Jokerit has decided to end its season rather than appear in the Kontinental Hockey League playoffs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this week.
The Finland-based team was scheduled to face Moscow’s Spartak in the first round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs on March 1. The league said it will revise the Western Conference playoff bracket.
Jari Kurri, the chairman of Jokerit, made the decision to suspend the team’s 2021-22 season and said that “the current global situation” made it impossible to compete in the KHL playoffs.
“My position on the end of the season was clear right on Thursday morning,” Kurri said. “The world is going through really difficult times right now. All our thoughts are with the people suffering from the situation. We hope that a peaceful solution to the situation can be found soon.”
Jokerit has been a member of the KHL since the 2014-15 season and was the second-best team in the Western Conference this season.
“We’re very sorry to lose Jokerit, an excellent and vibrant team, with a recognizable style,” said Alexei Morozov, KHL president. “It’s very unfortunate that the Jokerit’s departure is due not to sporting reasons, but to political ones.”
The move from Jokerit comes amid pressure from its fans and sponsors. Helsinki Jokers fan group “Eteläpääty ry” issued a news release on Feb. 22 that demanded the team withdraw from the KHL. “Continuing the games will cause immeasurable damage to the entire club, which may never be repaired again,” it said.
According to Finnish television station MTV, via YLE, several Jokerit sponsors have announced they are terminating their partnerships with the team. Hartwall, the title sponsor of their arena, has questioned its commitment and cited “Russia’s military actions in Ukraine” as the reason.
Jokerit, based in Helsinki, is one of five KHL teams situated outside of Russia. Dinamo Minsk of Belarus, Dinamo Riga of Latvia, Barys Nur-Sultan of Kazakhstan and Red Star Kunlun of Beijing are the others. Kunlun has played the past two seasons based just outside of Moscow because of the COVID-19 pandemic.