One option for the Joker’s home matches has been to play in several halls in Helsinki and the surrounding areas. Espoo fans are not happy about the idea that Jokerit would play in the same arena.
The Helsinki Jokers are scheduled to submit their Mestis application today, Tuesday. One of the biggest questions about the return of the Jokers has concerned the team’s home arena, because the team’s former home arena in Pasila is owned by Russians. The Jokers running the Mestis project Jarmo Koskinen according to the Jokers, they have a firm belief that the venue for the game can be found in the Helsinki Hall, which served as the team’s home arena.
Another option has been to play in several ice rinks in Helsinki and the neighboring municipalities of Espoo and Vantaa.
Vice-chairman of the Eteläpääty Association of Jokers Supporters Roope Räty is open to all options – as long as the games continue.
– Basically, it would be nice if we played all the games in the stadium and in our own home hall, no matter what. The Helsinki arena would of course be home for all of us, but at least it’s not in use at the moment. If the counterweight is to play in a really small hall in Pirkkola or not to play at all, I’d rather play a few games in Espoo, Vantaa or Kirkkonummi. It’s Jokerit who plays there, Räty commented to Urheilu by phone.
The Joker men’s representative team announced in April of last year that they were withdrawing from the hockey KHL. The men’s representative team has had no activity this season. Supporters have attended the matches of the club’s junior teams, for example A-youth.
– We are used to stealing things, we go to watch the Juniors’ games in Pirkkola, for example. It’s an inconvenience, but the bigger inconvenience is that there are no games for the national team at all. Yes, there are certainly ways to do this. It’s not an ideal situation (playing in several halls), but it’s significantly better than nothing.
Räty also finds good sides in playing in many halls.
– There are Jokerit fans all over the capital region and beyond. It could even be seen as a positive thing for Jokers making a new start, that we would be close to the fans. There could be a lower threshold to activate sleeping fans.
However, supporters would prefer to see their team play in the familiar Helsinki arena.
– It is a second home for many of us. A lot of Joker fans say that it feels really bad to go past the arena when there is no action there and we can’t get there. The same (background company) Team Jokerit has also communicated that the Helsinki arena is the number one option.
Many things about the Joker’s return are still open, which has also affected the fans’ attitude towards it.
– The fan community has not been able to discuss the matter extensively yet, because so few things are still in the public domain. The line between fact and speculation has become blurred. Let’s hope that brighter times will come soon and we could get to another home to play games at some point.
“Espoon Areena is Kiekko-Espoon’s home hall”
CEO of Metro Areena Katariina Järveläinen admitted on Monday that Jokerit has negotiated with the arena in Espoo.
Tapiola already plays for Mest this season, as Kiekko-Espoo plays its home match in Espoo Areena.
Kiekko-Espoo fans’ association Espoo’s hockey fans do not welcome the Jokers to Espoo with open arms, even though the focus is strictly on the affairs of their own club.
– Espoo Areena is Kiekko-Espoo’s home hall. I hope the Jokers’ hall affairs will be resolved on the Helsinki side. In this context, I would like to remind you that Kiekko-Espoo’s new arrival began with the Suomi series and the Espoonlahti ice rink, member of the board of Espoo’s ice fans Heidi Liukkonen comment.
However, Liukkonen is of the opinion that Finnish hockey needs a vibrant Jokerit.
– However, we want to focus on Kiekko-Espoo’s story towards the league, and not on what others are doing or on things we cannot influence.