Mikkelin Jukurit roasts for more than two weeks in a hot match rush. Mikkeli has nine matches in the next 15 days.
Jukurit starts playing four matches in five days, two of which are away games. Jukurit will play again on Monday against HIFK, after which it will fly to Lulea on Tuesday for the quarterfinals of the CHL.
The head coach Olli Jokinen commented on the Mikkeli team’s matchmaking at first moderately by stating that Jukurit plays when it is appointed.
– However, everyone can imagine what kind of starting point it gives us for Tuesday’s game. The question is, will Tappara play on Monday? Someone asks.
Does not play.
After all this, Jukurit will face HIFK at home on Friday and travel to Tampere for the match starting at 15:00 on Saturday as Ilves’ guest.
– Yes, it sounds somehow unfair, but that’s how it always is. When you are in a small club, there are no medals and there are no championship banners on the ceiling, so here you have to play when others decide. Small clubs are hardly listened to in cabinet decisions here. The big ones always beat the little ones, Jokinen makes them rattle.
The best of the ice hockey round: Jussi Paasi and Anssi Ritari review the Jukurie situation
According to Jokinen, Jukurit is even considering playing Monday’s HIFK match with juniors. The team plans to play the weekend matches against SaiPa with at least the best lineup.
– Then we look at what kind of stress and strain we’ve been under. It has not been ruled out that we would go to Helsinki with the A train group, says Jokinen.
The second team in the CHL quarterfinals, Tappara, has an easier schedule. Tampere will face HIFK away on Friday and JYP at home on Saturday. The next match is only on Friday 9.12. Against lynx. Tappara will continue in its home hall also on 10.12. before 13.12. the second quarter-final match to be played.
Originally, the Jukurs were scheduled to play on February 2-14. in the period between, up to seven league matches. Of the other CHL Finnish teams, Tappara will play four and Ilves three matches in the same period. Five matches were planned for TPS.
Ilves and TPS did not reach the playoffs in the CHL. Jukurit, on the other hand, surprised when it sensationally beat Fribourg-Gotteron 2–1 in extra time in two matches.
– Have there been preliminary expectations calculated, who will go far in the CHL and who won’t? That’s how it looks to me, Jokinen downloads.
– No can do. At least we don’t get any help for our own series so that we could be successful, that has become very clear. We will do everything we can to make it to the next stage, says Jokinen.
Jukurit also tried to discuss with Luulaja about playing the first leg on Wednesday. It didn’t suit the Swedish club.
Jukurie’s match schedule could have been even tougher, as the schedule originally included a home game against Kärppi on Wednesday. The people of Oulu agreed to move it.
– We got one match postponed, so we don’t have to play every day. A big thank you to Kärpi for agreeing to the match transfer, says Jokinen.
The HIFK match had already been moved to Monday because of the CHL, so it was not touched. Jukurit also discussed with TPS about the match transfer on 14.12. for the match to be played in Turku, but TPS did not agree to it.
Thus, the Jukurits travel to Turku after the CHL quarter-final the night before.
– We have played the fewest games in the SM league and have been two games behind the others the whole time. We’ve had weeks where we’ve played one game. I’m kind of wondering how all the games stack up for two weeks.
Jokinen also criticizes the league matches played during the Swiss EHT. On the day before and during the Euro Hockey Tour, rounds of five and seven games will be played in the League.
– It is also incomprehensible. Jalonen’s Kari said that he watched our game program and announced that he will not take our Czech players to the national team. Hats off to “Kojo”.
We asked the League’s director of competitions From Arto I. Järvelä justifications for Jukurie’s match schedule.
The HIFK match, which was canceled because of the CHL, was decided to be postponed to the coming Monday. Why?
– Because it was free. And since we are in HIFK’s hall, the booking situation of HIFK and the hall determines when we can play.
Already in advance, the Jukurei had the tightest match schedule of all Finnish teams in the CHL during the next two weeks. You didn’t think that Jukurit could make it in the CHL?
– That was not the issue. It was written there (in the match schedule) that the CHL teams, TPS and Jukurit, would meet each other, so then they would have to move their games. Here came such a situation. Here, the scenarios were reviewed in advance. The CHL is challenging for us in our regular season
n. Especially the fact that we have two teams in the Nokia Arena in the CHL, which also had to be given time off.
Why is the SM league played during national matches?
– We agreed on it in time, when the 60-game regular season was decided. We agreed with the federation that (the league can be played) during the tournaments in Russia and Sweden on the days when Finland is not playing.
– The clubs have made that decision themselves and are behind it. The clubs have wanted it this way.
According to Järvelä, the match program also includes things that the Jukurs wish for, such as matches against SaiPa on consecutive days.
– These back-to-back games have come to the weekends in November, so yes it has come from their wishes. Now it just culminates, because the CHL success has been good. Then there have been extra games.
– Before the start of the season, we went through this with the Jukurs, how they see their own scenarios. It’s been through with them that if they go ahead, there will be problems like this.
According to Järvelä, Jukurie’s away game on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m.) is due to the fact that Tappara and Ilves have to play in the arena on the same day.
– There must be some games there. Also, for example, HIFK just doesn’t have space in the calendar and has to play when hall reservations come. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work the way the ideal world works. That’s the sad part.
Olli Jokinen emphasizes that the close tempo of the game is not an excuse for the players.
– We have players who want to go to the NHL and there is a week like this every month. In that sense, this is an instructive time for young players who talk about the NHL, says Jokinen.
Jokinen says that he understands when it comes to match programs that, for example, the Tampere arena is in heavy use. However, he would hope that in the future match programs would also be made to serve the teams participating in the CHL.
– I would hope that all teams would have the same chance to advance and go to the final or even the semi-finals.
– But it’s pointless to start counting who can succeed and who can’t, because each game is unique. You should never count on them not making it to the next stage, says Jokinen.
The next time in the SM league is in Puhe’s Ice Hockey round on Friday from 6 p.m.
Listen to the live broadcast here.