Kari Jalonen as head coach of the Finnish men's national team at the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images
After the return of Jukka Jalonen as head coach of the Finnish men’s national team, another Jalonen comes back to the Finnish national team program as well. Kari Jalonen signed as head coach of the Finnish U20 national team for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons.
The 61-year-old was already Finland’s head coach at the 2001 World Juniors, earning a silver medal, and assistant coach the year before. For two years he was the head coach of the men’s national team at the 2015 and 2016 Worlds winning silver in the latter tournament. Afterwards he worked as head coach in Switzerland for SC Bern for four seasons winning two championships in addition to seven Finnish championships he won as a coach with TPS Turku, Karpat Oulu and Helsinki IFK.
At the Finnish U20 national team he will succeed Antti Pennanen, who will lead the team to the upcoming 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship before his contract expires after two seasons with the team.
“I look forward to working in the heart of international top hockey and at the same time move Finnish hockey forward. As the head coach of the U20 national team my task is to develop and help Finland’s top juniors, and at the same time work in front of the entire Finland hockey community together with Jukka Jalonen and the team,” Kari Jalonen said.
“The World Junior Championship, where Finland will fight for, will come as the icing on the cake.”
The 61-year-old was already Finland’s head coach at the 2001 World Juniors, earning a silver medal, and assistant coach the year before. For two years he was the head coach of the men’s national team at the 2015 and 2016 Worlds winning silver in the latter tournament. Afterwards he worked as head coach in Switzerland for SC Bern for four seasons winning two championships in addition to seven Finnish championships he won as a coach with TPS Turku, Karpat Oulu and Helsinki IFK.
At the Finnish U20 national team he will succeed Antti Pennanen, who will lead the team to the upcoming 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship before his contract expires after two seasons with the team.
“I look forward to working in the heart of international top hockey and at the same time move Finnish hockey forward. As the head coach of the U20 national team my task is to develop and help Finland’s top juniors, and at the same time work in front of the entire Finland hockey community together with Jukka Jalonen and the team,” Kari Jalonen said.
“The World Junior Championship, where Finland will fight for, will come as the icing on the cake.”