IL: A huge surprise is brewing behind the scenes - A new club in the league?

Kiekko-Vantaa could consider applying for a league license if the team wins the Mestis championship in the spring.

The league’s board has stated that the Mestis champion or Jokerit’s final opponent can apply for a spot in the league for the next season. Previously, Joensuun Kiekko-Pojat and Rovaniemen Kiekko (RoKi) have expressed interest in a league spot, but both teams’ seasons ended in the quarterfinals.

Thus, the possible application for a league license now concerns the four remaining teams in Mestis. Jokerit will play in the league next season regardless, so potential applicants would be Kiekko-Vantaa, Ketterä, and Iisalmen Peli-Karhut (IPK).

Kiekko-Vantaa’s chairman Anssi Aura revealed to Iltalehti that the team has not ruled out the possibility.

– In that case, we would need to have serious discussions with both the owners and stakeholders. We are not ruling out any options at this point, Aura hints.

However, Aura emphasizes that the team’s original plans have been related to the B-league.

– The starting point is that we have been preparing with the B-league in mind. Now the games have gone perhaps even better than expected, and the application window is open until the end of April. We will assess the situation, Aura says.

IPK has previously announced that it does not intend to apply for a league spot. Meanwhile, Ketterä from Imatra has not yet made a final decision on the matter.

The Mestis semifinals will start on Saturday. The matchups are Jokerit vs. Kiekko-Vantaa and IPK vs. Ketterä.