A few weeks after announcing that the team would not be taking part on the KHL playoffs despite qualifying, Finnish team Jokerit has made a decision on whether it will be back in the league next season. According to reports out of Finland, Jokerit will be announcing that it is withdrawing from the Russian-based KHL permanently.
The most likely course of action, according to reports, is returning to the Finnish Elite League (SM-Liiga), where the team won six championships throughout the years, the most recent in 2002.
Jokerit's decision to withdraw from the playoffs was based on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland borders Russia and has long had concerns about having to deal with a potential invasion itself. The two countries have had conflicts in the past, and Finland's mandatory military service for citizens is based on past threats from Russia.
40 percent of the team is owned by Norilsk Nickel, a Russian mining company headquartered in Moscow. Whether that will change with this decision remains to be seen. The other 60 percent of Jokerit belongs to former NHLer Jari Kurri. Jokerit's home stadium, Hartwall Arena, is fully owned by Russian interests and it's highly likely the team will be playing out of a different arena in 2022-23.
Source:
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