Story Summary
Pelicans chief executive Juuso Pulliainen has set out the scale of the financial problems he encountered after taking up the role in April, saying two tables were covered with thick piles of largely unopened debt-collection letters.
The Lahti club has sustained heavy losses over a prolonged period, although Pulliainen believes its direction is improving under new leadership. He said the owners capitalised the company during the summer to address a culture in which the organisation owed money in many directions.
Pulliainen had previously worked as Pelicans’ partnership manager before becoming chief executive. His earlier hockey-business experience included work as a player agent and consulting roles with Swedish clubs on team-building, hockey operations, sales and marketing.
Pelicans are still working through their financial position, but Pulliainen said the debt-collection letters no longer cover the office tables. The club’s immediate objective is to stabilise its finances during the current year and improve a weak credit rating sufficiently to become a possible borrower for financial institutions.
Key Facts
- Juuso Pulliainen became Pelicans’ chief executive in April after previously serving as the club’s partnership manager.
- Pulliainen said Pelicans’ owners capitalised the company during the summer as the club addressed outstanding debts.
- Pelicans’ turnover rose from €7 million to €12 million in a few years while office staffing did not grow and instead declined.
- Pulliainen said a review of hockey-side spending has cut more than €300,000 in costs.
- All rink advertising was sold at the start of the season, while almost all shirt-advertising space was also sold.
- Pulliainen said corporate sales are at the level of Pelicans’ best years, or slightly ahead of it.
- Pelicans’ corporate sales were €600,000 to €800,000 below the previous year after the club played a relegation series against Jokerit in spring 2025.
- Pulliainen said Pelicans would make a loss if the club does not reach the play-offs.
IHM Discussion
The account from Pulliainen puts structure around a difficult picture rather than presenting a completed recovery. The central problem was not simply a shortage of revenue. He described an organisation whose administration had failed to keep pace with rapid growth, allowing unpaid matters and basic financial processes to accumulate.
That distinction matters. A rise in turnover from €7 million to €12 million can make a business appear stronger from the outside, but the benefit is limited if the supporting office structure contracts rather than develops. Pulliainen said Pelicans have gone through costs in detail, including purchases, suppliers and contract terms, while maintaining necessary spending.
There are signs of commercial improvement. The early sale of rink advertising and nearly all shirt inventory, coupled with corporate sales at or above the club’s strongest previous level, gives Pelicans more revenue momentum than they had last autumn. Yet Pulliainen’s description of living hand to mouth and seeking a better credit rating underlines that commercial progress has not removed the need for close control.
Why It Matters
Financial stability reaches every part of a Liiga organisation, from paying suppliers and maintaining services to planning the club’s hockey operation with confidence. Pelicans’ stated savings of more than €300,000 on hockey-side activity show that office decisions can have a meaningful impact without automatically signalling that essential purchases have been abandoned.
Pulliainen also linked the sporting calendar directly to the business model. His assessment is that missing the play-offs would mean a loss-making result, leaving little margin for a club whose finances remain under repair. That makes the effort to develop revenue beyond hockey important, even though the restaurant business has not yet delivered the desired profitability.
Mini Q&A
What did Juuso Pulliainen find when he started as Pelicans chief executive?
Pulliainen said two tables were covered with thick piles of debt-collection letters, most of them still unopened.
How much has Pelicans saved on its hockey-side costs?
Pulliainen said the detailed spending review has removed more than €300,000 in costs from the hockey operation.
Why are the play-offs financially important to Pelicans?
Pulliainen said Pelicans would post a loss-making result if the club does not reach the play-offs.
What Comes Next
Pulliainen said Pelicans expect to understand their starting point for rebuilding once the accounts have been completed. The club is also pursuing financial stabilisation during the current year and aims to improve its credit rating so it can become a viable lending prospect for financial institutions.
IHM Final View
Pelicans have not presented their work as a quick fix. Pulliainen’s remarks describe an organisation tackling inherited administrative and debt problems while trying to turn stronger advertising and corporate sales into a more stable base. The next meaningful measure will be whether the financial review and completed accounts give the club a sustainable position from which to operate.