Topi Nättinen talks about the problem of racism in hockey

Racist The behavior is rampant in Finnish junior ice hockey.

The matter became clear when HS investigated Disciplinary decisions of the Ice Hockey Association for the fall of 2024.

In total, during the first half of the this season, the Finnish junior series was given 24 penalties for cases where the junior player had used a racist language at the match. In some cases, a player injured did not have an ethnic background corresponding to the insult.

The racist act was the reason for more than one in four decisions made by the Disciplinary Board.

“It’s pretty stopping when you hear that reading. Sad. Each case is definitely too much, ”a former league hockey player, later known as YLE’s expert Topi Nättinen says.

“The first thing to do with the first thing that is on the field itself is that everything that has been talked about there are not the judges, officers, coaches or other players,” Nättinen continues.

Thus, the reality in Finnish hockey’s racism problem is very likely to be much uglier than reported.

“Players also have a very different threshold to report such cases. Do you dare to say it? And if you think about hockey as an atmosphere of the sport, you will definitely miss and report things, ”Nättinen says, referring to the” guy culture “that belonged to hockey for ages and times.

About disciplinary decisions It turns out that, very young children in the trough are used by gross racist tongue. For example, a 12-year-old series had been barking at another “fucking negro”.

“Ice hockey is still a kind of machining and dude, being a hard guy. Many young people think they get appreciation with it, ”says Nättinen.

“No 11 or 12-year-olds can blame this. In their upbringing and guidance, there is a failed in this regard if they end up in such solutions. They are so young children that somewhere else is the reason. ”

Nättinen feels that ice hockey culture has evolved into a more open and better direction in recent years. But since the back trip has been great, the journey is still bad.

Nättinen hopes that operating models in the hockey Alliance will develop further to reduce racism cases.

“Certain cases have shown in recent years that there have still been problems with the protocol. For example, in terms of interruption of games, who is punished and who is not. ”

Junior hockey players have most often been banned from racist language. Nättinen does not feel that things are just changing with play bans.

“Of course, I understand that the ban is the easiest and most sensible way to make, but I would see that in addition, a training session for the responsible coach and parents should also be organized. ”

“I’m not saying that the ban on the game has its place or meaning in this chain, but it seems a bit like hey, give a game ban, so it learns. History shows that stucking people in prison has not been improved alone in the world. In addition, at least one should come up with some education, ”ways to understand.

What Other ways to eradicate racism in hockey could then be?

In Nättinen’s opinion, the very primary issue is to raise awareness and complete zero tolerance.

“We clearly go through where the boundaries go. Trained coaches. For example, clubs are required to organize events in coaches training related to racism and its weeding. It is not enough to send an email and advise you to cheer, ”Nättinen says.

“The means of reporting and lowering the threshold for racism should also be considered.”

A couple of a year ago, in the public eye, there was an uproar about a racism of Finnish junior hockey. It also revealed something about the umbrella organization’s operating practices.

“When you are talking about racism -related issues, people who understand what this phenomenon is all about.”

“Because I feel that people who have come to talk about the hockey association, for example, have tried to wash their own nest and have not understood how serious this is,” Nättinen says.