The large multi-arena in Helsinki, with a capacity for over 13,000 spectators, has been empty and unable to be used since February 2022 due to Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine.
Before that, the arena, then known as Hartwall Arena, was the flagship of Finnish ice hockey.
The Russian ownership group, led by oligarchs Gennadij Timtjenko and Roman Rotenberg, has now sold the arena to Finnish buyers.
Ilta-Sanomat revealed the deal and the Russian ownership group's Finnish representative Kai Paananen confirmed it late on Tuesday evening to Yle.
Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs must approve the deal and then an exemption permit from the EU is required.
This is because Timtjenko and Rotenberg are on the EU's sanctions lists.
The arena has been reported to be in increasingly poor condition and it will take time before it can be used again. First, however, the authorities' approval is needed.
I cannot give an exact prognosis for when the hall will be opened. If I had to make an estimate, I would say that it might take four months to open the arena, if all the work was done now. But we cannot do that at this stage, says Tuomas Poskiparta, representative of the Finnish buyer group, to Yle.
