Kiekko-Espoo, who leads the Mest by far, is aiming for a league place for the 2024–25 season.
- In addition to Kiekko-Espo, Jokerit has also expressed its desire to return to the SM league, but it still lacks a Mestis place.
- Kim Hirschovits assures the people of Espoo that the project is progressing well.
– There have been many intermediate goals, but the biggest goal of this whole project has been from the beginning that one day ice hockey at the main league level will be played again in Espoo, director of sports Kim Hirschowitz says.
– The intention is to submit an application next fall.
In the longer term, just participating in the League is not enough for the club.
– The hard work continues. We want to be the leading clubs in Finland and a big club in Europe as well, but one step at a time.
Although the team still plays at the country’s second level, the fact that Kiekko-Espoo is the biggest junior hockey club in Finland provides a basis for dreams and goals.
– It is a great value for us that we have players from Espoo. A large part of the players have their parent club in Espoo or they have at least been in Espoo at some point in their career, Hirschovits states.
He sheds light on the club’s values even more broadly. One of the key ones is “caring togetherness”.
– In the series where we play, we want to be the best place for players to train and be.
– It’s about how we treat people in this company – both employees in the office and players as well as all volunteers. Well-being is important so that they can perform at their maximum and achieve their own goals.
– When we succeed in that, our team usually succeeds as well, Hirschovits points out.
– With that philosophy, we want to take this forward. Every year we strive to build a team that of course has good individuals, but above all good personalities. Those with passion and goals in sync with the club and coaching.
Identity
According to Hirschovits, Kiekko-Espoo has succeeded in this.
– The team has always had such an unyielding spirit that you can see the feeling. During these five years, there have been almost no games where you could say that we didn’t give everything. We cherish that value very much.
Kiekko-Espoo also cherishes its playful identity.
– International puck is fast and active. We have good conditions to train young players in that direction, and we want our national team to play like that.
League criteria
Kim Hirschovits is already building a team with an eye on league promotion. He states that with the league place, the player market would open up for Kiekko-Espo in a completely new way. Vesa Parviainen
In addition to Kiekko-Espo, Jokerit may aim to return to the SM league in the fall of 2024, but its application for a place in the league for next season in Mesti is still at a stage, so to speak.
– At the moment, the information is that you can apply for the League and there are four criteria: the conditions, junior activities and finances must be in order, and you must be credible in terms of sportsmanship.
– We have built our operations on these criteria for several years. I am in charge of the sports side, and we have systematically built to the point that in a year and a half we will be ready for the league in all our operations. We are on schedule and even ahead of schedule, Hirschovits assures.
At least for the time being, the League and the federation have not made a decision that Mesti’s championship would also become a criterion for a league place.
It would fundamentally change Kiekko-Espoo’s next season’s team, which Hirschovits has built with the idea that young and talented players will be developed long-term towards the league level.
Charging everything to win one championship would require a different roster and bigger financial risk-taking, and the championship would still not be certain.
– As far as I understand, it makes sense to build clubs with sports and finances hand in hand. The league certainly wants a stable and smartly built club. That’s how we build this and we don’t show off, Hirschovits says.
– You can buy certain things with money, but they may not last long.