Jokerit

Helsingin Jokerit (Finnish pronunciation: ˈjokerit, English: Jokers or Jesters of Helsinki) is a professional ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland, which competes in Mestis. For the 2023–24 season, Jokerit plays its home games at the Keravan jäähalli in Kerava and at the Helsinki Ice Hall in Helsinki. Founded in 1967, the team has a rich history of success, having secured six league championships as a prominent member of the Finnish SM-liiga in the years 1973, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, and 2002. Additionally, Jokerit has three European championships to its name, having triumphed in the IIHF European Cup in 1994 and 1995, as well as the IIHF Continental Cup in 2003. From the 2014–15 season onwards, Jokerit became part of the Bobrov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) Western Conference, marking Finland as the first Nordic country to have a team competing in this international league. However, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Jokerit made the decision to withdraw from the 2022 KHL playoffs. This move was followed by the termination of several team sponsor and supplier contracts, including the home arena's name rights holder Hartwall, as a response to the invasion. As a result, on 5 April 2022, Jokerit officially announced their departure from the KHL and their decision to withdraw from the league entirely.