Pelicans cuts six jobs while protecting team’s on-ice strength
Sunday 11th October 2026 on 19:15 in
Finland
Lahti ice hockey club Pelicans will cut six jobs in its restaurant and administrative operations as part of a wider cost-saving programme, Yle reports. The club says the cuts will not affect the team’s ability to compete on the ice.
Four of the six employees work for the club’s restaurant company, which had 18 staff, and two work in the office, which had 20. Four of those losing their jobs are full-time employees and two work part-time. The club has more than 60 employees across its hockey company.
Pelicans operational director Henni Laaksonen said the cuts were significant for the club’s financial recovery, although their precise value has not yet been calculated. The club is also reducing overlapping work and reviewing purchasing processes and contracts.
The club has reported losses of 700,000 euros and said it had lost its creditworthiness, making routine operations more difficult. For example, it could not make some purchases on invoice. Laaksonen said the club had kept enough money in its account to meet match-day costs and expected its credit standing to be restored by the end of the year.
“We have rolled up our sleeves,” Laaksonen said, adding that work carried out over the summer had produced results and helped the club regain the confidence of some partners.
The job cuts follow change negotiations that began in the autumn and ended last Monday. No temporary layoffs or reductions in working hours are planned as part of the current measures. Laaksonen said the club’s priority was to ensure that Pelicans remained in the Liiga, Finland’s hockey league, next season, when three teams are due to be relegated.
Board chair Pasi Nurminen said the changes were intended to support long-term success, not merely help the club get through the next season. The club will continue using flexible ticket pricing and plans to develop match events with partners and the City of Lahti. Laaksonen also highlighted Pelicans’ work with children and young people in the Päijät-Häme region and its investment in girls’ and women’s hockey.