By the deadline, only one applicant registered as a candidate for president of the Ice Hockey Federation – the current president, Heikki Hietanen.
Heikki Hietanen wants to continue as president of the Ice Hockey League. Tomi Natri/AOP
At its fall meeting on November 29, the Swedish Hockey Federation’s federal council elects the chairman of the Swedish Hockey Federation’s federal board for the four-year period 2026–2029.
The union applied for the chairman through an open search, which ended last Monday, November 17.
According to Iltalehti’s information from several sources, only one candidate applied for a position by the deadline. He is the sitting chairman Heikki Hietanen.
Of course, a counter-candidate may still appear at the autumn meeting, but it seems pretty clear that the experienced puck man Hietanen will continue in the most important boss of Finnish hockey until 2029.
At the same time, it is a rather sad situation that almost no one wants to be the country’s most prominent puck boss. It also partly tells how totally messed up and contentious the ice hockey field is in Finland.
Experience
Leijonat is the number one product of the Ice Hockey League. Pasi Liesimaa
Heikki Hietasen is 66 years old. He has served, among other things, as the CEO of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association in the years 2001–2009, as a member of the International Ice Hockey Association’s board since 2021, and as the general secretary of the 2022 and 2023 world championships organized in Tampere.
Big week
SM-liiga oy will make big decisions at its general meeting on Thursday. AOP / MATTI RAIVIO
Next week will be very interesting in Finnish hockey.
On Thursday, SM-liiga oy will hold its general meeting, where it will be decided on the future number of teams in the SM-liiga, the series model, the income distribution of the playoffs and other important matters. It seems that the 16 members of the SM league do not agree on anything in principle.
It is also possible that no series model presented at the general meeting will get the necessary two-thirds majority behind it and the SM League will end up continuing with the same series model as is currently being played. It would be a very damaging decision for Finnish top hockey.
On Saturday, it’s time to elect the president of the Ice Hockey Association.