Photo: Laura Helminen

The Helsinki Wolverines have abruptly withdrawn from Finland‘s premier Maple League for the 2026 season, citing an acute player shortage that forced the club’s board to surrender their spot in the country’s top American football division just weeks before the schedule release.

Abrupt exit shakes up league
The Wolverines’ sudden departure reduces the Maple League to seven teams for the upcoming season, marking the first time since 2024 that the league will operate with an odd number of clubs. The remaining teams include Helsinki rivals the Helsinki Roosters and East City Giants, defending champions, the Porvoon Butchers, along with the Seinäjoki Crocodiles, Kuopio Steelers, Wasa Royals, and Tampere Saints. League manager Roope Noronen acknowledged the unfortunate timing, noting the withdrawal creates significant scheduling challenges just as the season program was being finalized.

From contenders to third division
The Wolverines, who finished eighth in the 2025 season and won their only championship back in 2011, will now seek to join the third division while establishing farm contracts to provide playing opportunities for their athletes. This represents a dramatic fall for a franchise that once topped Finland‘s American football landscape, now forced to rebuild from the ground up in lower competitive tiers.

Rebuilding through youth development
Club leadership indicated this move represents a strategic shift toward long-term development rather than a complete abandonment of the sport. The Wolverines will redirect coaching resources toward junior programs while organizing recruitment events to eventually return to the Maple League. This focus on youth development aims to create a sustainable pipeline that prevents future player shortages.

Women’s team unaffected
While the men’s team undergoes this dramatic restructuring, the Helsinki Wolverines women’s squad will continue normal operations as they prepare to defend their Finnish championship this summer. The women’s program remains unaffected by the men’s team’s withdrawal from competition.