The Ice Hockey Championship League will take a historic turn in the spring of 2025, when the qualifiers return. Urheilu’s expert Topi Nättinen is delighted with the decision.
The Finnish Ice Hockey Championship League announced the long-awaited news on Thursday evening. The league’s general meeting decided that the qualifiers will return to the series in the spring of 2025. The last team in the SM league will receive the winner of Mestis.
– One of the most amazing Finnish hockey news I’ve ever read on the internet. It’s a bit of a disbelief when you’ve been waiting for this for so long, Urheilu’s expert Top Nättinen rejoiced.
Nättinen is satisfied that sporting values are finally taking center stage.
– Sports must be number one in sports, money is a secondary factor. Competition always raises the level of sports. Many teams live on dreams, and now dreams are possible, Nättinen said.
Nättinen clearly sees that the last place in the SM league and the winner of Mesti will clash in the qualifiers.
– I think it’s completely correct and there are no miraculous qualifying series of six or seven teams. Sportingly, a clear decision, one team from the SM league and one team from Mestis, Nättinen estimates.
“16 teams are certainly on the edge of pain”
The number of teams in the SM league will be limited to a maximum of 16 starting from the 2025–2026 season. Now 15 teams play in the series.
– The decision enables a better Mesti. If teams after teams had just faded into the SM league with some non-sporting means, Finnish ice hockey could have been destroyed in many different ways, Nättinen pointed out.
Many fear that there will not be enough good players for the 16-team league. Nättinen also says that now we are already approaching the limits of pain.
– Competitiveness and the level of players will remain. 16 teams are certainly very high on pain thresholds, but now there is pressure in the other direction as well (relegation), Nättinen thought.
If a club gives up its place, the vacant place will not be filled.
– I think it’s a clear policy that there must be sportsmanlike ways to get to the SM league. There are no loopholes left where the clubs could pretend that a miracle would happen, Nättinen commented.
Kiekko-Espoo can advance without qualifying
Kiekko-Espoo is already aiming for a place in the SM league for the coming season and can move up to the league without qualifying. Nättinen considers the policy to be fair.
– Kiekko-Espoo has done long-term work and has been a driving force in the opening of the SM league. They have announced the matter publicly and thus surely exerted pressure. I understand that Espoo is given a chance, Nättinen said.
– But, of course, you can look the other way around to see if they should have already been eliminated. I think it’s pointless to get caught up in it when the main news of the day is that the SM league opens and the qualifiers return, Nättinen described the historic day.