Liiga 2016-2017 General Talk

[QnebO]

At the end of the day, there's only a few Mestis teams that could make the jump financial wise. At least it's the right traditional teams that are getting promoted, instead of doing it à la NHL.

Kouvola leaves actually multiple current Liiga teams behind in population. Ässät, Sport, SaiPa, HPK.

Based on those numbers Joensuu could host Liiga team too.

http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luettelo_Suomen_kaupungeista // sort by population

 

[rduck1]

Kouvola leaves actually multiple current Liiga teams behind in population. Ässät, Sport, SaiPa, HPK.

Based on those numbers Joensuu could host Liiga team too.

http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luettelo_Suomen_kaupungeista // sort by population

Yep, and indeed JoKP played in SM-Liiga twice in the early nineties, though they of course got relegated both times. However with today's Jokipojat playing down in Suomi-Sarja due to financial problems, it's unlikely to happen again any time soon. It's a shame really, since they have a fairly large arena already(around 4800 person capacity) and the economic area could easily support a Liiga team.

 

[Urbanskog]

Kouvola leaves actually multiple current Liiga teams behind in population. Ässät, Sport, SaiPa, HPK.

That's just because the municipality of Kouvola has annexed all the neighboring localities. The area itself is huge, larger than Samoa. The population of Kouvola proper is considerably lower.

 

[QnebO]

That's just because the municipality of Kouvola has annexed all the neighboring localities. The area itself is huge, larger than Samoa. The population of Kouvola proper is considerably lower.

Under 20 minutes in car is not big problem though. Kuopio was 87 000 before adding Siilinjärvi in it - which made sense, as Siili is totally suburban housing area for Kuopio these days. Bit like Helsinki and Vantaa.

 

[JJTT]

Mikko Niemelä scores. Guy has played 4 years without a goal lol.

 

[Juzmo]

Sami Lähteenmäki - Mika Niemi - Eero Elo
Michael Ryan - Aleksi Saarela - Jarno Kärki
Tuomas Huhtanen - Henri Heino - Austin Smith
Juha Kiilholma - Antti Kerälä - Jake Hansen

Esa Lindell - Garrett Stafford
Jyri Marttinen - Tapio Sammalkangas
Ville Uusitalo - Valtteri Viljanen
Patrik Parkkonen

With most likely Rasmus Rinne starting.

Ässät-Kärpät today:

- Almost the ideal line-up with Ryan and Kerälä coming back.
- Kärpät losing yesterday, Ässät with a weeks rest
- Ässät looking good, Kärpät so and so (to the expectations of both)
- Saturday evening in Pori
- Veikkaus giving bigger odds for Ässät

= Ässät loss

 

[JJTT]

http://www.urheilulehti.fi/jaakiekk...-nuoren-jaakiekkolupauksen-haudoin-itsemurhaa

Sad story, hopefully he can still get contract somewhere this season. He was really solid with Saipa in 2011-2012.

 

[Juzmo]

Tuesday: Up 3-1 early in the game, lose 3-5
Thursday: Lose 0-3 against struggling team
Friday Up 3-1 late in the game, lose 3-4

And then all the line-up changes due to injuries, lack of results, or lack effort aka benching players. Then keeping liabilities on the ice (especially on defence) and even increasing their icetime, and then Rinne in goal looking like a mortal.

As an Ässät fan I'm actually worried today against Sport in Vaasa.

 

[rduck1]

Tuesday: Up 3-1 early in the game, lose 3-5
Thursday: Lose 0-3 against struggling team
Friday Up 3-1 late in the game, lose 3-4

And then all the line-up changes due to injuries, lack of results, or lack effort aka benching players. Then keeping liabilities on the ice (especially on defence) and even increasing their icetime, and then Rinne in goal looking like a mortal.

As an Ässät fan I'm actually worried today against Sport in Vaasa.

On the plus side if you guys keep struggling for a little while, you might get Kivi back .

 

[Urbanskog]

Puttonen, Rannisto and Co. really want to kill the league: http://yle.fi/urheilu/jaakiekon_sm-liigaan_tulossa_merkittava_sarjamuutos/7531181

 

[rduck1]

Puttonen, Rannisto and Co. really want to kill the league: http://yle.fi/urheilu/jaakiekon_sm-liigaan_tulossa_merkittava_sarjamuutos/7531181

I think at least their reasoning makes sense. Don't know if it's the right solution though, I would prefer it if there was a relegation tourney that would motivate from the other direction, but that's just not going to happen at this rate.

 

[FiLe]

I think at least their reasoning makes sense. Don't know if it's the right solution though, I would prefer it if there was a relegation tourney that would motivate from the other direction, but that's just not going to happen at this rate.

This, pretty much. If you hate this development, you should ask yourself how the player fire sale by teams in the basement is not harmful to the league. Whether this is the right way to rectify it or not is anybody's guess ATM, but at least they recognize this problem and try to do something about it.

Maybe this works, maybe it doesn't. One scenario is that it eventually turns into a zero-sum game, a change that fixes one set of problems but introduces a bunch of new ones in the process.

 

[QnebO]

http://www.iltasanomat.fi/sm-liiga/art-1288752054605.html

Good talk about KalPa's entertaining "soviet hockey" / äärikiekollinen playstyle. The headline is about säälipleijarit but the video contains most importantly long talk about KalPa.

