Jokerit’s plans for a return lack concreteness at the moment, says confederation baseman Harri Nummela. How fast is it getting for Jokerit? “Closer to a ten than a one,” says CEO Jarmo Koskinen to Yle.
After the ice hockey association’s board meeting in Helsinki, chairman Harri Nummela stepped forward and gave an update on the situation.
Without mentioning details, it became very clear that Jokerit’s road back is a long way from complete.
– Jokerit can give its own view of the situation, but I can say that there was no application that we could have approved, says Nummela to Yle.
The day before the board meeting, Team Jokerit Oy announced that they are withdrawing the consideration of the application for a series place from the meeting list.
– This was their own conclusion. You can clearly state that when something is not ready, it is not ready, says Nummela.
“Relates completely to the facts”
Jokerit left the hockey league in 2014 and played in the KHL until February 2022. Russia’s invasion war in Ukraine made the Helsinki club draw conclusions and leave the KHL.
Since then, speculation about Jokerit’s return to Finnish ice hockey has continued. The goal has been to play in Mestis in the fall.
– The puck is completely with Team Jokerit now. Of course, we in the association review the applications – regardless of where they come from – according to the rules we have. On March 31, the process must have reached the point that the application for a series place must be processed and the license application submitted, says Nummela.
We deal entirely with the facts. We need them and clear plans to handle the matter
What can you say about Jokerit’s application?
– Jokerit has told us about their plans, but they are not so concrete that it would be possible to grant a series place at the moment. The investigation of the details is not complete.
Is Jokerit playing in Mestis this fall?
– I don’t want to speculate about that. We deal entirely with the facts. We need them and clear plans to handle the matter.
How fast is Jokerit?
Team Jokerit Oy has been fronted by CEO Jarmo Koskinen and he talks about the current situation without further details.
– We asked the union to table the case in order to get a little more time to get an application that can be hammered through.
– We wanted to make sure we had a completely transparent application. Now there were things that were half done that would have certainly led to the request for investigations in a treatment by the federal board. So in practice the end result would have been the same.
Jarmo Koskinen.
Photo: Jarno Kuusinen / All Over Press
Espoo Blues, Jokerit, Jarmo Koskinen
Koskinen says that there were too many open questions and Jokerit’s intention is to get a more concrete application.
– I will not go into details. These are negotiations and partly also trade secrets. Third parties are involved and there are things you can’t talk about publicly.
According to Koskinen, negotiations are underway on where Jokerit can play home games, but nothing is set in stone.
On a scale of one to ten, how in a hurry are you?
– That is a good question. Closer to a ten than a one.
