JOKERIT 2020-2021 (GOING ALL IN?)

[vorky]

I'll just make small comments regarding these:

1) It is more common up here (at least what I've experienced in both Sweden and Finland) to expect the club to inform it's members/fans of what's going on. Being completely silent creates unnecessary speculations that could've been avoided by just making any comment regarding specifically this situation that has been quite infected from the start.

2) Sure, the majority of the media has had a more "negative" view towards Jokerit, however most of the pressure in this situation has come from the supporters, not the media.

3) This is basically the same comment as the first one, even mentioning anything regarding the situation is better than going radio silent.

Anyway, the game got postponed (which it should've been the day Jokerit asked to postpone it). The fact that the league thought this would go under the radar was quite naive from their part, and they could've avoided this big mess by doing better due diligence.

1) I have now opened Jokerit´s website. There is a statement from August 31 saying the club proposed to re-schedule the game. So, Jokerit informed their fans of what´s going on.

I saw somewhere Kurri´s statement saying Jokerit delivered to the league an official letter with their home venue being Hartwall Arena. So again, Jokerit informed their fans.

Yeah, perhaps it is not the final decision because the situation is developing minute by minute. So, do we want the clubs to comment on every issue every minute a day? Would not it be more reasonable to wait for the final decision?

It is another story of how the media report about these semi-official statements.

2) Fine, so supporters. It is not clever to go that way, the same with other politically motivated movements in other leagues, including the NHL. If the organisation, meaning fan club, have some ideas, they should negotiate with the club. When making some final decision on the topic, they should mutually present it to the public.

3) I replied in 1. We are living in special times, when it is not clear what will happen in an hour, not saying about weeks or months.

 

[Kshahdoo]

Oh, well, -3 points to Jokerit, +3 points to Dinamo and Lukashenko. Big deal...

 

[vorky]

Oh, well, -3 points to Jokerit, +3 points to Dinamo and Lukashenko. Big deal...

Guessing you keep living in 2018 or something, but it is fine, we get your message.

 

[Treb]

No politics

 

[Shocker]

Good decision, i'd love ( and hate) to see Jokerit back in Liiga, hope this thing finally makes that happen.

 

[Jussi]

Two more sponsors dropped out.

 

[Exarz]

Two more sponsors dropped out.

Which ones and where was this reported? Can't seem to find it anywhere

 

[Jussi]

Which ones and where was this reported? Can't seem to find it anywhere

I saw it mentioend in the Jatkoaika thread, Puustelli and SOL would be out.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

What was the purpose of Jokerit moving to the KHL anyway? Is this a sign of them moving back into the Finnish League?

 

[Exarz]

What was the purpose of Jokerit moving to the KHL anyway? Is this a sign of them moving back into the Finnish League?

Some people claim that the former owner Hjallis Harkimo had a vision about a stronger European league, but the actual move to the KHL was more of a package deal when Harkimo sold the arena to the Russians (as they had this demand/request). Both Hartwall arena and Jokerit were making quite heavy losses.

Short-term I don't think this changes anything, especially when they ended up not going. Jokerit has a contract with the KHL which expires in 2022 iirc, after that we'll see. The pre-season drama has certainly not promoted the extension of playing in the KHL, but it all depends how the team recovers from this PR-wise.

 

[vorky]

What was the purpose of Jokerit moving to the KHL anyway? Is this a sign of them moving back into the Finnish League?

There has never been any such sign. All we can hear is a fantasy or wishes of media & people hating Jokerit. Nothing has to do with reality. Jokerit is a core club in the KHL.

 

[JabbaJabba]

Rumours in Finnish media states that several Jokerit players received death threats from Belarusians

Sisäpiirilähde: Pelaajat saivat Jokerien koneen pysymään maassa

Anttila said that these rumors were false in YLE's article. Based on the positive reactions of Belarusians to Jokerit skipping the game, it would be weird if someone from Belarus had sent a death threat.

 

[Jussi]

Just copying a post from Jatkoaika:

KHL on outo sarja?
Jokerit pyytää pelin siirtoa, se ei käy.
Joukkue on menossa lentokentälle ja lähdössä pelaamaan Minskiin.
KHL ilmoittaa ottelun siirrosta, joten eivät matkusta Valko-Venäjälle.
Lopuksi kohelo tuomitsee Jokerit 5-0 luovutustappioon, koska joukkue ei saapunut pelipaikalle!

"KHL is a weird league?
Jokerit ask for the game to be postponed, not happening.
Team heading to airport and ready to travel to Minsk.
KHL announces game is postponed so the team doesn't travel.
Eventually the league announces Jokerit have forfeited the game because they didn't arrive to the location!"

 

[Shocker]

There has never been any such sign. All we can hear is a fantasy or wishes of media & people hating Jokerit. Nothing has to do with reality. Jokerit is a core club in the KHL.

That's pretty funny considering Jokerit has a huge group of fans that dislike KHL and want them to return.

You know, like actual real people.

 

[Garl]

Two more sponsors dropped out.

And what is the reason? Lukashenko?

 

[Esko6]

And what is the reason? Lukashenko?

Awful publicity

 

[Kshahdoo]

That's pretty funny considering Jokerit has a huge group of fans that dislike KHL and want them to return.

You know, like actual real people.

Still, Jokerit has been leading all Finnish teams in attendance for how long?

 

[Garl]

Awful publicity

So, Jokerit decided not to go to Minsk, but they still dropped out?

 

[Kshahdoo]

What was the purpose of Jokerit moving to the KHL anyway? Is this a sign of them moving back into the Finnish League?

It won't happen, because nobody pays anything for the team and arena in Finland. They lose money, and Finnish businessmen and companies are too smartass to invest into the business, that leaks money like a strainer...

 

[Esko6]

So, Jokerit decided not to go to Minsk, but they still dropped out?

I got the impression that they dropped out before the cancellation as game time was closing in. The controversy is not over and they probably rather sponsor something less risky.

 

[Esko6]

It won't happen, because nobody pays anything for the team and arena in Finland. They lose money, and Finnish businessmen and companies are too smartass to invest into the business, that leaks money like a strainer...

I think it is possible that the oligarchs who pay Jokerit bills might drop out, they do no pay the team to embarrass the KHL.

Jokerit is 40% owned by a Russian owned nickel mine, I don't understand why a nickel mine wants to own a deeply financially unstable hockey team unless it is a political thing. If Jokerit starts to rebel against the Russians, they will just dump the team with tons of debt.

 

[Shocker]

Still, Jokerit has been leading all Finnish teams in attendance for how long?

For quite long, which isn't that hard with the amount of free tickets they giveaway and having the largest arena.

Also the numbers have been on decline for the past few years.

 

[Kshahdoo]

I think, Jokerit has good chances to win the league this season. At least, Russian press call it favorite in the Western conference, because the team has remained pretty much the same, and all other teams have become way weaker. And if it happens, most fans will forget all this political shit...

 

[Kshahdoo]

For quite long, which isn't that hard with the amount of free tickets they giveaway and having the largest arena.

Also the numbers have been on decline for the past few years.

As far as I understand, numbers are declining because they stop giving away free tickets.

 

[Kshahdoo]

I think it is possible that the oligarchs who pay Jokerit bills might drop out, they do no pay the team to embarrass the KHL.

Jokerit is 40% owned by a Russian owned nickel mine, I don't understand why a nickel mine wants to own a deeply financially unstable hockey team unless it is a political thing.

For Timchenko, whos net worth is around $20B, losing a dozen million euro isn't big problem.