The Fife Flyers Ice Hockey Club are delighted to announce the signing of Finnish defenceman Joona Vainio for the 2026/27 Elite Ice Hockey League season, subject to the completion of all necessary clearances.
The 28-year-old arrives in Fife following an extensive professional career in Finland, most recently with Mestis side Hermes, where he served as captain, bringing leadership, reliability and a strong presence to the team
Prior to captaining Hermes, Vainio wore an alternate captain’s ‘A’ with both Kiekko-Vantaa and FPS between 2022 and 2025, underlining his reputation as a respected leader on and off the ice.
Born in Hämeenlinna, Finland, Vainio progressed through the HPK development system before establishing himself as a dependable presence in Finland’s professional ranks.
Speaking on the signing, Head Coach Tim Wallace said “Joona is a strong defenceman who plays a heavy game. He skates well, plays hard, and has the skill to chip in offensively.”
“When Joona is at his best, he is hard to play against. He wins his battles, makes good decisions with the puck, and has the tools to be a really effective defenceman for us. I’m excited to work with him and see where his game can go.”
Please join us in welcoming Joona to Fife!
Wilds and scatters are the two special symbols that appear in almost every modern slot, and they work in completely different ways. One stands in for other symbols to complete a combination, the other pays or triggers regardless of where it lands. Confusing the two leads to a lot of misread paytables.
Wild And Scatter Symbols Explained
A standard wild substitutes for any regular symbol, but developers have layered variations on top of that, including expanding wilds that fill a whole reel and sticky wilds that stay in place across several spins. Players comparing features often Winplace to see which mechanics each title uses. Scatters sit outside the line system, paying on any position and typically triggering the free spin round when three or more appear.
| Symbol | Function | Line Dependent |
|---|---|---|
| Standard wild | Substitutes | Yes |
| Expanding wild | Fills a reel | Yes |
| Scatter | Pays or triggers | No |
- Wilds complete combinations, scatters usually do not
- Expanding and sticky wilds behave differently from standard ones
- Three or more scatters commonly trigger a feature
Special symbols shape how a slot feels far more than they change its return percentage, which is set by the game as a whole. A title packed with sticky wilds is not inherently more generous than a plain one. Reading the paytable before playing is worth a minute, and setting a session budget is worth rather more.
