Contract cancellation due to military service

[swissdude]

The SCL Tigers and Aleksi Saarela have cancelled their two-year contract with immediate effect. This is due to the fact that the Finn will have to do mandatory military service for at least six months from July 2025

I don't think that would have happened if he played in the NHL instead of swiss league... Is this standard procedure in Suomi? Last time I heard anything comparable was with young russian players

Imagine that would happen to Heiskanen etc.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

Miltary service (or civil service at double the length) is mandatory for all Finnish men. Athletes typically go to a specific 'athlete' division and there's plenty of stories how it's been fairly lax, and allowed training and all that. There's an age limit (30 maybe?) before which you have to do the service.

Many star players get out of it completely by way of some injury. Erik Haula for example never went because he had a bad knee injury some years back.

Plenty of articles and debate around this but especially for smaller non-star players, it's probably just best to get it out of the way when you're young and not yet in the NHL. The army has been trying to stricten the rules recently as well.

Heiskanen, Rantanen, Barkov, Laine, Aho... haven't done it (afaik). Aho is interesting because he doesn't have many injuries I believe, so might be tougher to wiggle out of it. We'll see in time. One article in Finnish here from 2024 (HS, paywall).

On the NHL level I believe the contracts always stay in force unless the player is a free agent. There's plenty of players who have done the service in the summer months "only", it's been possible to sort of agree on these things with the army in the past. Afaik Mikko Koivu did his service in the summer of 2011, for example.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Miltary service (or civil service at double the length) is mandatory for all Finnish men. Athletes typically go to a specific 'athlete' division and there's plenty of stories how it's been fairly lax, and allowed training and all that. There's an age limit (30 maybe?) before which you have to do the service.

Many star players get out of it completely by way of some injury. Erik Haula for example never went because he had a bad knee injury some years back.

Plenty of articles and debate around this but especially for smaller non-star players, it's probably just best to get it out of the way when you're young and not yet in the NHL. The army has been trying to stricten the rules recently as well.

Heiskanen, Rantanen, Barkov, Laine, Aho... haven't done it (afaik). Aho is interesting because he doesn't have many injuries I believe, so might be tougher to wiggle out of it. We'll see in time. One article in Finnish here from 2024 (HS, paywall).

On the NHL level I believe the contracts always stay in force unless the player is a free agent. There's plenty of players who have done the service in the summer months "only", it's been possible to sort of agree on these things with the army in the past. Afaik Mikko Koivu did his service in the summer of 2011, for example.

As I understand it, athletes are able to split their service between two summers. Aho turns 28 next month so he would be taking care of it some time soon, unless he already did it quietly while nobody was watching.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

The guitar player for Sonata Arctica got kicked out of the band because he got arrested for dodging military service to be on tour

 

[Kahvi]

Miltary service (or civil service at double the length) is mandatory for all Finnish men. Athletes typically go to a specific 'athlete' division and there's plenty of stories how it's been fairly lax, and allowed training and all that. There's an age limit (30 maybe?) before which you have to do the service.

Many star players get out of it completely by way of some injury. Erik Haula for example never went because he had a bad knee injury some years back.

Plenty of articles and debate around this but especially for smaller non-star players, it's probably just best to get it out of the way when you're young and not yet in the NHL. The army has been trying to stricten the rules recently as well.

Heiskanen, Rantanen, Barkov, Laine, Aho... haven't done it (afaik). Aho is interesting because he doesn't have many injuries I believe, so might be tougher to wiggle out of it. We'll see in time. One article in Finnish here from 2024 (HS, paywall).

On the NHL level I believe the contracts always stay in force unless the player is a free agent. There's plenty of players who have done the service in the summer months "only", it's been possible to sort of agree on these things with the army in the past. Afaik Mikko Koivu did his service in the summer of 2011, for example.

Also Olli Jokinen, whose knee was so bad he couldnt do military service, but good enough fo score 40 goals and 80 points.

I dont know the details, but Saarela’s contract was probably cancelled because he wouldnt have been able to do the work he was hired, because he had other commitments. This time it was military service, could have been something else.

Only ones to blame here are Saarela and his agent, a shitload of athletes have been able to sort this out. Do your service over two summers, ask for leave for training every day etc.

