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Finland Harry Harkimo

a.k.a. "Hjallis Harkimo"
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Database: 1 142 978 players
Last added: Mia Scussel
Scoring Leaders
# Player GP G A TP
1. Elisa Holopainen 16 12 13 25
2. Petra Nieminen 18 14 8 22
3. Viivi Vainikka 18 8 14 22
4. Akane Shiga 18 5 15 20
5. Hanna Olsson 16 4 16 20
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Staff Facts
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Age
71
Nation
Highlights
1-time Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame 1
5-time Liiga Champion 5

Harry 'Hjallis' Harkimo is a successful Finnish entrepreneur and a politician (Member of the Parliament of Finland, 2015-). In sports, he is best known as the long-time owner of Jokerit.

He sought to expand his business empire by acquiring sports teams, namely hockey teams, to be the main tenants in the arenas he sought to acquire or build in major European cities. In this sense, his business model was similar to that of Philip Anschutz with whom he competed against in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. Anschutz had more success than Harkimo, which led the Finn to eventually cooperate with the American.

Harkimo and Henrik de la Chapelle became minority owners of Jokerit in 1990 (15%). He invested more in the team, becoming its majority owner in March 1991.

He sold a stake in Jokerit to Boris Rotenberg, Arkadi Rotenberg and Gennadi Timchenko (49%) in 2013. He reacquired their stake from Timchenko and Roman Rotenberg (49%) in 2019 and then sold the team to Jari Kurri (100%) the same year.

Harkimo has also owned other teams in Europe. In 1999, he acquired the Newcastle Riverkings from John Hall and renamed it the Jesters the following season. He sold the team to one of its minority owners, Graham Gutteridge in November 2000. He also invested in AIK in 2000, in hopes of acquiring its arena, and in the Hamburg Freezers (formerly the München Barons) in 2002, in connection with building a new arena in the city of Hamburg. He sold his stakes in these teams in 2004 and 2005.

The entrepreneur was reportedly also interested in acquiring a major stake in the Berlin Capitals in connection with building a new arena in the city, but he could not come to terms with the Capitals majority owner Egon Banghard who ended up supporting the arena project led by Anschutz. Before selling the Newcastle Jesters, he had also expressed his interest in acquiring the Belfast Giants and the Sheffield Steelers.

Family relations
Sons: Leo Harkimo & Dan Harkimo

Team Staff History
S Team League Role on Team Notes
1990-91 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
1991-92 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
1992-93 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
1993-94 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
1994-95 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
1995-96 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
1996-97 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
1997-98 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
1998-99 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
1999-00 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
Newcastle Riverkings BISL Franchise Owner Bought the team from John Hall
2000-01 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
Newcastle Jesters BISL Franchise Owner Sold the team to Graham Gutteridge
AIK Elitserien Franchise Owner Became a a part owner (20.5%)
2001-02 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
AIK Elitserien Franchise Owner
2002-03 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
Hamburg Freezers DEL Franchise Owner Became a part owner (30%)
AIK Allsvenskan Franchise Owner
2003-04 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
Hamburg Freezers DEL Franchise Owner
AIK Allsvenskan Franchise Owner
2004-05 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
Hamburg Freezers DEL Franchise Owner Sold his stake in the franchise
2005-06 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
2006-07 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
2007-08 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
2008-09 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
2009-10 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
2010-11 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
2011-12 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
2012-13 Jokerit SM-liiga Franchise Owner
Jokerit SM-liiga Chairman
2013-14 Jokerit Liiga Franchise Owner Sold stakes to Boris Rotenberg, Arkadi Rotenberg and Gennadi Timchenko (49%)
Jokerit Liiga Chairman
2014-15 Jokerit KHL Franchise Owner
Jokerit KHL Chairman
2015-16 Jokerit KHL Franchise Owner
Jokerit KHL Chairman
2016-17 Jokerit KHL Franchise Owner
Jokerit KHL Chairman
2017-18 Jokerit KHL Franchise Owner
Jokerit KHL Chairman
2018-19 Jokerit KHL Franchise Owner Bought out Roman Rotenberg and Gennadi Timchenko (49%)
Sold the team to Jari Kurri (100%)
Jokerit KHL Chairman
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