The possible return of the Jokers to the domestic leagues has spoken to the puck crowd.
– I hope from the bottom of my heart that the Jokers will be returned to the SM league as soon as possible, Jere Karalahti said at the media conference of the Finnish Sports Federation on Wednesday.
At the time of the interview, the line published by the League on Thursday was not yet known, according to which it closes the license process to applications from outside the League for the 2023–24 season and said that the route to the League goes through Mestis.
The return of the Jokers to the League can therefore take place in the 2024–25 season at the earliest.
Karalahti spoke emotionally about it.
– Jokerit brings so much more. It brings back the fight for Stad dominance. In the old days, at least a couple of weeks before the IFK–Jokerit game, a buzz started in the workplaces, and it continued to grind in the workplaces for a couple of weeks after the game. That game day was quite a diamond for the players as well, Karalahti, who represented both Helsinki clubs in his playing career, remembers.
– Jokerit attracts audiences in the provinces as well. I don’t understand if some clubs or decision-makers think negatively about the Jokers. Jokerit belongs to the SM league and brings interest.
Despite the possible return of the Jokers – or the rise of Kiekko-Espoo – Karalahti would reduce the number of teams in the League.
– There are starting to be too many teams, and because of that the level suffers.
Benefit from KHL
According to Jere Karalahti, the current number of 15 league teams is too much and should be reduced on some schedule. Jussi Eskola
The Jokerit left the SM league in 2014 and played in the KHL until last winter and the war of aggression that Russia started in Ukraine.
Karalahti sees the club’s KHL campaign having served Finnish hockey.
– There, many players got to experience incredible moments and experience the hardness of that series.
– It propelled Finland to these championships. Without KHL players, Finland’s level would hardly have been sufficient. Without the Jokerit going to the KHL, I don’t think Finland would be an Olympic champion and world champion now, Karalahti insists.
In the future, the importance of the KHL in national team activities will decrease, when Russia is out and other countries are not gathering their teams from the ruble league.
Battle of the stars
The Finnish Sports Association SUL will organize next weekend 3.-4. In connection with the Finland-Sweden track and field match to be held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in September, the 60-meter running competition, where on Saturday evening 3.9. well-known faces from the public and social media crouch on the starting stands.
Competing in the men’s 60 meters Kari Kanala, Tero Tiittanen, Jeffrey Lawman, Jari Sorsa, Kaj Kunnas, Aleksi Seppänen, Janne Saarinen and Jere Karalahti.
Competing in the women’s 60 meters Baba Lybeck, Noora Fagerström, Alina Voronkova, Maria Kuusiluma, Anna-Liisa Bergström, Kipa Tiivola and Josefina Lahtinen.