If you dont do that and leave it for the last moment, then you need to do the whole thing.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

The guitar player for Sonata Arctica got kicked out of the band because he got arrested for dodging military service to be on tour

Elite ball knowledge

 

[Son of Nogatco]

we might see some American players going to war pretty soon.

We already have

Auston Matthews proud veteran of the Battle of Ontario

 

[The Shadow]

We already have

Auston Matthews proud veteran of the Battle of Ontario

I wouldn’t call anything he does in the playoffs proud

 

[Voight]

Miltary service (or civil service at double the length) is mandatory for all Finnish men. Athletes typically go to a specific 'athlete' division and there's plenty of stories how it's been fairly lax, and allowed training and all that. There's an age limit (30 maybe?) before which you have to do the service.

Many star players get out of it completely by way of some injury. Erik Haula for example never went because he had a bad knee injury some years back.

Plenty of articles and debate around this but especially for smaller non-star players, it's probably just best to get it out of the way when you're young and not yet in the NHL. The army has been trying to stricten the rules recently as well.

Heiskanen, Rantanen, Barkov, Laine, Aho... haven't done it (afaik). Aho is interesting because he doesn't have many injuries I believe, so might be tougher to wiggle out of it. We'll see in time. One article in Finnish here from 2024 (HS, paywall).

On the NHL level I believe the contracts always stay in force unless the player is a free agent. There's plenty of players who have done the service in the summer months "only", it's been possible to sort of agree on these things with the army in the past. Afaik Mikko Koivu did his service in the summer of 2011, for example.

Didn't Barkov do his service a couple of years ago?

 

[Kahvi]

Didn't Barkov do his service a couple of years ago?

No. He’s over 28 so most likely he was released because of medical reasons.
Finnish article from last year, mentions Aho and Rantanen in similar situation

Suomen NHL-tähdillä armeija käymättä – näin Puolustusvoimat kommentoi

Useimmat ammattiurheilijat suorittavat asepalveluksen Kaartin jääkärirykmentin urheilukoulussa.

www.is.fi

 

[Summer Rose]

Hey y'all, let's not touch on the topic of the merits (or lack thereof) of mandatory military service, and keep this thread about what happens to a player's contract.

 

[SantosHalper]

Military service for athlete's is nearly a joke, they barely has to be there. Contract termination is odd.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Miltary service (or civil service at double the length) is mandatory for all Finnish men. Athletes typically go to a specific 'athlete' division and there's plenty of stories how it's been fairly lax, and allowed training and all that. There's an age limit (30 maybe?) before which you have to do the service.

Many star players get out of it completely by way of some injury. Erik Haula for example never went because he had a bad knee injury some years back.

Plenty of articles and debate around this but especially for smaller non-star players, it's probably just best to get it out of the way when you're young and not yet in the NHL. The army has been trying to stricten the rules recently as well.

Heiskanen, Rantanen, Barkov, Laine, Aho... haven't done it (afaik). Aho is interesting because he doesn't have many injuries I believe, so might be tougher to wiggle out of it. We'll see in time. One article in Finnish here from 2024 (HS, paywall).

On the NHL level I believe the contracts always stay in force unless the player is a free agent. There's plenty of players who have done the service in the summer months "only", it's been possible to sort of agree on these things with the army in the past. Afaik Mikko Koivu did his service in the summer of 2011, for example.

I think Rask did his no?

 

[Kahvi]

Military service for athlete's is nearly a joke, they barely has to be there. Contract termination is odd.
View attachment 1053085

Yes, they can do it the easy way and do it off-season, or try to get released for medical reasons. Saarela didnt do it and now he has to do the full thing. f*** around and find out. Only himself to blame

 

[LOFIN]

Military service for athlete's is nearly a joke, they barely has to be there. Contract termination is odd.

Things have changed since Koivu and Granlund served. Athletes nowadays actually have to be there, and participate in exercises. Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz) spent like 160 days actually in service (he got 20 days of leave for Euroean Championships), and he makes more money than like 3 of the top earners in the NHL put together.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Hey y'all, let's not touch on the topic of the merits (or lack thereof) of mandatory military service, and keep this thread about what happens to a player's contract.

I have to admire your optimism!

