Risto Dufva works in Joensuu during the spring season.
Risto Dufva was the head coach of the Helsinki Jokers until the previous spring.
Tomi Natri / All Over Press
Risto Dufva, who has celebrated the Finnish championship and five Mesti’s championships in his career, joins the coaching of Joensuu’s Kiekko-Poikie. Dufva’s coaching contract covers the rest of the season.
He will continue as the head coach of Kiekko-Poikie Juha-Matti Kemppainen Mikko Rämö as his assistant coach. Dufva will join the team on Wednesday, February 4.
– It’s really great to have Risto join the coaching team. He brings a tremendous amount of experience and leadership, knowing what it takes to be successful. I believe that by strengthening the coaching team, we will enable the achievement of the goals, comments the manager of Kiekko-Poikie Jaakko Lipponen.
Dufva was the head coach of the Helsinki Jokers last season, when the club won the Mestis championship.
– It’s not worth changing everything on this schedule, and together with the coaching that did a good job, we’ll think about how I can help. I want to bring my experience from different situations to the use of the coaching staff and the players, says Dufva.
Joensuu Kiekko-Pojat has publicly announced that they are seeking a place in the SM league. The league’s board previously ruled that this season’s champion of Mestis can apply for a league license for the upcoming season. The permit in question was already granted to the previous season’s champion Jokeri of Mestis. If Jokerit also wins the championship this spring, Mesti’s second finalist can apply for a league place.
