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Finnish Ice Hockey Club Ketterä Denied Promotion to SM-liiga After Appeal Rejection
🇫🇮 Finland /Sports

Finnish Ice Hockey Club Ketterä Denied Promotion to SM-liiga After Appeal Rejection

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • The Finnish Ice Hockey Federation's appeals committee rejected Imatran Ketterä's appeal to join the SM-liiga.
  • The committee upheld the SM-liiga's licensing committee's decision to deny Ketterä's application due to perceived shortcomings in finances and arena conditions.
  • Ketterä, which finished second in the Mestis league, argued it met the licensing criteria and was not treated equally.

Imatran Ketterä will not be promoted to the Finnish men's ice hockey SM-liiga for the 2026-27 season. The Sports Appeals Committee on Friday rejected the club's appeal in a 3-1 vote. The committee found that the SM-liiga's licensing committee acted within its rules when it denied Ketterä's application in May. The appeals committee also stated that the licensing committee's decision complies with competition law.

Ketterä had appealed, claiming unequal treatment during the licensing process. However, the committee found no substantiated evidence to support this claim. The club had sought a league spot after finishing second in the Mestis league, behind Jokerit. Ketterä maintained it met all the conditions for a league license, but the licensing committee cited deficiencies in areas such as finances and arena facilities.

The decision means Ketterä will remain in the Mestis league, while the SM-liiga will proceed with its existing teams for the upcoming season, which begins September 1.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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