The search for a new head coach of the A national team started in midsummer week. Jukka Jalonen is not available.
Jukka Jalonen will celebrate the world championship in the spring of 2022 in Tampere. Petri Saarelainen / AOP
At this point, the upcoming ice hockey season will be Jukka Jalonen’s last as Leijoni’s head coach.
The matter was finally resolved during Midsummer week.
– Last week I received a notification from Juka that next season will be his last in Leijon at this time, says the CEO of the Jääkieksoliitto Sami Kauhanen.
According to Iltalehti’s information, Jalose had a clause in his contract according to which he had to announce by Midsummer whether he is interested in Leijoni’s coaching post after the 2023–24 season.
Success
The 60-year-old Jalonen has been the head coach of the national team twice. The current period started in 2018.
The man from Riihimäki managed Finland’s most followed football team already in 2008–2013.
With three men’s world championships and one Olympic victory, he is the Lions’ most successful head coach of all time.
The 2021–2022 season was the culmination of Jalonen’s career, when under his leadership Finland won the Olympic gold in Beijing and celebrated the world championship at the home games in Tampere.
As a coach, Jalonen also won the under-20 world championship in 2016.
In the years 2012–2018, Jalonen coached first SKA Pietar and then Jokeri in the KHL.
Process in progress
Jukka Jalonen has celebrated men’s World Championship gold three times. Jalonen has been selected as coach of the year at the Finnish sports gala in 2011, 2016 and 2022. TOMI NATRI / AOP
The application process for a new head coach is underway.
– Last week, we sat down with Jukan and Jere Lehtinen mixed Kimmo Oikarinen down with and we mapped the names and the whole. Of course, a long list of candidates will be made separately, says Kauhanen.
The board of the ice hockey association will decide on the name of the new coach in time.
– People who know the sports side well map the names. We are doing thorough work on this issue. In time, we will take a careful presentation to the board for decision. The government rarely changes the proposal.
It may be that a separate working group will be established to find a new head coach.
– The association’s coaching committee plays a big role in this anyway, says Kauhanen.
Jukka Jalonen is the chairman of the coaching committee. In addition to him, it includes nine experienced puckmen, among them Erkka Westertlund, Saku Koivu and Jukka Rautakorpi.
When will it be ready?
During the summer holidays, the search for a new head coach will be on hold. But the Ice Hockey Federation intends to be prompt with the matter.
– We want to finish this as quickly as possible. But impossible to say any date. We know that the coaches are negotiating with the club teams about the next season already in the fall. We go on the same schedule, says Kauhanen.
– We are looking for the best possible factor for the future of Suomi-kieko.
Alien?
The last time Leijon had a foreign head coach was in the 2007–08 season. At that time, Canadian Doug Shedden coached Leijon and Jalonen was the second coach.
Is a foreign coach a possible alternative for Leijon?
– Impossible to say right now. However, the starting point is that no one is excluded based on nationality. A foreign head coach has been rare in the A national team, continues Kauhanen.
The head coach of the Lions is guaranteed to arouse widespread interest. There are at most half a dozen potential domestic alternatives for work.