History was made this April as Jyväskylä's JYP ice hockey team won its first Finnish championship. After finishing first in the regular season standings, JYP went on to win the championship by defeating the defending champions Oulun Kärpät in four straight games in the playoff finals. The win by a club long regarded as small, modest and humble led to ecstatic celebrations in Jyväskylä and throughout the region. The feeling of shared victory culminated in a championship celebration organised in the centre of Jyväskylä on April 17 which brought together an estimated ten thousand people.
"With all the negative news we have heard regarding the economy, I think that winning a sports championship can give a community something to be proud of," says Kevin Manninen, Manager of Business Development at Jyväskylä Innovation.
"I moved to Jyväskylä 14 years ago and this is the first time that the city has had a reason to really get excited about its hockey team. I think that JYP winning the championship has also brought a cooperative spirit to Jyväskylä. It's a great example of what can be accomplished by providing support and working together as a team. That team includes the players, coaches, management, corporate sponsors, and of course the fans," Manninen says.
By Timo Sillanpää