Jokers | HS information: Jokerit plans to apply for a place in Mestis – the puck managers have not heard anything about it

of HS according to the information, the hockey club Jokerit plans to play Mest in a year from now.

The club plans to move up to the League that way. The arrangement would require a shortcut and the use of an overtaking lane.

The ice hockey directors do not confirm the club’s future plans one way or the other. The work is still in progress.

“I can’t open the future yet. That’s why we want the package to be ready when we go public. Then you can ask more detailed questions”, chairman of Jokerit ry Kim Borgström says to HS.

Jokers got into the eye of the media storm at the end of August, when the race started for the Jokeri’s representative team and for the place vacated after the KHL seasons.

The old traditional club was interesting. Keijo Säilynoja and Teemu Selänne gave a face to Naurava Narri, who was ready to buy the rights to run the representative team from Jokerit ry, i.e. the association that runs junior activities. However, the association stopped Nauravan Narri and directed the questioners first Jari Kurrin luokse, who was the main shareholder of Jokerit Hockey Club oy.

Laughing Narri was not willing to buy the club from Jokerit Hockey Club on the terms Kurri told.

Interest grew in background circles and Joel Harkimo unexpectedly announced to Säilynoja and Naurava Narri that he had bought the Jokers. Joel Harkimo has not been secretive about his background financiers or his plans.

The association gave little information about the course of events and handled communication with three bulletins, in which they hoped for peace at work and time to arrange things.

First a hard setback hit the Jokers on the first day of September. The league announced that no licenses will be issued for the 2023-2024 season. And at the same time there was a message that basically the route up goes through Mestis.

Jokerit sent a press release right after, in which the club stated its disappointment, but that it will continue to work to make a comeback. As Borgström said, the package is not ready yet.

Jokers the new project, in which the association is also a partner, is largely based on playing in the former Hartwall arena and thus getting the Pasila arena out of the current ownership.

No one knows how long the arena will remain an empty house, but at least Jokerit has not been in contact with the direction of the Helsinki ice rink.

“We haven’t heard anything, not from anyone,” the ice hall’s CEO Tom Kivimäki says.

There is a crying shortage of ice and free rinks in Helsinki. Kivimäki says that it would be quite a project to adapt the Jokers to the ice rink.

“It would be quite a forceps birth and would have to be done before next summer. In addition, it would require a renovation of about two million to fit another team here. We would have to build other dressing rooms, do new digitalization, and that requires time and money.”

Mesti’s leader Olli Aro says that, according to his information, Jokerit has not been in contact with the second level of puck.

“At this point it is premature to discuss what the possibilities are of getting to Mesti”, says Aro and adds that the route basically goes through the Suomi series.

The route leading to the Finland series can be skipped, but then the matter goes to the CEO of the Jääkieksoliito Sami Kauhanen through to the consideration of the Federal Government and from there to the license committee.

“There has been no communication in the direction of the association,” says Kauhanen of the Ice Hockey League.

Could the Jokers get a seat from Mestis along the passing lane?

“There’s no point in speculating, but you have to be on the move in good time.”

The Pasila arena remains closed, and Kauhanen does not know anything about the attempts to liberate the arena, even though the association owns some kind of part of the arena.

“I am completely dependent on media information,” Kauhanen clarifies.

With Jokers was the date for admission to the League, when the license application had to be submitted by the end of October. Now came a new date. Mesti’s license would have to be applied for in the winter and a decision on the league place would have to be made on 31.3. by the 2023–2024 season.

In addition, you must meet the license conditions, which apply to Mest, like the League.

Kim Borgström suggests that the club would come out of its shell quite soon, in less than a month. It is clear that the Jokers’ calendar has the dates related to Mesti’s back end circled in red.

“You have to be on the move in good time, but no level of representation has come close”, Jääkieksliitto’s competition manager Pirkka Antila says.

Ice hockey Mestis starts on Thursday. Last season’s champion Imatran Ketterä and Kiekko-Espoo will meet in the opening match.