Helsinki Halli arena — which has been out of use since sanctions prompted its closure after Russia's full-blown invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 — is starting to smell bad.
The facility's electricity, district heating and water were cut off at the beginning of September due to unpaid bills. The arena's management firm is owned by a group of Russian oligarchs, and remain unable to pay the bills due to the sanctions.
Helsinki ice hockey club Jokerit were tenants at the arena before the sanctions, but they left the arena vacant when they left Russia's Kontinental Hockey League in 2022 and had to find a new home playing in the Finnish system.
The team has since removed its equipment from the facility. The last load of gear was taken away a couple of weeks ago, according to the club's board chair, Mikko Saarni. He wasn't at the arena during the move-out, but heard about the situation later.
"There wasn't any water on the floors, but they said you can tell that the building is out of use. It already has a bad, musty smell," Saarni explained.
According to Saarni, the club is concerned that the arena's condition will worsen before the situation changes.
"Like everyone else, we are worried about whether the facility and hall will be usable again soon," Saarni said.
Finland's national hockey team also used the arena before it shut down, but they did not know what condition it's in because they haven't rented space there.
Yle made several unsuccessful attempts to reach Helsinki Halli's board member Kai Paanastas about the arena's condition.
In September, Juhani Hyvärinen, the director of the Finnish Building Services Industries and Trade, warned about the possibility of cold weather causing problems at the arena.
At the end of August, the arena's management firm noted that there are ammonia tanks at the arena requiring electronic monitoring, adding that in the worst case there is a risk of the tanks exploding.
Late last month, the City of Helsinki filed a lawsuit against Helsinki Halli, over non-payment of rent on land it leases to the company.