Niko Hovinen claims HIFK sidelined him without explanation
HIFK goaltender Niko Hovinen claims he was sidelined without explanation in January following a 0–6 loss to Ilves, marking what he describes as the most difficult season of his career. The 38-year-old veteran alleges his equipment was removed from the locker room and he was denied a season-ending exit interview, according to an interview with Ilta-Sanomat.
The locker room exclusion
Hovinen, speaking on the Supla podcast Mertaranta&Saariluoma, detailed the events that occurred mid-season during his tenure at the Helsinki-based club. After the team’s lopsided defeat against Ilves, he returned to find his gear removed from the team’s dressing area. The veteran goaltender, who played 14 games for HIFK last season, stated he received no formal explanation for the decision to exclude him from the active roster.
The player further alleged that the club failed to conduct a standard exit meeting at the conclusion of the season. According to Hovinen, he received feedback regarding his performance through indirect channels but was never granted a face-to-face evaluation by the coaching staff or management.
The coaching transition at HIFK
While Hovinen did not explicitly name former head coach Olli Jokinen during the podcast, the conversation centered on the team’s management style under his leadership. The hosts of the program directly questioned Hovinen about Jokinen’s methods, to which Hovinen responded by contrasting his experience at HIFK with his previous tenure in the KHL, where he noted that even contract terminations were handled with professional transparency.
The internal atmosphere at HIFK shifted following the change in head coaching duties when Tommi Miettinen replaced Olli Jokinen on October 21. Tommi Miettinen took over as head coach, and the team’s performance improved, securing four wins in his first five games. The club has since announced that Tommi Niemelä will take the helm for the upcoming season.
Goaltender describes difficult removal from Tappara roster
Hovinen’s account highlights the complexities involved in professional sports management when player-coach communication breaks down.
The veteran goaltender, who was part of the 2011 Finnish World Championship team, expressed relief that the team found success under new leadership, noting that the locker room contains many high-quality players. He emphasized that while he did not deserve more ice time based on his own performance, the manner in which he was removed from the team remained difficult to process.
Hovinen spent a brief period with Tappara in September on a four-game contract, though he did not record any minutes on the ice during that stint.