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Liiga opens its 2026-2027 season with one detail that changes a lot: Jokerit is back in Finland’s top flight. The championship begins this September 1 with 17 teams, a packed opening day and a sense of historical redemption for the Helsinki club. Between Ilves’s ambition, Tappara’s stature and the return of a name that draws crowds, the Finnish season opener deserves more than a cursory glance.
A Return That Goes Beyond Helsinki
Its license for the 2026-2027 season was approved in February, alongside those of the other clubs, officially bringing the field to 17 teams.
Jokerit is not returning merely to add another line to the schedule. The club is rejoining the national top division after a long spell away from Liiga, with everything that entails: public expectations, media pressure, more closely watched road trips and local rivalries to rebuild. Its license for the 2026-2027 season was approved in February, alongside those of the other clubs, officially bringing the field to 17 teams.
The symbolism is powerful for Finnish hockey. Jokerit remains a major, sometimes divisive brand, but one that is difficult to ignore. Its return puts Helsinki back at the center of the national narrative, especially with the upcoming derbies against HIFK. The first of these meetings is scheduled for October 8, a date that will quickly carry more weight than its simple status as a regular-season game.
An Opening Night Already Packed
The opening day offers seven simultaneous matchups at 15:30 UTC. Jokerit begins on the road against Sport, while Lukko hosts Ilves and SaiPa takes on Tappara. The schedule has the merit of immediately setting up the contrasts: a highly exposed promoted side, established contenders and teams looking to take advantage of a still-open start to the season.
Ilves arrives with the label of logical favorite, built on sporting continuity and a recent ability to remain near the top of the standings. Tappara, the defending champion, retains the weight of precedent: as long as it shows no signs of fatigue, no one can truly count it out. Jokerit, meanwhile, enters a more uncomfortable category. The club attracts attention, but it still has to turn its return into points, and summer speeches block no shot while shorthanded.
The Long Season Will Judge the Promises
Jokerit’s schedule says a lot about the challenge ahead. After the trip to Sport, the club follows it with another road game at Lukko on September 5, then a trip to Ässät on September 9. Its first home Liiga game will not come until September 17 against JYP, at Veikkaus Arena. In other words, the return will begin on the road, in arenas where the reception is unlikely to resemble a guard of honor.
This gradual entry could be useful if Jokerit absorbs the pace of play well. It could also become treacherous if the early results create doubt before the homecoming celebration. In a 17-team league, the standings margins are read differently: every losing streak is costly, and every point taken away from home may matter in the spring.
A Denser, More Readable Liiga
The appeal of this season also lies in its sporting clarity. With Jokerit, the championship gains a clear storyline, easy to follow even for those who do not watch Liiga every week. But the trap would be to reduce the year to this return alone. Ilves wants to confirm its status, Tappara is defending its standing, Lukko could quickly serve as a full-scale test, and several mid-table clubs know that a transitional season sometimes opens unexpected doors.
For Marcelito, that is precisely what makes the story interesting: this is not an exotic curiosity, but a major European championship beginning with a new balance of power. The first few weeks will show whether Jokerit is merely a magnet for memories or already a genuine disruptor. The game against Sport will begin to provide the answer, without excessive fanfare: a faceoff, three periods, and a comeback to prove from the very first battles along the boards.