The KHL will be down to 22 teams for the 2022-23 season, announcing today that both Jokerit and Dinamo Riga will no longer take part. Jokerit had already withdrawn from this year’s playoffs after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Just a few years ago in 2016-17, the KHL hit a peak of 29 teams. That number has been reduced again, removing many opportunities from the league and potentially leading even more players to pursue jobs elsewhere around the world.
It is not clear if Jokerit will re-join Liiga in Finland for next season. The team has only announced that club president Jari Kurri has left his position on the KHL board of directors, and will announce future plans “as soon as possible.” The club made the move from Liiga to the KHL in 2014, and was quite successful during its time there. Making the playoffs every season, it was one of the teams to abandon the postseason in 2020 due to COVID concerns and first to withdraw this year.
Riga meanwhile has been in the KHL since the club was re-founded in 2008, but had failed to qualify for the postseason in each of the last eight years. It is not at all clear what will happen next for the Latvian club, or if they will play at all in 2022-23.
The right choice. Commendable and good luck to both organizations.
The only choice
Jokerit will re-join SM-Liiga, according to a certain Finnish HHOF
Heh, wonder if SM-liiga would take Riga as well.