A journey to hockey's scariest place

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This area is freely accessible. But no one goes there anymore. It's as if this place is cursed. The depressing story of a famous sports temple in the ice hockey city of Helsinki.

Klaus Zager, Helsinki

Imagine that the “Swiss Life Arena” in Zurich is closed for political reasons and everyone has to move to the old Hallenstadion. Crazy. But that's exactly what happened in Helsinki.

A ghostly scene, like something out of a dark sci-fi movie, set against the concrete backdrop of a sunken city. “Helsinki Harry” (Hartwall Arena built in 2014) is a wonderful, ultra-modern temple of hockey and entertainment that is now abandoned and showing signs of decay. Somehow this feels like the scariest place in hockey on the planet.

Weeds bravely sprouted in the cracks of the concrete slabs. All entrances are locked and nameplates have been removed. No one is there. No staff. The parking space is empty. Power and water have been cut off for some time and there are fears the arena will be damaged. Even the official website (https://helsinkihalli.fi/) is no longer accessible.

Entrances are barricaded and locked.Image: Klaus Zager, Watson

This place is deserted. It was like he was cursed. The entrance to the training hall is carved into the rock of the basement, reminding us of a bunker from the Redout period (1940-1945) in the Gotthard Mountains, which had long been abandoned by our army.

How could a state-of-the-art hockey rink in one of the world’s hockey capitals be locked, boarded up, or even quietly collapsing?

Image: Klaus Zager, Watson

This is the war in Ukraine. In 2014, Gennady Timchenko became a member of the group along with brothers Arkadi and Boris Rotenberg, three Russian oligarchs. The company's major shareholder. The outbreak of the war in Ukraine led to the blockade of all Russian commercial activities in Finland: the owners of the “Helsinki Harry” could neither pay their bills nor collect payments.

For political reasons, a sale is now no longer possible. The city of Helsinki is trying to legally end the blockade, confiscate the Russian owners and take over the stadium. Since Finland is also a constitutional country, this process may take at least six months.

Rene Fassel's comments were not without their explosive and controversial nature. The former president of the international association almost certainly has some insight into this sad event. He lives in Switzerland and Moscow and is now a member of the KHL leadership, regularly dines with Igor Larionov, looks after KHL referees and initiates a new interpretation of the rules: In the KHL, players no longer A goal is allowed to stand behind one's own referee. He must move on. And clamping discs to boards is no longer allowed.

René Fasel said of the events surrounding Helsinki's sports temple: “There are a lot of strange deals happening with Finnish investors and Finnish associations, so we would rather keep silent about it: OK, we will Be silent about it. “It's better not to think about it.

The closure of the arena also led to personal drama. Helsinki Clowns hold their home games here. The six-time Finnish champions were the only Finnish team to move to the KHL in 2014. The war in Ukraine not only led to the financial collapse of the popular club, which now plays in Finland's second-highest league. Jokerit manager Jari Kurri (64) was the first Finnish NHL superstar and multiple Stanley Cup champion, and may be the greatest Finnish player in history. Now he has completely fallen out of favor.

Not only did he no longer answer the call of foreign chroniclers. Even his Finnish friends complained that he was no longer available and was holed up either in the suburb of Espoo outside Helsinki or in Spain. Roger Federer has almost fallen out of favor with us.

Parking spaces are provided for the large number of visitors, but no one comes.Image: Klaus Zager, Watson

The unfortunate thing about Jari Kurri is that, as Jokerit's manager, he represented the move to the KHL and was part of the KHL front office. History's verdict is stronger than the greatest sporting glory: Finland won independence from Russia more than a hundred years ago, drove out communism in a bloody civil war, then held on through another war against the Soviet Union became independent. All ties to Russia smell of brimstone as the threatening neighbor returns to bellicose politics. Border crossings to Russia remain closed. Gone are the “beautiful days” when we could take a train from Helsinki to Leningrad for a day trip.

“Helsinki Harry” at the suburban Pasila train station (the “Swiss Life Arena” at Altstetten station has equally favorable traffic conditions) opened in 1997 and has a capacity of around 13,500 fans. The oval-shaped architectural work of art is 133 meters long, 103 meters wide and 32.55 meters high.

This now fascinating “ghost arena” is also a memorial to our hockey culture: here, our U20 youth team led by Bill Gilligan and Alfred Bohren On January 2, 1998, the team defeated the Czech Republic 4-3 and won the bronze medal after a penalty shootout. This was the first medal in the modern era. From this day on, Switzerland began to return to the ranks of the world's elite. Fifteen years later, defender Julien Vauclair was even named an All-Star at the 2013 Silver Medal World Cup.

On May 12, 2012, we lost 2-4 to France and missed the World Cup quarter-finals. Rene Fassel, then president of the International Federation (IIHF), sang “La Marseillaise” with the French in the dressing room. A year later we were still in the World Cup final and Rene Fassel presented the silver medal.

The chronicler walked several times around the arena. The emptiness and cold wind heighten the feeling of being in an eerie and enchanting place. But he has not given up hope of coming here again. Play hockey in a more peaceful world.

PS The Calgary Cup matches with Finland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Switzerland will take place this weekend – just like the 2022 World Cup – not at the closed “Helsinki Harry”, but again at the old “Helsinki Ice” Helsingin Jäähalli” (“Helsingin Jäähalli”), opened in 1966. ) compete on Olympic venues. It has seating capacity of only 8,200. But with the charm of Brockenstuben.

• 7

  A leader who can decide games and make his team better on and off the ice.

• 6-7

  A talented player who can decide a game on a good night and is a leader.

• 5-6

  A good NL player: usually a rainbow butterfly of talent, sometimes a serious worker who brings out a lot of talent.

• 4-5

  Players on the third or fourth block, veterans or newcomers.

• 3-4

  The future is still ahead of you, or the future is already behind you.

• The rating is the North American hockey grading standard, ranging from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). There is no level lower than 3, because it is at least almost enough for those playing in the top leagues.

November 7, 1896: In American college sports, there is a tradition of pranks being played at the expense of archrivals. Sometimes they degrade—like Auburn a hundred years ago, which was prone to train wrecks.

Auburn University in Alabama is approximately 180 kilometers away from Georgia Tech in neighboring Atlanta, Georgia. By American standards, that's a stone's throw today. In 1896, however, travel was more arduous; the distance was equivalent to traveling halfway around the world.