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This season, two players have been sentenced for sexual crimes in the ice hockey SM league.
The District Court of Helsinki sentenced on Tuesday Rönnin’s top to a one-year suspended prison sentence for rape committed as a young person. The district court of Päijät-Häme sentenced in October Severi Lahtinen to two years’ unconditional imprisonment for rape. Lahtinen represented JYP at the time of the verdict.
Judgments are not legally binding. Lahtinen has appealed his sentence to the Court of Appeal.
JYP terminated Lahtinen’s, 25, player contract after the verdict. Tappara did the same for Rönni, 19. Calgary Flames, the NHL club that booked Rönni, waived Rönni’s player rights.
After the verdict, in November, Lahtinen moved to play in the Slovakian league for a team called HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas.
Rönni initially moved aside from his team after the criminal charge came to light last October. However, Rönni returned to the ice at the end of November.
The last time Rönni played in the SM league was in February. Rönni played in a total of 22 SM league matches this season. Ten of these were after it was reported that Rönni had been accused of rape in October. Rönni played for the last time in the SM league in Tappara’s shirt on February 3. Rönni played in the Under-20 Championship series in Tappara’s shirt last weekend.
The ice hockey expert needs concrete actions from the sports team
Urheilu’s ice hockey expert Top Nättinen doesn’t think it would be easy for Rönni to find a new club in Finland.
– It is interesting to see this. He is a convicted sex offender. The threshold to hire him within the borders of Finland is quite high, Nättinen estimates.
– I believe that someone somewhere is always ready to hire. I don’t know more about the intricacies of the law. If he is allowed to practice a profession, someone will surely be willing to pay the salary. I doubt that it would happen in Finland.
Nättinen would like to wake up Finnish hockey after these two verdicts.
– You can always escape behind individual cases. However, I would wake up the Finnish hockey people and think about what we could really do to prevent this from happening. We would bear the responsibility that was given to us. Ice hockey itself has built its big position nicely. I would also like to remind you that hockey is not a victim. There are real people who are victims, says Nättinen.
Nättinen needs reactions from the sports community after what happened. He would rather overreact than underreact.
– Now we have been pretty quiet since autumn. It is hoped that the matter will be swept under the rug. Concretely, a reaction means that you should at least start a conversation. It has to come from within the species. Now, once again, outsiders are commenting. They get loud. Sports, whether it’s the Ice Hockey Federation, league, clubs. Concrete actions are needed. Whether they are seminars or trainings, exemplary activities concretely, Nättinen emphasizes.
The CEO does not see a problem in hockey
SM League CEO Mikko Pulkkinen. How do you see these judgments of Rönni and Lahtinen in terms of the SM league?
– Of course these are serious matters. After all, these were already talked about earlier in the fall. The entire management team in the SM League is committed to dealing with these issues. I think it is very important that we have implemented ethical guidelines especially for this year. They provide a good framework for discussing life’s serious issues.
What damage to the SM league’s reputation will these cases cause?
– Of course these are serious matters. These should be taken seriously. We need to think about how we can prevent such things. I believe that we are able to take a stand on the fact that the discussion culture is open and safe.
What concrete actions does the SM league take after these incidents?
– These fall under the theme of responsibility. Within the SM league, we have discussed in working groups what kind of steps to take. Of course, there is much more to the theme of responsibility than such ethical discussions. Many times there are moral and legal discussions side by side or opposite.
Are there any trainings or similar on the surface now based on these criminal convictions?
– Education is the wrong word for exactly these things. It’s more about the conversation. That’s what’s needed. Let’s get people involved in discussions. This is done under the leadership of the clubs. I think that’s really important. An open atmosphere is created in the clubs, where it is safe to talk about more difficult issues.
Two criminal convictions have come in a short time. Is there a deeper problem related to the culture of the sport in ice hockey or the SM league?
– I don’t take a stand on individual issues. These incidents have happened much earlier. Processing in the courts takes time. I don’t see any problem with hockey. We are part of society. We face the difficulties that exist anywhere in different industries. Of course, you can’t go behind it. Every organization has to bear its own responsibility in hockey for that. We have a lot of discussions about these responsibility issues with the Jääkiekkiöliitto across organizational boundaries.
There has been a lot of talk in the public debate that the sports culture of hockey could be improved. How do you see how the sports culture could be improved?
– Today we also discussed ethical issues with the head coaches and the captaincy. How do we want to be treated and how do we treat each other? There are two sides to this. What kind of work community will be built here in the middle of hockey so that everyone is safe and comfortable. We are part of society. Society changes. The culture must change along with it.
Open, what conversations did you have today? Give a concrete example.
– Recently, there has been a lot of talk about the fact that a lot of harsh arguments have come up. We discussed this and how to react. How should feedback be given? There should be discussions in advance if there are tight situations on the ice.
Are you referring to Jyri Rönni and Rikard Grönborg, for example? to the case?
– I don’t want a single profession in all of hockey to score goals. Whatever profession it is. We have different professions here. It is important to understand that the same rules apply to everyone.
Can a player convicted of a sexual crime play in the SM league?
– That question has a legal side and a moral side. Such things are the employer’s business. Those decisions take place in clubs. We cannot bypass the law in the SM league. We have to respect the Finnish system, although we understand the moral side very well.
Both players have played under charges when they were in the SM league. How do you see this situation now in hindsight?
– In Finland, there is a presumption of innocence before the verdict comes. I am referring to this same thing. Employers and clubs must also think about things from a legal point of view.
The Ice Hockey Federation stated that Topi Rönni cannot be selected for national team events. However, he was allowed to play in the SM league. What do you say about this?
– I would think that in the second case it is about a work relationship, and in the direction of the Jääkieksliitto it is about participating in a single event or tournament.