The Finnish Competition and Consumer Agency begins to investigate suspicions of abuse of market position in Finnish ice hockey.
Joel Sippola,
Samu Saatsi
The players’ association SJRY announced on Monday that it had taken the SM league, all the league’s clubs and the Ice Hockey League’s Competition and Consumer Agency for investigation.
It suspects these of abuse of a dominant market position and even a cartel.
Urheilu already reported that the Players’ Association sent a letter of demand to the SM league, all league clubs and the Ice Hockey Federation, which required immediate action to open the SM league. According to it, the SM league is “against competition law on several grounds”.
– The Players’ Association has today filed a request for action with the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority regarding the closed SM league. We suspect the league, the league clubs and the Ice Hockey Association of abuse of the dominant market position and illegal cartel in the last 24 years, the president of the players’ association Teemu Ramstedt told a press conference.
According to Ramstedt, the decision-making of the players’ association has not been taken into account when deciding on the future of the SM league.
The league announced in October that starting in the spring of 2025, the qualifiers will be held between the winner of Mestis and the team that finished last in the SM league. According to Ramstedt, the players’ association was not listened to in that decision either.
– The decision was just made. When we had a moment to digest it, we noticed that in reality the league was not opened as much in terms of sports as we would have liked. The number of teams was growing, which was the opposite of what the players had hoped for, Ramstedt said.
Players in favor of an open main series
The solution is exceptional in Finnish top hockey.
– This is in many ways a historic decision, and we will see later what its effects will be. This is a difficult decision for us as well, but we felt that it had to be done now.
Ramstedt says that the board of the players’ association has clarified all the legal facts. The players’ opinions have also been widely asked.
– A year ago, we made a survey to the players based on which they want an open league.
He does not want to take a position on what kind of decision the players’ association would like from the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.
The players’ association’s communication with the Ice Hockey Association and the league has not been the best in recent days.
– On the other hand, the discussions have been good-natured in the past. I see that we have been very close to an agreement.
Ramstedt replied to Hiltuse
SM league chairman Heikki Hiltunen comment Ilta-Sanom in the interview, Ramstedt’s actions were harsh. He stated that Ramstedt has caused damage to the reputation of Finnish ice hockey.
– I don’t want to respond to his comments terribly. I can’t make decisions alone, because the government makes decisions together, Ramstedt acknowledges.
98 percent of the members of the players’ association want an open main series. Both sporting and financial aspects weigh in the scales.
– We are talking about professional sports, so sports and the economy go hand in hand. Both things are equally important.
Updated 16.12: Added Ramstedt’s comments to the article.