“Hockey should not be played with a share, but with a license,” Timo Everi, who left HIFK’s chairmanship, said earlier.
Tampere
Jokers chairman Mikko Saarni and chairman of Kiekko-Espoo Amy Rubinstein like Timo Everin view of separating the league license and the league membership system as a viable idea.
Everi, who left HIFK’s chairmanship in the fall, proposed the matter in an interview with Sanoma this week. In Ever’s opinion, tough financial risks are required from those looking to move up from Mesti.
“The membership and license system of the SM league should be completely separated from each other. Ice hockey should not be played with a share but with a license,” says Everi.
Read more: Former HIFK boss Timo Everi proposes a radical reform: “Ice hockey should not be played with shares”
Jokers Saarni agrees with Ever. Jokerit is not looking for the League for next season, but will continue in Mesti, but in the longer term the goal is in the League.
“That’s probably a pretty good idea, how could the matter be dismantled and solved. I know that Timo has thought about it a lot and seen it for many years”, Saarni agrees with Ever’s proposal.
Kiekko-Espoon’s Rubinstein, who submitted a license application to the League for next year, emphasizes that the license and the league share must be thought of as separate issues.
“I think the license issue is primary: whether the criteria are met and whether it is possible to play in the League. It’s a separate question, what the share price is,” says Rubinstein.
The value of the league share is estimated at around 3.6 million euros. Rubinstein says that the price sounds high in principle.
“When it comes to the League’s stock, then it is the League’s task to determine how the matter is viewed. From our point of view, the price must be fair and justified. At the same time, you have to look at how the definition of the price affects possible future risers,” says Rubinstein.
League announced in October that the qualifiers would return in the 2024–25 season. From then on, the best in Mesti and the weakest in the League play a qualifying series, the winner of which plays in the next season in the League.
When the qualification is played between two different league levels, Mestis must invest heavily in the team in order to successfully challenge the league club.
Jokerien Saarni supports a model with a direct faller and riser.
“I think that would be a reasonable model. It would guarantee that certain types of changes would occur every year. Then it’s easier to implement them in one direction and the other,” says Saarni.
Rubinstein does not comment on individual issues related to the series system, such as direct relegation or the number of teams. Rubinstein announces that the effects of the renewal will be extensively reviewed.
“We have to think about what the league model means for different league and Mestis clubs and how that model works as a whole. I fully believe in the competitive side, but, for example, just by correcting the number of teams, we won’t be able to solve all the challenges,” says Rubinstein.
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