 

[Juzmo]

Tuesday: Up 3-1 early in the game, lose 3-5
Thursday: Lose 0-3 against struggling team
Friday Up 3-1 late in the game, lose 3-4

And then all the line-up changes due to injuries, lack of results, or lack effort aka benching players. Then keeping liabilities on the ice (especially on defence) and even increasing their icetime, and then Rinne in goal looking like a mortal.

As an Ässät fan I'm actually worried today against Sport in Vaasa.

Tuesday: Barely won Sport 4-3.
Friday: Get a 2-0 lead against Saipa -> Lose 3-4 in the SO
Saturday: Get a 3-0 lead against TPS -> lose 4-5

Everything ok for 20 or so minutes staying active followed by epic collapses after taking the foot off the gas. Actually kinda worried about Rinne in goal now. Not the ideal situation for the unexperienced guy in any way possible. Really needs a solid veteran with him there that has the ability to stay healthy since Riksman can't do that.

I don't know man, just worried in general about everything on the team.

 

[rduck1]

http://yle.fi/urheilu/erotuomarijoh...te_osallistu_paul_stewartin_luennolle/7538258

The cancer that is our head of refereeing has forbidden Liiga referees from attending a lecture by former NHL referee and current KHL refereeing consultant Paul Stewart. Basically he's now actively trying to prevent improvement in refereeing, in other words working against his own job. I don't understand how he hasn't been fired, being a controversial despised figure whose results have been nothing short of disastrous.

Oh wait, I do understand...

UPDATE: Some furious backpedaling took place after the stories came out. He is now saying that they can attend, but they must pay for it themselves. He's also trying to spin the rather incriminating "each of you can consider the consequences of attending" quote by claiming that he was only talking about the consequence of having to pay for the admission. Additionally he talked about this event being somehow organized "by the Helsinki club"(Jokerit?) as opposed to being an official IIHF event or something along those lines.

 

[FiLe]

Some furious backpedaling took place after the stories came out. He is now saying that they can attend, but they must pay for it themselves. He's also trying to spin the rather incriminating "each of you can consider the consequences of attending" quote by claiming that he was only talking about the consequence of having to pay for the admission. Additionally he talked about this event being somehow organized "by the Helsinki club"(Jokerit?) as opposed to being an official IIHF event or something along those lines.

Looks like somebody didn't expect his little extortion attempt would go public.

If you smell smoke, it's coming out of Järvelä's pants.

 

[vsk92]

Haven't had time to watch any hockey so far this season

How have IFK played, does being 10th really reflect on the quality?

 

[rduck1]

Haven't had time to watch any hockey so far this season

How have IFK played, does being 10th really reflect on the quality?

Started off really strong, but have been struggling as of late. 10th is not really reflective, since we have less games played than others. The team is currently sixth in points per game, and a single win would bump us all the way up to fifth in the standings. I expect to finish in the top-6.

 

[Juzmo]

Austin Smith, Ässät -> go play somewhere else
Patrik Parkkonen, Ässät -> go play mestis for a while
Michael Ryan, Ässät -> injured, don't play for a while

Keeps getting better and better. Just like Liiga, but a tiny bit quicker.

 

[FiLe]

Liiga taking steps towards implementing full-time, professional referees.

Let's just see now how much of that is actually going to happen and which parts of it were simply droppings of an ox covered in rose petals.

 

[QnebO]

Liiga taking steps towards implementing full-time, professional referees.

Let's just see now how much of that is actually going to happen and which parts of it were simply droppings of an ox covered in rose petals.

It'll be joke very likely. Same dumb ***** reffing and same dumb ass reff-boss doing he's work. Only difference is that refs get paid better. They don't even accept education of refs.. I bet when they are "pro" refs they think it means they just must whistle more penalties as they get paid. They just can't do things well. Still hard to believe they actually changed the name of the league from SM-Liiga, well established trademark, to only "League". It makes no sense.. just a league. And these future decisions in developing league will follow that same quality level is my bet. Not that name changed that alot, but why to change the goold old name if you haven't any solid ideas.

Anyhow, I hope they manage to be succesfull in it and make the refs better. Just what they have talked about current system and järvelä.. they need fresh start.

KalPa lost tonight again arguably becuase of reffing. Crowds chanting good old Nuija and IFK scores PP goal on OT.
http://www.ruutu.fi/ohjelmat/sm-liiga/huippuhetket-kalpa-hifk-21102014

 

[rduck1]

Liiga taking steps towards implementing full-time, professional referees.

Let's just see now how much of that is actually going to happen and which parts of it were simply droppings of an ox covered in rose petals.

Yeah, it sounds all fine and dandy, but with the people in charge being who they are... Let's just wait and see. I'm sort fo hopeful though, since with the CHL and all there's more eyes on the league. They certainly don't want it to look like a farce at least, which this Järvelä situation definitely does.

 

[QnebO]

http://www.mtv.fi/sport/jaakiekko/s...te-sekaisin-kuin-ruotsin-oikeuslaitos/4427866


Virta not happy about refs. These all fiascos.. just fire that Järvelä already and make those zebras learn.

 

[Jussi]

Mestis related but: Noora Räty

 

[FiLe]

Mestis related but: Noora Räty

Holy hell. The best performance by a female goalie ever. Bar none.

And she's only getting started...