for domestic league hockey.
– Jokerit has always been an interesting team with great personalities. I’ve seen it myself. No matter where we went to play, the halls were full. Other clubs must have been annoyed at the time that such a attraction went away. Now Jokerit is coming back, which is a good thing for everyone.