The information about the appointment as an honorary doctor made the gold coach quiet.
Jukka Jalonen has coached three adult WC gold medalists in Finland. Jussi Saarinen
Lions gold head coach Jukka Jalonen has received a fine honor from the University of Jyväskylä. In 1988, Jalonen graduated from there with a master’s degree in exercise science.
In May 2023, he will receive an honorary doctorate from his thesis. From the point of view of Jalonen’s work, the celebration comes at a special time, as it coincides with the World Ice Hockey Championships in Tampere.
The honor will be awarded to the head coach of the national team on 20.5 at 12:00. On the same day, Finland will face Austria at 16:20.
– We have agreed on the arrangement among the management team. Jukka is away from the voluntary morning exercises on the game day and the game snack held at the hotel, which the other coaches take responsibility for. By the start of the game, Jukka is back in Tampere, the GM of the Lions Jere Lehtinen said in the national team’s press release.
– This is an incredibly great thing for Juka and I believe that the whole team will get extra energy from it in the spring home games.
The honor surprised the coach who brought three adult world championships and one Olympic gold to Finland.
– Yes, it made me quiet when the information reached me. After all, this is a great honor when your own name ends up among those who have received the same title in the past. It’s great that activities outside the faculty are valued, Jalonen thanked.
Also the chairman of the Ice Hockey Association Harri Nummela joined in congratulating Jalo.
– This is a great tribute to Juka for his work for Finnish ice hockey and sports.
– Along with Juka, I think it’s also about recognizing the entire Finnish coaching profession and the valuable work they do. I believe that this, for its part, will increase the appreciation of the entire Finnish coaching staff, regardless of sport and league level.
In his career, Jalonen has coached not only the national teams, but also Ilves, HPK, SKA Pietar and KHL-Jokerei.
The champion coach has a park and ice rink named after his hometown Riihimäki. President Sauli Niinistö gave Jalose the Commander’s Badge of the Order of the White Rose of Finland in the summer.