Jukka Jalonen and Jukka Tammi: what happened in Ilves in 1994–95?

Jukka Jalonen, 59, looks at the walls of the Tesoma Ice Rink and begins to reminisce. The master pilot seems nostalgic and the story comes as of yesterday’s events, even though we are now chattering about 30-year-old stuff.

– When I was Ilves’ coaching manager for three years in 1989–92, this Tesoma became a real place. Old memories come back to mind, Jalonen inches.

The man who graduated as a Master of Concert at the University of Jyväskylä ended up Pasi Mustonen midwifery tassel ears for the first coaching work of his career.

– Pasi gave a hint to the management of Ilves ry. Juhani Mattila, who was then the chairman of Ilves ry, asked my interest. Then we ended up here and in a way we are still on that road.

That road has been the most successful in the history of Finnish hockey coaching, although the beginning was, to put it mildly, difficult.

– After the 1994-95 period, I thought that I couldn’t come to this harder place – and it hasn’t come.

Sack

Jalonen had taken Ilves, who operated with modest material, as the head coach to the playoffs in 1993 and 1994. Then the ownership of the league team changed. Mikko Mäkelän and Vincent Manngardin the thong took the reins.

Ilves quickly wanted to return to the forefront of Finland, although there was no realistic basis for the project.

– We were on a practice game trip to Russia in the summer of 1994. My roommate was the then CEO of Ilves. He gossiped about the board’s decision that the head coach would change if he wasn’t in the top five after ten laps in the regular season, the star guard at the tassel ears Jukka Tammi recalls.

Managing director Markku Nikkilän the comment made Tammi enraged.

– I grabbed that list and said you would tell the whole team. It didn’t dare tell, Tammi remembers.

Ilves suffered several goal losses in the regular season, so in October 1994 Jalonen was fired. Ilves was ninth in the series of twelve teams.

– Jukka’s fires were not well deserved. I was not happy with the situation, Tammi describes.

Forged great success in juniors Heikki Vesala became head coach. The result came for a moment and Ilves won, among other things Wayne Gretzkyn in a constellation show match until the team plunged into a game and mental crisis as a series jumbo.

– A junior coach is a junior coach. It didn’t work with men.

Violent call

On January 15, 1995, Ilves lost ugly to HPK in Hämeenlinna. The oak beat as many as 25 times in the opening round.

After the match, the legend grabbed his handset and took an exceptional call.

– That, too, was a game of pain. Fucked so much that I had to make game moves.

Jalonen responded with his own nmt stick.

– The message was that if you don’t come back as a coach, Ilves will fall into the 1st divar. My phone was big, but the sound was good, Jalonen says.

Here’s how Tammi recalls the call:

– I told you what the situation was and then I just asked if you would come back? Jukka asked if I was serious. I replied that I definitely am and it will be sorted out as long as I get it promoted.

Jalonen was in disbelief for a moment.

– I thought for the first time that I would definitely not go back. Then I sensed that no damn, there is really an emergency, Jalonen says.

– It also occurred to me that if I don’t go and Ilves falls, it’s a lot of the monk’s fault when I was involved at the beginning of the season. It wasn’t even close to such a bad situation when I got the shoe – but it went even worse after I left, he continues.

After the call, Tammi told the captains of Ilves about his plan To Hannu Mattila, Pasi Huura and To Timo Peltomaa. They agreed with the molar: Jalanen must replace Vesala in order for Ilves to be saved.

– No player calls the former coach just for fun. Especially when it was Checkers – very experienced and respected. It didn’t take Tammi to talk me over.

The chairman bowed

The captains took Jalonen’s return to the then chairman of the Ilves league organization To Juha Pelkonen.

The lynx plowed for less than a month, until in February 1995 Vesala was allowed to leave and Jalonen returned.

– It was Sunday when the players were invited to the hall and Jukka’s return was announced. Jukka gave a speech and had a chat, Tammi says.

– Jukka made an impression as a coach, even though he was only on the path to learning. Even then, he knew how to motivate and talk. He was able to take out of the gang what was available, the legend continues.

Jalonen recalls that he managed to coach eight matches in the regular season. The sled did not turn enough, and TuTo pinned the last one to the previous seven consecutive points.

– I would have gone to the players if I hadn’t got my shoes in the autumn, Jalonen announces.

The main lesson

In the qualifiers, Tupsarvvat won the Savonlinna Ball Club’s victory 3–1 and then SaiPan 3–0.

– When the season ends, you usually start to have a little beer and there is a festive atmosphere. Then everyone was standing with their eyes straight away and the jacket was empty: huh, huh, this was over. That relief was so great, Jalonen describes.

He has said in a couple of different interviews that the 1994-95 season was a turning point for his career.

– It really made you think about your own actions: are you giving up or are you fighting? Want to put everything in the game and have a passion? In terms of my growth, it was better to have to qualify. It was a really tough school for both the players and me.

After the World Championships and Olympic gold, Jalonen will be praised for qualifying.

– They’re the kind of salt.

What do you mean?

– In Sweden, the HV71-Björklöven was a stunning series this spring. Yes, there was a little more airing than the Agile team’s Mestis championship. There is a huge difference in that in terms of sports culture and standards. It is hoped that at some point there will be qualifiers in the SM League so that someone will have a chance to rise when they meet the other criteria.

What if?

In the spring of 2022, just over 27 years after the dramatic events, Tammi is still behind his game business.

– I say quite directly: it has been one of the finest deeds and ideas I have done in hockey. I am very taken that Jukka remembers it so well. It is possible that we would have dropped into the divar without Jukka. Change had to be made.

If a similar episode happened now, how would you react to Jukka Jalonen?

– In principle, I wouldn’t knock out. If the departure had taken place objectively and there had been no resentment, it would have been possible. But as you know, that kind of thing is very rare – even unique.

Carrot pants

Pesti Ilves finally ended after the 1995 qualifiers, but Jalonen still admits that he is a man of tassel ears.

– Ilves is still one of my favorite clubs. I could very well coach here. When you think about the company, the city and the people, so definitely. I still have a lot of acquaintances and friends here.

Jalonen gained special sympathy among Ilves fans when, during his HPK coaching years in the 2000s, he matured into verbal fencing with the people of Tappara. In Aamulehti’s story, Jalonen stated that he does not like carrot trousers:

“Tappara would always be happy to win. I’ve never liked the color orange – and there have always been true horn players in the company. The lynx’s mood is more relaxed, ”Jalonen sculpted.

Now he laughs at his comment.

– The relationship has changed. That’s when there was a hate-love relationship when Jukka Rautakorpi was Tappara’s coach. There was a lot of wrestling with Jukka. In 2003, the pot came to us in the semi-finals, so it was left to dig. But the appreciation for Tappara has always been high, no matter how orange the trousers are, Jalonen says.

– Even the club seems to have carrot pants these days, so the world is changing, he continues.

“Really important”

There are other fond memories of Tampere than starting a career. Coach’s relationship with his current wife Sarin began with Mansessa and the family’s firstborn son Jesper was born during the Ilves Pest.

– Tampere is a really important place for me. It has been fun with my wife that this would be a really great place to live. It should not be nailed that Riihimäki is our final disposal site. The wife could have more burning to come here when there is more to do here. I have more friends and relatives in the direction of Riihimäki. And it’s a good place logistically for koutsi jobs – this isn’t bad either.

In the coming weeks, Jalonen will live with his Lion crew in Tampere.

The goal is to add the third World Championship gold to the resume. See you.