VIENNA – Sakari Pietilä from Finland was hired as new head coach of the Austrian U18 national team it was announced on Thursday by the Austrian Ice Hockey Association.

The 58-year-old held the same position with the Finnish team for one year and led it to the U18 bronze medals in 2010.

Before that we has working as a head coach for several club teams in Finland (Ilves Tampere, Espoo Blues, Jokerit Helsinki, HPK Hämeenlinna) and for Sweden’s Luleå HF. He was also the Chicago Blackhawks’ European head scout from 2001 to 2006.

Pietilä succeeds Jason O’Leary, who became head coach of the Austrian U20 national team. He will be assisted by Herbert Hohenberger.

Austria will play in the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship Division I Group B in Tychy, Poland, 14-20 April 2013 and aims for promotion against Japan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Poland and Korea.