Imatran Ketterä's Appeal Rejected, Liiga to Start Season with 17 Teams

Finland's Sports Arbitration Board (Urheilun oikeusturvalautakunta) dismissed Imatran Ketterä's appeal against the Liiga licensing committee's decision to deny the club a top‑tier licence. The board ruled that the committee acted within its discretion and that Ketterä failed to satisfy several licensing criteria, most notably the 1,300‑seat capacity of its home arena and required financial standards. Consequently, Liiga will commence the new season in early September with 17 clubs, while Ketterä will compete in the second‑tier Mestis, opening its campaign against Kiekko‑Vantaa. Club CEO Carlo Grünn described the outcome as disappointing but accepted the decision. The arbitration panel was chaired by Timo Ojala, with vice‑chair Kristiina Rintala and members Mikko Kohtala and Terhi Kytö participating in the ruling.