A record number of Swedish players are playing in the ice hockey SM league this season. The increase compared to previous years has been significant, as there are more than ten more Swedes than in previous years.
While Finland’s top players often go to Sweden after the Euros, the players arriving in Finland are not the top class of the Swedish SHL.
Sport is one of the clubs that has been able to attract players who were left with a smaller role in the SHL to Vaasa. After them, Sport has also received by Simon Hjalmarsson and by Axel Holmström like quality players who have already proven their level as professionals.
In total, there are six Swedes in Sport. Only Shaun Heshka wedge between them in the team’s internal point exchange.
– A few years ago, we thought about how we would be able to build a tip here. We mapped (former sports director) Markus Jämsän with the region’s strengths and bilingualism is clearly such. That card has not failed, Sport’s head coach Risto Dufva says.
Hjalmarsson and Holmström are third and fourth in the points market of the SM league. Both moved to Finland because they wanted to gain experience in the new league.
– My good friend Sebastian Stålberg talked a lot about the city and the club. It seemed. I get to play a decision-making role here and I got a good role from the team. These were important factors, Hjalmarsson tells Urheilu.
Bilingualism was not that important to the duo. However, Vaasa was a good option for Holmström because of the ferry from Umeå to Vaasa.
– I spoke with the agent and we came to the conclusion that the Finnish league is a good option. The feeling was that Vaasa is quite close to Norland and Swedish-speaking areas. That’s why I decided to come here, says Holmström.
The war changed the player market
There are many reasons for the number of Swedish players. One influential factor is the war of aggression waged by Russia, which released players from the KHL mainly to Sweden and Switzerland.
This, combined with Sweden’s top-quality player production, has been reflected in the player market.
– For all players, the role in Sweden is certainly not what they would like and want in order to be able to develop. Through that, Swedish players have entered the Finnish market, Tappara’s head coach Jussi Tapola says.
On the other hand, the number of North American players in both Finland and Sweden has decreased since last season. Because of this, Finland has turned its eyes even more to Sweden.
Player agent Simo Niiranen says that North Americans have stayed in their home countries, and in addition, many quit as a result of the pandemic.
– Somehow it feels like their threshold to go to Europe has risen, Niiranen says.
North Americans heading to Europe often choose Sweden, Switzerland or Germany, which have a better ability to pay wages than in Finland.
Money also explains the number of Swedish players in Finland, because there is a fierce battle for Finnish players. The sports director who acquired more Swedes for KooKoo Jarno Kultanen formulates that the price-quality ratio has often been really good for the Swedes.
– There is fierce competition within the league for Finnish top-tier players, which raises their salaries. I would say that a Swedish player in the top chains is more appropriately priced than a Finnish player, Kultanen states.
Player agent Jarmo Korkin according to the best Finns ask league clubs for 250,000 euros per season gross Basically, only the league’s big clubs are able to pay such salaries.
A Swedish player can be brought to Korki in the first season with a net salary of, for example, 50,000 euros, which can cost the club around 80,000 euros with the help of tax regulations for foreign employees.
Similarly, Finnish players have qualified for the Swedish SHL, where there are as many Finns (36) as there are Swedes here. The big difference is that most of the Finnish players are top professionals who have already proven their abilities, have also played in the national team.
Sweden’s second team players can shine in Finland
Kultanen describes that two of KooKoo’s four Swedes are experienced players who were left out of the SHL, and the other two are younger players who have not managed to take on a big enough role in the main league.
According to Kultanen, in the eyes of Swedes, the SM league ranks between the Swedish premier league SHL and the second-tier Allsvenskan.
– The league is an interesting top series for them to play in and seek a big role.
According to Kultanen, the SM league teams have had good experiences with players left in the middle of the two series in Sweden.
For example, who arrived in Finland at the age of 26 from Allsvenskan Sebastian Dyk scored 20 goals in his first season at HIFK (20+25=45).
Like Dyk too Erik Thorell was grabbed from the Allsvenskan. He played a total of 163 matches in TPS and HIFK with an output of 65+74=139.
A defender who was left with little playing time in the SHL Robin Press on the other hand, broke through in Luko in 2019–2021 and celebrated the Finnish championship. There are numerous examples.
According to Sportin Holmström, the Finnish league was not recommended to him in particular, but he has closely followed players who have played in Finland before.
– Sure, there are players who have come to Finland and taken a big step in their development here. I follow hockey in general and I have seen that many people have gone this way.
“To be honest, the Finnish league is more fun”
The Finnish puck discussion has talked about how the SM league is a tactical series where you avoid mistakes, defend and stand in the middle area.
It has been feared that this will even affect the interest of the SM league in the eyes of foreigners. That’s why Holmström’s comments about the series are even a little surprising.
– To be honest, I think the Finnish league is more fun from both a spectator’s and a player’s point of view. There is more happening on the field, the game is more open and therefore a bit more successful in attack than in the SHL.
– In the SHL, they try to avoid mistakes and the league is more defensively successful. The Finnish league is more attacking and maybe more fun for the average fan, that’s a positive thing.
In Hjalmarsson’s opinion, the game in Sweden is more physical and the skating is more successful, while in Finland the difference is created through tactics. He says that he got new motivation for his career from Finland.
– This year has been one of the funniest in my hockey career. I get to play in a lot of different situations, both offensively and defensively.
– I agree with Simon. The year has been personally great. You can participate in a lot of matches. It develops, says Holmström.
Sport will be able to enjoy the Swedish duo for a long time, as they will continue in the Vaasa club for the next two seasons.