The appointment of Mikko Lehtonen, who played until the end of his KHL term, to Leijon has caused controversy. However, leaving or remaining in the club may not be in the hands of the player.
The departure and abandonment of Finnish KHL hockey players due to the war in Ukraine has caused a lot of discussion. Named as the latest example of the Lion Mikko Lehtonen case. Lehtonen did not leave the club at the SKA in St. Petersburg after the war broke out, but played until the end of the season. However, Lehtonen was selected to join the Lions World Cup camp.
– We have had discussions with him and we know the facts. Based on these, we warmly welcome Lehtonen to the Lions Journey, the Lions GM Jere Lehtinen said in a statement from the Hockey Association on Saturday.
Leaving the club is not necessarily in the hands of the player, but in the hands of his club. Violation of the player contract can, at worst, result in a million-dollar sanction and even a ban on games for Lehtonen.
President of the Hockey Association Harri Nummela does not comment on the situations of individual players, but says that the situations of Finnish players have been different.
– In some situations, the situation has been challenging and difficult for the players. There have been differences in whether the terms in the agreements have been agreed or whether the clubs have adhered to them uncompromisingly. The general premise is that when agreements are made, they are binding, Nummela comments to Sport by phone.
Nummela does not comment on whether the contract practices should be changed.
– This is a difficult question. Society cannot function if agreements do not hold. It is up to the lawyers to assess what is such a cause of force majeure or a similar situation. I can’t judge it.
Nummela says that the Hockey Association and the Finnish Hockey Players’ Association have been in contact with the players and tried to advise and help where possible. However, the content or termination of the agreements could not be influenced.
– There have been discussions and advice from the International Hockey Federation. In my opinion, the International Hockey Federation has acted clearly in the situation in Ukraine and has taken the necessary measures in the big picture.
The International Hockey Federation has excluded Russia and Belarus from international activities. Today, the union announced the launch of the 2023 World Cup in Russia and St. Petersburg.
Sports did not reach Mikko Lehto or his agent to comment.