Jokerit Helsinki Oy, the new background company of the ice hockey club Helsinki Jokerie’s representative team, held its first official press conference on Thursday. The management team of the company and the representation team painted the future of the brand and the representation team in their comprehensive presentations.
Concrete, even tough-sounding goals were told. Jokerit wants to be among the top three teams of Mestis already next season and quickly get their organization qualified for the SM league. In addition, Jokeri’s “service promise” stated that in the 2025–26 season, the lineup would consist of 50 percent of its own growths.
Read more: The Jokerit outlined their tough goals and announced their Mestis group – the new club boss took a stand on the SM league’s surprise announcement: “It fits perfectly”
The extent to which the plans of the new organization will be realized and what the Joker’s new identity and brand will become will only be seen in the years to come.
Especially for several Jokers’ own growths, yesterday was a significant day anyway. In their media conference, Jokerit also released the frame of their Mestis team for next season.
Before that, in the Jokers’ training, the enthusiasm was palpable and the pace was such that even the interviewed players couldn’t believe that it was only June 1st.
Jokeri’s player budget for next season is 300,000–350,000 euros.
Skipper of the U20 team: “Let’s go hard”
Defender Santeri Haakana, 19, wore the captain’s letter C in the Jokerien U20 team last season. He also played three games on loan in the KeuPan Mestis team.
– It’s a good feeling! It’s been a good three weeks here with the gang. We get to know each other and the speed increases on the ice. Let’s go hard, Haakana beamed after Thursday’s training.
Santeri Haakana is an ex-defenseman in Edmonton who got to try the NHL Kari Haakana son. Isä-Kari won the Finnish championship twice, namely in Jokeri in 2002 and in Kärpi in 2008.
The most experienced player in the newly released Joker team is 25 years old Saku Forsblom, who has played 57 league matches in Mikkelin Jukurei in recent seasons. Santeri Haakana describes the team as very young, but reminds that some of the players have already knocked on the doors of the SM league.
– Surely everyone has hunger and enthusiasm to rise to the next level.
It is very important for the players in the junior pipeline of the Jokers that their own club offers the dream of a representative team, and they do not have to go looking for it elsewhere. For Haakana, the Jokerien Mestis team was also the first choice for the next step in his career.
– There has been a bit of everything here, so I myself have a clear desire to help this organization get back up, possibly to the SM league.
An emotional return to the joker for Severi Auvisen
Keeper Severi Auvinen22, was part of Jukurie’s crew last season, but only played matches on loan in Mestis, Ketterä in Imatra.
He puts on the joker shirt for a long time.
– It’s been a while. I wish I had been a 10-year-old boy then. It’s cool to put this back on again.
Auvinen says that the trip to Imatran was really educational. He says that Jokerit is an opportunity to take a “step into bigger lights”.
Auvinen also pointed out how hard training has already been.
– Note that at least the coaches and players have a lot of enthusiasm, Auvinen laughs.
Especially from Auvinen’s words in the interview, you can see the importance of the Jokerie brand.
– Now that this comeback is coming, it’s really cool. People who care about Jokers want to be at this fair.
– Even myself… At the age of five, Faija took me to see games at “Hartsu” (the Hartwall arena at the time). It’s so cool when it’s been your dream to play for the Jokers. Now it’s happening. It tingled quite nicely.
The goalkeeper is cautiously confident about next season’s possibilities.
– Of course, we also have a lot of new players who jump into men’s games. It can be quite challenging at first. There is certainly enthusiasm and training motivation.
From club legend to CEO – the goal is a meaningful identity
Jokerie’s new CEO is a defensive legend Antti-Jussi Niemi, who played in the Jokers for 11 SM league seasons and more than 500 matches. Niemi is remembered from Leijon for, among other things, the 2006 Olympic silver. The career also included a handful of NHL games in Anaheim.
After his puck career ended in 2014, Niemi has worked as the branch manager of the personnel company he founded.
Niemi says that he had to think about leaving the Jokers for a while, but the thoughts of the chairman Mikko Saarnin with about long-term plans, such as the development of the junior path, coincided.
– I would have been sad for the rest of my life if I hadn’t gone to this post.
– A brand dear to me. Now I get to build that new arrival almost from scratch, Niemi continued and said that he meant, among other things, self-sufficiency in player production.
Niemi said that he wanted to build a distinctive identity for the Jokers, which would be reflected both in the club’s general look and the team’s way of playing.
– We are responsible for these junkies. Of course, we hope that they will become good hockey players at the same time, but we are responsible for more. We are happy if good people and good athletes come out of the pipeline. There will inevitably be good hockey players on that side.