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🇫🇮 Finland /Sports

Part-owner Valtteri Bottas backs Pelicans despite financial problems

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Valtteri Bottas, who owns about 10% of Pelicans’ operating company, said he does not fear for the club’s future or his investment.
  • Pelicans recorded combined losses of more than 1 million euros in 2024 and 2025, but plans to raise its player budget for the coming season.
  • Bottas said the club needs better sporting results and has his full support.

Valtteri Bottas says he is not worried about Pelicans, even though the Finnish ice hockey club has suffered heavy losses and delayed its latest financial statements.

Broadly speaking, I am not worried about the club’s future. There is no immediate threat of bankruptcy.

· Valtteri BottasBottas assessed Pelicans’ financial position.

Bottas, who grew up in Nastola near Lahti, owns about 10% of Lahden Pelicans Oy, the company that runs the SM-liiga team. Pelicans lost more than 1 million euros combined in 2024 and 2025. The club said in June that its latest accounts would show a deficit of several hundred thousand euros, and its owners provided hundreds of thousands of euros in fresh capital as part of efforts to stabilize the club.

Speaking at the Formula One paddock in Monza, Bottas dismissed concerns about an immediate crisis. “Broadly speaking, I am not worried about the club’s future. There is no immediate threat of bankruptcy,” he told Helsingin Sanomat. Asked whether he was concerned about his investment, he replied: “No.”

No.

· Valtteri BottasHe answered when asked whether he was worried about his investment in the club.

Pelicans plans to increase its player budget for the league’s so-called super season by 200,000 euros to 2.6 million euros. Bottas acknowledged the weak financial figures but said the club also needs stronger sporting results to make its operations successful.

The further you go in the playoffs, the more home games you get and the better attendance becomes. We know there is a lot of work to do. I am not worried, and the club has my full support.

· Valtteri BottasBottas described the financial importance of playoff success and reaffirmed his backing for Pelicans.

The club’s total costs will reach 11.26 million euros, the sixth-highest figure in the SM-liiga. A new revenue-sharing arrangement allows teams to keep their playoff ticket income, giving deeper playoff runs greater financial value. “The further you go in the playoffs, the more home games you get and the better attendance becomes,” Bottas said. “We know there is a lot of work to do. I am not worried, and the club has my full support.” He also said he was not concerned about Pelicans being relegated to the B division after the league restructuring, adding: “I always think positively.”

I always think positively.

· Valtteri BottasHe rejected concerns about possible relegation after the league restructuring.
About this summary

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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