The Helsinki Jokers had to practice in the new practice ice rink in Herttoniemi. It was the other way around.
Jokers’ exercises were moved to another hall. Elmeri Elo / All Over Press
Helsinki Jokerit is currently preparing for the upcoming Mestis season.
The Joker’s representative team was supposed to practice in the new training ice hall in Herttoniemi on Tuesday, but it turned out differently.
Jokerit was not satisfied with the condition of the ice. He was the first to report on the matter in Finland Helsinki News.
– Their message was that they don’t want the ice to be soft and uneven. They don’t want to risk at all that someone would skate into a groove or something like that, CEO of Helsingin Jäähallit oy Tom Kivimäki tells.
– I think it’s okay, but the ice wasn’t unusable, and it wasn’t that you couldn’t train there. All other hall users, including figure skaters, have practiced in the hall. The jokers stated that the ice is too soft for them, he continues.
The Jokers did not practice on the ice at all on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Jokerit practiced at the Vuosaari ice rink.
Sports Director of the Jokers Olli-Pekka Yrjänheikin according to her, the ice in Herttoniemi was “ok in condition”.
– Our juniors practiced there in the evening. The ice was just a little uneven and as a precaution we did this so that there would be no injuries due to something like this. The city of Helsinki helped us. We got to Vuosaari to train in the morning and from there the team traveled to Imatra.
Jokerit will face Ketterä in a practice match at Imatra on Wednesday.
New hall
Herttoniemi’s training ice rink is completely new and the ice was only received in the rink on Sunday of last week.
On Monday, the first drawings were skated on it. The official opening of the hall is on September 14.
– When such a facility is put into operation, it always involves technical adjustments. It’s about nothing more than moisture management. The hall is humid, and the ice is not the same as in a hall where the hall has been in operation for a long time and the humidity has been completely removed, Kivimäki opens.
– This was even expected when the new hall was opened. There is ice, and from the side of the city of Helsinki, everything has been taken care of just fine. It was just a precaution on our part, not to go on the ice when there is fresh ice and the work with the air conditioning is still at a stage and fine-tuning, says Yrjänheikki.
Joker’s plan is to train in Herttoniemi on Thursday. Yrjänheikki emphasizes that it was only an isolated case, and there was no drama involved.
– We trust that the ice will have thickened and leveled on Thursday. I was told that the fine adjustment of the air conditioning was influenced by the fact that it was so humid there and because of that it was difficult to get the ice smooth, Yrjänheikki says and continues:
– We are very pleased to be able to enter the new training hall and its surroundings. And we are really satisfied with the kind of facilities we get for the players and coaching.
Great attention
Jokerit postponed the exercises as a precaution. Elmeri Elo / All Over Press
Helsingin Uutiset was the first in Finland to report on Jokeri’s canceled training.
Kivimäki marvels at the attention the news has received.
– This has now got some pretty big boots on it. It’s not nearly as dramatic.
– For some reason, this has now taken on incomprehensible proportions. This is completely normal. Whenever the ice rink is put into use after the summer and when the weather conditions are damn hot outside, it always takes a few weeks for the automatic system to know how to remove it, he concludes.
Jokerit opens its Mestis season on September 21, when it faces Kiekko-Espoo.
Olli-Pekka Yrjänheikki works as the sports director of the Jokers. JOONA RISSANEN