New man in, flop had to go – Jokerit made a tough decision

The Jokerit, who started the 2026–27 season poorly, will face Tappara on Saturday. A new man will be in goal for the Helsinki team.

The starting goalkeeper for Jokerit will be Tomi Karhunen, who joined the team on a short-term contract on Friday. Lukas Selin, loaned from Kiekko-Vantaa, will serve as the backup goalkeeper.

Karhunen was brought to Jokerit after Olle Eriksson Ek was injured in Wednesday’s match against JYP. The Swedish goalkeeper will miss Saturday’s game.

However, the most interesting situation is behind Karhunen. Veini Vehviläinen is not in the Jokerit lineup and will watch the Tappara game from the stands. The reason for his absence is unknown, and he has not been reported as injured.

The situation is harsh for Vehviläinen. With a save percentage of 82.8 and a new goalkeeper starting in his first possible game, there is no place for him even on the bench.

The question is: is Vehviläinen’s time at Jokerit coming to an end? Currently, the Finnish goalkeeper’s position looks anything but strong.

Selin’s loan agreement from Kiekko-Vantaa covers only Saturday’s game against Tappara. Karhunen, on the other hand, now has the task of stabilizing Jokerit’s goaltending.

Jokerit has only one point from their first four games. Tappara, on the other hand, has started their season with one win and two losses.

Saturday’s game is also part of a seven-game Liiga round. Jokerit and Tappara will meet at 17:00.