Story Summary
Jussi Markkanen has stepped down as Liiga’s sports director with immediate effect after three full seasons in the role. He will continue to assist Liiga’s office on sporting matters in a background capacity until his successor is chosen.
Markkanen began as Liiga sports director in August 2023. He said the time had come to move aside and described the league-format reform as being in a good position for the next office-holder to begin with a clean slate.
Liiga chief executive Mikko Pulkkinen will take on the sports director’s duties alongside the management group during the transition. An open recruitment process for the new sports director is due to begin later, with the aim of making an appointment after the turn of the year.
Key Facts
- Jussi Markkanen has left his role as Liiga sports director with immediate effect.
- Markkanen will remain available in a background role to support Liiga’s office on sporting matters until a successor is selected.
- He completed three full seasons as sports director after beginning the role in August 2023.
- Mikko Pulkkinen, Liiga’s chief executive, will handle the sports director’s responsibilities with the management group during the interim period.
- Liiga plans to launch an open search for Markkanen’s successor later, with the target of selecting the new sports director after the turn of the year.
- Pulkkinen credited Markkanen’s tenure with reforms to Liiga’s officiating and situation room, new monitoring systems, and the integration of data and technology into daily work.
IHM Discussion
This is a leadership transition rather than a complete immediate departure. Markkanen has relinquished the formal sports director position, but his continued background involvement gives Liiga a period of continuity while it recruits.
His three-season spell covered substantial work on the league’s sporting structures. Markkanen pointed in particular to the state of the league-format reform, while Pulkkinen identified changes in officiating, the situation room, monitoring systems, and the use of data and technology as areas of progress.
The interim arrangement places responsibility with Pulkkinen and Liiga’s management group until the recruitment process reaches a conclusion. It also allows the incoming sports director to take over an established portfolio rather than arriving during an abrupt vacancy.
Why It Matters
The sports director’s remit sits at the heart of Liiga’s sporting administration. With league-format reform and operational changes already under way, the next appointment will inherit responsibility for work that Markkanen and the organisation say has been developed across the past three seasons.
For now, Liiga has set out a defined bridge: Pulkkinen and the management group will oversee the duties, while Markkanen remains available to assist on sporting matters. That structure is intended to cover the period before the new appointment is made.
Mini Q&A
Why has Jussi Markkanen left the Liiga sports director role?
Markkanen said the time had come for him to step aside. He added that the league-format reform was in a good position and that his successor could start with a clean slate.
Who will run Liiga’s sporting director duties in the interim?
Liiga chief executive Mikko Pulkkinen will handle the responsibilities together with the management group until a successor is found.
Will Markkanen remain involved with Liiga?
Yes. He will continue in a background role, assisting Liiga’s office on sporting matters until his successor is selected.
What Comes Next
Liiga is set to open its recruitment process for a new sports director later. The organisation’s stated target is to have Markkanen’s successor selected after the turn of the year.