According to Heikki Hiltunen, Chairman of the Board of the Finnish Championship League, the series has not had a discussion with the Jokers about a possible return to the series. Within the series, various options have been discussed informally over the years.
– Of course, we hope that a peaceful solution will be found to the situation and that we will be able to complete the season as planned. I understand that Russia has already violated Ukraine’s sovereignty, so against that background the matter is already at a very serious stage, Kauhanen comments to Iltalehti.
According to the South End, “The continuation of the Joker’s games will cause immeasurable damage to the entire club, which may never be repaired again.” The association hopes that the Jokerit ry will protect the club by withdrawing the club logo from the representative team playing in KHL.
Chairman of the SM League Board Heikki Hiltunen says the series will be open if the Jokers would like to return to the SM League.
– Of course we’re open to it. Everyone knows that the Jokerit as a brand would be an interesting alternative for the Finnish Championship League and Finland’s top hockey. It would strengthen the value of the Finnish Championships, not only in the Helsinki metropolitan area, but also in the various places in the country where the league is played, Hiltunen tells Urheilu.
According to Hiltunen, the Finnish Champions League has not had a discussion with the Jokers about a possible return. Within the series, however, there have been informal discussions over the years about the various options.
– Of course we are open and we monitor the situation. However, we would certainly have a more serious discussion with the owners of the SM League at the shareholders’ meeting if the situation were topical. So far, no such chat has been opened or visited.
Hiltunen believes in the consensus of league clubs
The return of the jokers would ultimately require a decision by the league shareholders at the general meeting. Each shareholder would have one vote.
– I think there would be a consensus on what to do, whether the decision is yes or no. I will not comment on this in the absence of such a formal debate.
– Of course, it depends on the Jokers’ own will and desire to join the league community. We also don’t know what their chance is to come back and where they could play, Hiltunen spins.
In his answer, Hiltunen refers to the Jokers’ home hall, the Helsinki Arena. Billionaire Gennady Timtshenko still owns a stake in the hall. 60 percent of Jokers’ shares are in turn Jari Kurrin held. 40 percent is owned by Norilsk Nickel Harjavalta Oy, a Finnish subsidiary of the Russian Nornickel Group.
According to Hiltunen, when returning to the league, the Jokers should also pass a Finnish Championship license. The process measures the financial situation of the clubs, the junior organization, the conditions and the ability to play the league so that the business is profitable and long-term.
– Of course, there is no guarantee that the Jokers will be the top team in the league. The Finnish Championship League has made tremendous financial progress, as the operations of the Jokers have been based to a large extent on the market subsidies they have received. They would have to adjust their own budget and finances in the Finnish market quite a lot, in which case the situation is, of course, different without knowing their ownership and ability to build a competitive team in the Finnish Championship.
– It would be left to the licensing process of the Finnish Championship. The Joker backgrounds should also consider how they will be able to build a credible team in the SM League once the conditions are different than in the KHL.
“I don’t think league members have any more emotional states”
In terms of returning to the league, the Jokers should also fill the section on athletic success. According to Hiltunen, the Jokers’ sporting success at KHL has been sufficient, but the league should proportion this to the resources that the Jokers would have available in Finland.
– We should get clarification and visibility before we can take the matter to the Licensing Committee. For next season, processing should take place during March, for example. In other words, the situation is that, at least in the short term, this type of pattern would not be possible.
The departure of the Jokers to KHL in the spring of 2014 caused a long break between the Jokers and the league clubs. Jokers and Finnish league clubs did not play training matches, in addition to which it was not allowed to change players.
The Jokers played their first practice match against a league club after leaving for KHL in August 2020.
– I do not think that the league members have any more emotional states and I believe that time has taken care of the decisions made in the past. It would be a more pragmatic decision, a discussion of realities and circumstances.
– I still think that we should be able to build two good league teams in the Helsinki metropolitan area that really have the organization, ownership and strategy in place, Hiltunen concludes.