for – the goal of a million euro defeat

During the 2023-24 season, TPS started a economic efficiency program that has produced concrete savings through the reduction of the cost structure.

During the last financial year 2024-2025, HC TPS Turku Oy achieved a significant improvement in profit when the Group’s loss decreased to EUR 284,000. Over the past two financial years, the total improvement in profit is almost EUR 3 million.

HC TPS Turku Oy’s main owner and board member Ilkka Paananen praised the CEO of CEO Aki Holman Economic efficiency. It has been so successful that in the future the focus will shift more to increasing net sales.

No shortcut

– However, we cannot compete with money for the simple reason that we do not come from the biggest economic area. There is nothing for this fact.

This is how Paananen testified at a press conference last May.

However, the main owners Paananen and Mikko Kodisoja Known as the founders of the gaming company Supercell, for whom the resource of the SM League club would be the biggest trick or nothing. Something about their income is that they have only paid taxes of more than EUR 200 million each.

Virtually everyone knows that TPS could compete for money but does not do it. The league team will continue with the same $ 2.4 million player budget as last season, when the amount with JYP was the seventh largest in the series.

“I have never believed that money can buy success or that it would be a shortcut to success,” Paananen explained to Iltalehti.

“In fact, I see the opposite,” he continued.

– When I think about the companies where I was in the early stages – Supercell is a good example and Wolt is another – they have started with really little money. In some way, the scarcity of resources has been insanely positive.

– Of course, not everything as such is suitable for building a hockey team, but I believe it has a certain wisdom.

New culture

There are more wisdom in the TPS organization to start improving its 12th place last season.

The club leadership has made a thorough analysis of the weak season.

“We especially wanted to listen to the players, and we came to a simple conclusion that we must be able to significantly improve the culture of our club,” Paananen said.

– Although it may sound like a soft concept, culture can become a competitive advantage that attracts the best talent and talents to the organization. And culture is not just a word, but it is leadership, it is about people’s behavior and deeds in everyday life.

According to Paananen, the core issue is what kind of people work in the organization.

– As everyone knows, we made a lot of changes. They were made against the idea of ​​whether those people who believe in this culture and represent that culture.

– It combines an extremely high level of ambition and a demand for very human leadership. That’s what we wanted here, Paananen referred to, among other things, a new head coach To Toni Söderholm and as a sports director to the promoted Mika Suoraniemi.

– We and Mikko are very strong that these cultural changes are so important that we wanted to allow it with additional financial support.

Million Loss

Paananen stated that additional support was mainly on the junior ice hockey and female ice hockey.

– We do not think about it to support current business. Instead, we think that it is to support TPS sports activities.

According to Holman, the new sports support will affect the company’s financial result in this and the next financial year.

– The support of the owners gives us a backrest change. From the point of view of financial profit, it will be burdened with this financial year and also next. During this financial year, we are aiming for a loss of about one million euros, Holma said.

In practice, additional support allows for that size loss.

“It sounds bad, but we have seen how our sales have started to grow, and that’s what we have to mirror,” Holma said.

“This does not mean inflating the player budget,” he emphasized.

– Instead, it means developing coaching, players and sports conditions. In practice, it allows for a certain budget for sports, even though our income does not cover it, Holma summarized.

Meaning of TPS

Ilkka Paananen reminded of the motives that made him and Mikko Kodisoja go to the Palloseura.

– In time, it started with the fact that I have both grown here with Mikko and TPS has been a huge part of our life.

– The more we have been involved in this activity, the better we have crystallized, the important the importance of TPS is here in the Turku region’s economic area. It means a huge number of people and brings positivity to their lives.

However, this is a area where Paananen says there is still room for growth.

“We want to grow that meaning and bring it to more people,” he said, praising the TPS junior organization.

– That’s what our desire to make sure it continues. We want to maximize the potential of hockey and also TPS. Obviously, we need to get more girls and women on the reel on the field and on the stands.

Continuity

In the last 11 years, HC TPS has made a total of more than EUR 18 million, and Supercell Military Military Squares have repeatedly saved it from bankruptcy.

– Over time, our ownership at TPS has grown, but not because I and Mikko might have wanted, Paananen pointed out.

– It has been really important for us to ensure the continuity of TPS. We think it would be a disaster and really sad if TPS somehow lost from Turku.

However, Paananen emphasizes that in the longer term it is not sustainable that TPS is dependent on the financial support of its owners.

– Our long -term goal is also for TPS to stand on its own feet. These additional investments are an investment that it is possible, he outlines.

– It won’t happen yet, or probably next season, but after that it should be quite realism.