On topic, obviously the US doesn't have mandatory service but isn't it still the case that your old employer has to give your job back when you finish your service? I would've thought some of these other countries have that policy.

 

[SammySalo]

The guitar player for Sonata Arctica got kicked out of the band because he got arrested for dodging military service to be on tour

These guys were one of my favorite bands when I was a teen, that's not very metal

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Isn't there a deadline where you need to do it by in terms of age ?

Maybe if he broke it up, he wouldn't be able to make it up over the summer before he turned that age.

I know shit about this, so I might be "misremembering" this.

 

[Bakayoko Ono]

This is on him (and his agent/management); he’s had ten years to get it over with and, for pro athletes, it takes one summer.

 

[SantosHalper]

On topic, obviously the US doesn't have mandatory service but isn't it still the case that your old employer has to give your job back when you finish your service? I would've thought some of these other countries have that policy.

Well you can't be fired, if mandatory service starts or army calls you to do military refresher course. But thats in Finland, player in question played in Switzerland. Different laws i guess.

 

[Zirakzigil]

I have to admire your optimism!

On topic, obviously the US doesn't have mandatory service but isn't it still the case that your old employer has to give your job back when you finish your service? I would've thought some of these other countries have that policy.

Give your job back? I dont believe its worded exactly that way. Both Canada and USA have laws in place protecting reservists from being discriminated against for active duty call up. This is in a very different realm due to it being mandatory service verse being a reserve. Im sure @mouser could give a way better and clearer answer on this.

 

[sabremike]

UPL was exempted because he's played two seasons in goal for the Sabres so the Finnish Military declared it time served.

 

[Summer Rose]

Give your job back? I dont believe its worded exactly that way. Both Canada and USA have laws in place protecting reservists from being discriminated against for active duty call up. This is in a very different realm due to it being mandatory service verse being a reserve. Im sure @mouser could give a way better and clearer answer on this.

It's not, from the limited experience that I know. Here in the US we have anti-discrimination laws, and a person being called up into active duty (from the reserves or Selective Service which hasn't even been used since the 1970s in the first place) technically makes them leave their job. Employers are not legally required to take you back if either one happens to my knowledge. They're required to not discriminate against returning veterans, since they're a protected class, but for most people, good actual luck proving a case of "they didn't hire me/re-hire me because I served in the military." Individual companies, and even some states, may have "better" policies, but none of them pertain to federal requirements.

 

[Zirakzigil]

It's not, from the limited experience that I know. Here in the US we have anti-discrimination laws, and a person being called up into active duty (from the reserves or Selective Service which hasn't even been used since the 1970s in the first place) technically makes them leave their job. Employers are not legally required to take you back if either one happens to my knowledge. They're required to not discriminate against returning veterans, since they're a protected class, but for most people, good actual luck proving a case of "they didn't hire me/re-hire me because I served in the military." Individual companies, and even some states, may have "better" policies, but none of them pertain to federal requirements.

I got curious and just started googling on the internet machine. Canada has some pretty specific federal and provincial law protecting reservists. I know I have very specific details in my jobs CBA regarding military call up as well.

Basic breakdown for Alberta is:

• Eligible employees can take time off work without pay without risk of losing their job.
• Employers must grant reservist leave to eligible employees and give them their same, or equivalent, job back when the employee returns to work.
• Employers aren’t required to pay wages or benefits during leave, unless stated in an employment contract or collective agreement.
• Employees on reservist leave are considered to be continuously employed for the purposes of calculating years of service.

An employee may take reservist leave for the following operations or activities:

• deployment to a Canadian forces operation outside Canada
• deployment to a Canadian forces operation inside Canada that is assisting with an emergency or the aftermath of an emergency
• annual training, included related travel time
• other operations set out as such in the Employment Standards Regulation by the Minister

Reservist leave

Eligible employees who are reservists can take leave for deployments and training.

www.alberta.ca

 

[Albatros]

Isn't there a deadline where you need to do it by in terms of age ?

Maybe if he broke it up, he wouldn't be able to make it up over the summer before he turned that age.

I know shit about this, so I might be "misremembering" this.

Then the duty just expires, sad. In his shoes I'd just have stayed in Switzerland for a year or two.