If Jokerit plays in Mestis next season, the team may appear for a few games at the Helsinki ice hall on Nordenskiöldinkatu.
The Helsinki ice rink is the home of HIFK. In the future, there will possibly also be Jokers. TOMI NATRI / AOP
Jokerien’s men’s representative team is looking for a place to play next season in Mestis with the support of a new group of owners.
A new company is now operating in the background. There are owners at this point Ossi VäänänenTeuvo Teräväinen, Esa Lindell, Mikko SaarniMarkus Selin, Timo Mäkelä, Max Seeck and Jokerit ry.
The place for the team next season is open. Negotiations behind the scenes are ongoing. Alternatives include Espoo Metro-arena, Kerava, Vantaa, “Nordis” and in theory also Helsinki-halli, the former Hartwall-arena.
The last one, however, only in case the arena gets a new owner.
This week, Iltalehti asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs whether the exemption application required for the sale of Helsinki Hall’s shares is included. There isn’t, so the arena store is not very close.
The main owners of the hall, Gennadi Timčenko and Roman Rotenberg, own all the C series shares of the hall company through Arena Events Oy. They entitle more than 90 percent of the voting rights. The duo is on the US sanctions list and Timchenko is also on the EU sanctions list.
The Jokerit gets a one-season exception to play outside of their hometown in Helsinki.
Where is the Joker’s home?
Producer Markus Selin somewhat unexpectedly also went into the hockey business. KIMMO BRANDT / AOP
The Jokerit needs a league place in Mestis from the Jääkieksoliito board, and after that a Mestis license.
If these things happen, the Jokerit will play next season in Mestis, and the team might play a few matches in the Helsinki ice hall, i.e. in the home cave of the beloved HIFK.
– Jarmo Koskinen (CEO of the Joker’s background company) has approached us to ask if it would be possible for the Joker’s to play a few games at the Helsinki Ice Hall in the 2023–24 season. He has also inquired about the possibility of the Jokers playing there in the 2024–25 season, says the CEO of the Ice Field Foundation, which owns the hall Tom Kivimäki For Iltalehti.
– Technically, it is possible to play with us next season. However, the event calendar is very full. If they were to come there, we will determine the game days and times, Kivimäki continues.
The city of Helsinki and the Ice Skating Foundation require a transparent opening of Jokeri’s funding before hall shifts can be agreed upon.
This is what the city said in its announcement on January 16.