Jokerit back to Liiga + finnish KHL players

mattihp

Registered User
Aug 2, 2004
20,506
2,985
Uppsala, Sweden
Will Jokerit be welcomed back to the Liiga or have they burnt all their bridges?

What will happen with the finnish players who have earned more than the Liiga and SEL can pay? Will some of them try to make the NHL or will NLA get a big boost?
 

JabbaJabba

Registered User
Dec 22, 2010
7,577
2,809
Finland
Probably won't be easy for Jokerit to return. They need a place to play and get their finances straight for example. A lot things to figure out. I don't know if Jokerit will even play anywhere next season.

Players will go where they want to go. I expect that some will go to NLA and SHL because of money, some will play in Finland because it is easier to stay and they already have money and/or get a nice salary from a Finnish team. I don't expect that many will try to go to NHL. Many players are close or in their 30s and have tried to make it in the NHL before. Many of them have families and moving them to NA isn't the easiest thing to do, especially because their chances of becoming NHL regulars aren't the best.
 

Rcknrollkillnmachine

Registered User
Sep 22, 2017
584
408
Finland
Who can buy the (soon to be former) Hartwall Arena? If Jokerit can't use it where do they play and would it be Mestis or straight to Liiga?

This will be intriguing as it plays out.
 
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mattihp

Registered User
Aug 2, 2004
20,506
2,985
Uppsala, Sweden
Who can buy the (soon to be former) Hartwall Arena? If Jokerit can't use it where do they play and would it be Mestis or straight to Liiga?

This will be intriguing as it plays out.
This is the interesting part. Without the pandemic it would have been interesting to see longer term numbers for liiga. Did it lose money without Jokerit? Did HIFK suffer the most? Losing both Jokerit and Blues must be hard for the region. And rooting extra against a team from Lahti is a bit like picking wings of dungeating flies.
 

Rcknrollkillnmachine

Registered User
Sep 22, 2017
584
408
Finland
As an IFK fan I find the rivalries over the years with Kärpät and Tappara pretty fierce but as both set of Helsinki fans (Jokerit and IFK) have told me those derby games in the past were unbelievable to experience and that a lot of Jokerit fans had lost interest in the team after they had joined the KHL.

Liiga I think has thrived without Jokerit with the tv deals they've had from what I've read but the return of them would really light a spark.

Jokerit were the most hated team in the country from what people I've talked to and from forums over the years so every other team particularly IFK would want to take a scalp from them.

Espoo Blues were great but never had the support; adding in their financial woes it was sad to see them fold but inevitable.

Edit: I'm not a Finn but I lived for years in Helsinki before I move to Boston (I'm not North American either) so excuse my takes if anything seems out of context or misinformed.
 

Exarz

Registered User
Jan 1, 2014
2,415
339
Helsinki
Who can buy the (soon to be former) Hartwall Arena? If Jokerit can't use it where do they play and would it be Mestis or straight to Liiga?

This will be intriguing as it plays out.
The question is who even wants to buy the arena? The reason Jokerit even plays in the KHL is that the arena was deep in the red numbers and the buyer’s condition of acquiring the arena was for Jokerit to switch leaugue.
 

JabbaJabba

Registered User
Dec 22, 2010
7,577
2,809
Finland
The question is who even wants to buy the arena? The reason Jokerit even plays in the KHL is that the arena was deep in the red numbers and the buyer’s condition of acquiring the arena was for Jokerit to switch leaugue.

I would honestly just demolish the arena and have Jokerit and HIFK share the new Garden arena if they can get the building started. The arena business isn't going to get any easier in the future. If they build Garden, it is going to compete for the same events that ex-Hartwall could have held. And then you would have still the old ice arena that can hold events for thousands of attendees. There are so many event arenas already and new to come that I can't see how that arena could be profitable in the future.
 

mattihp

Registered User
Aug 2, 2004
20,506
2,985
Uppsala, Sweden
Busy day for Liiga/Jokerit transfers!
Yeah...

Not many left.

upload_2022-2-28_16-9-4.png


Juvonen and Lindbäck to SEL if there are injuries on key goalies I guess.

The North Americans likely DEL or NLA, there's usually a spot somewhere for North Americans who aren't world beaters.

Lindbohm, Holm and Kivistö should all be very desirable on the market..

Jensen to SEL? Haapala, Joensuu, Kossila and Norman... No idea.
 
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mattihp

Registered User
Aug 2, 2004
20,506
2,985
Uppsala, Sweden
Kossila, Kivistö, Lindbohm and Juvonen have terminated their contracts already, so just 10 players left on the roster
Kivistö to ZCL Lions, Lindbohm to Panthers. Hope Lindbohm gets an honest shake. He is not the same player as last time he went over.
 
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JabbaJabba

Registered User
Dec 22, 2010
7,577
2,809
Finland
Säteri, Jokipakka, Härski, Manninen, Metsola and Olkinuora now available

Is there anywhere they could play this season? I thought a lot of the European leagues have had their trade deadlines. NHL is of course a possibility, though they would have to go through waivers like Lindbohm did.
 

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