The disputes between the Ice Hockey SM League and the players’ association escalated at the latest on Monday, when the players’ association (SJRY) announced that it had taken the SM League, all the league’s clubs and the Ice Hockey Federation’s Competition and Consumer Agency to investigate.
The players’ association suspects them of abuse of a dominant market position or even of a cartel. According to the players’ association, the SM league is “against competition law on several grounds”. The players’ association requires immediate action to open the hockey SM league.
The tight debate about the matter continued on Thursday at Radio Suomen Urheiluilla. Chairman of the board of the SM league Heikki Hiltunen and president of the players’ association Teemu Ramstedt sat at the same table for the first time.
According to Hiltunen, the activities of the players’ association cast a dark shadow on top Finnish ice hockey.
– We are talking about big things. It creates a very bad reputation for ice hockey and endangers the interest of the sport. In my opinion, the accusations about the cartel are a harsh attack, even though no concrete facts have been presented as a background for it, Hiltunen said.
Ramstedt firmly rejected Hiltusen’s criticism.
– We have made an extensive legal assessment and presented a lot of arguments. Our demand letter was ten pages long, Ramstedt explained.
A last minute appeal from Hiltus to Ramstedt
Hiltunen said that he made a last-minute appeal to Ramstedt so that the matter would not have been taken to KKV for consideration.
– I called Teemu (Ramstedt) on Friday evening and proposed three chairmen, me, Ramstedt and the Ice Hockey Association Heikki Hietanen meeting. We would have discussed the issues this week and tried to find a solution so that we could move forward with the issues, Hiltunen said.
Ramstedt emphasized that Hiltusen’s contact came hopelessly late, when all deadlines had already expired.
– I myself waited a year and a half for that phone call that we would have been able to move forward. In our demand letter, the response time was until 16:00 on Friday. We received a response at 4:02 p.m. and stated that practically none of our demands were agreed to, Ramstedt said.
The players’ association has been very upset that it has not received representation on the top hockey advisory board.
Huippukiekko’s advisory board is the institution of the Jääkeikkoliitto and SM league, which manages the cooperation between the parties. Matters from the consultative council will proceed to be decided by the federal council, the federal government and the league board.
– My own interpretation is that the players’ association should have a place on the top hockey advisory board. We have not been offered that place. We haven’t even seen the contract between the Ice Hockey Federation and the SM league, even though we have asked for it many times, Ramstedt criticized.
Hiltunen, on the other hand, criticized the players’ association for the lack of transparency, because they have not disclosed their exact number of members.
– They could tell the public how many league players belong to the players’ association. On the side of the League, we have the idea that the players’ association represents a rather small number of SM League players, Hiltunen guessed.
Hiltunen blinked at the devastating effects
Heikki Hiltunen fears that the effects of the raging dispute going on now could be disastrous.
– The worst scenario is that all shareholders and parties would have to pay a penalty. It would be out of the players’ salaries and could lead to the bankruptcy of some professional clubs. At worst, this can paralyze the development of Finnish top hockey, Hiltunen said.
Teemu Ramstedt likes the fact that it is now finally clear whether the laws have been followed.
– Now, at least in some period of time, it will be clear whether the current system is in accordance with the law. There is no need to guess the next 50 years, what it should be like, Ramstedt said.
Hiltunen and Ramstedt have been in public for a long time completely opposite each other. Ramstedt admitted in Urheiluilla that the men rarely meet each other.
– We have very little contact with Heikki (Hiltunen). But there is no interpersonal dispute between us, Ramstedt acknowledged.