Mikko Pulkkinen, CEO of the SM League, commented by e-mail on the criminal cases that have come to light recently. According to Pulkkinen, the management team of the SM league will discuss the cases soon.
Roope Visuri,
Simo Leinonen
There has been a lot of commotion in the ice hockey SM league recently.
Tappara’s player on Thursday Top Rönni said in the club’s press release that he was accused of rape. Rönni is out of the team’s activities for the time being. Last week, the rape conviction of JYP’s Severi Lahtinen was discussed. A few weeks ago Rauma Lukon Tarmo Reunanen low-style language came to the fore in Kuopio.
CEO of the SM League Mikko Pulkkinen comment on recent events by email to Urheilu.
What kind of measures has the SM league taken in relation to these issues that have come up?
– We take the matter very seriously. However, the SM league’s possibilities to act in such situations are limited, the club acting as the employer is primarily responsible for reacting. We now have the SM League to find out what we can do more to support clubs in similar situations and precisely to avoid them. We will have a discussion with the management team on a quick schedule. An open discussion about such matters within the entire community should take place with the support of experts.
In your opinion, what kind of reputational damage do these already fairly constant upheavals cause to the league?
– I don’t think that any sport or industry wants to have to have such discussions. These are very serious issues that we must work together with the clubs to avoid.
The SM league came out last week with changes related to the future and the series system, but again such serious and unpleasant things are in the headlines. How annoying do you personally find it?
– I find these events very heavy. I can only comment on things on a general level because I don’t know the cases in detail. In the SM league, we do not get more detailed information about legal processes.
Is it a deeper species-related problem?
– These are matters outside the rink, which in themselves are not related to the sport. I don’t think any species wants to have to have such heavy conversations.
How are you going to react, have you perhaps planned some way out or measures related to the topic?
– Next, we will have a discussion together with the management team of the SM League and it is clear that we take the matter very seriously.
Is it intended to be in contact with the clubs in this regard? What is the dialogue between the club and the league in these matters?
– As I mentioned, the SM league organizes joint processing of issues with the management of the clubs. In these events, we have cooperated closely with the clubs related to the cases in question.