WJC: Finland Coaching Staff Fired Mid-Tournament. Jussi Ahokas Now Coaching

[AvroArrow]

I don't think missing Laine-Aho-Puljujarvi is an excuse as to why they finished last. Yeah losing those 3 makes it tough on them to win gold, or even make the semis. But a team like Finland produces enough talent to not finish last in their group at this level.

Sure Denmark are stronger than usual, Swiss and the Czechs as well slightly. But name for name the Finish talent is not last in this group.

So either the players underperformed, or the coaching was **** or both. Finishing last is not a result of the talent level even without those 3 guys.

I strongly disagree here. I put them in the same tier as the Czech Republic when looking at Finland in ALL international events. But this year at the WJC they are without a doubt one of the weakest if not weakest team involved. They lost their 3 best players and don't really have that much depth. Had they not won last year and you just looked at their roster from this year, it's pretty clear that the team is not even close to the rest of the competition. It's just a down year because of this years class. They will likely bounce back next year or the year after, but the team this year really isn't that good.

 

[BalticWarrior]

If i was a finnish fan this is what i would want. Finland with the roster they should not under any circumstance lose to denmark, this the fault of the coaches no doubt.

 

[Canada4Gold]

I strongly disagree here. I put them in the same tier as the Czech Republic when looking at Finland in ALL international events. But this year at the WJC they are without a doubt one of the weakest if not weakest team involved. They lost their 3 best players and don't really have that much depth. Had they not won last year and you just looked at their roster from this year, it's pretty clear that the team is not even close to the rest of the competition. It's just a down year because of this years class. They will likely bounce back next year or the year after, but the team this year really isn't that good.

Finland with Laine/Aho/Puljuljarvi is ahead of the Czechs no question. Without them the talent is pretty similar and ahead of Switzerland and Denmark for sure.

This is why they play the games and all that fun stuff, upsets happen, but if you think that on talent Finland is lower than 3rd in this group you're completely out to lunch. You'd probably be the only person here with that opinion. Even the Swiss and Denmark fans wouldn't agree with you.

 

[vaiski]

Because they're missing the likes of Laine/Puljujarvi. The team isn't as deep this year, nor do they have any game breaking players this time around. It's embarrassing on managements fault, their performance is directly related to the on ice product. Not the coaching staff. Not trying to be disrespectful but the players and the team just isn't good enough, nobody's fault. Dumb firing, embarrassing for the management team.

I don't think you're seeing the whole picture here. The core of this team is the same that won the U18 championship. There are some great individuals on this team. The system they tried to play just never took off, then there is the disconnect between the players and the seven (7!) coaches, and at that point you're screwed.

Of course you can say "they were bad" or "they should have been better" but that is not an analysis.

 

[Nash]

While Finland has clearly produced some world class talents in recent drafts, I've always felt that one of the biggest strengths of their junior teams has been their collective play as a group. I've always been really impressed at how hard they've worked, how much they've supported each other in every zone on the puck, and how that has seemed to be the case from the top to bottom of the lineup. It really speaks to quality coaching and teamwork.

This year's team has looked completely disjointed. I don't care that Laine/Aho/Puljujarvi aren't playing. Finland has enough depth to overcome that and avoid relegation games. It's an embarrassment and they were right to fire these coaches. I wish Canada had the cojones to do the same with some of the questionable coaching I've seen in recent years.

Go beat Latvia, like you should, and come back strong next year strong. Good luck Finns!

 

[PuLaAho]

Also Floorball attracts Finnish kids because it's cheaper hobby for a child which does not have rich parents.

Sorry for the offtopic, but floorball at the pro level isn't so cheap these days. I've kid playing in junior C floorball top league and monthly cost just for the team expenses is 250€ + around 80-100€ for a stick that lasts for a month at that level + all the other expenses. So it's about 450-500€ per month just for playing floorball at junior C. Not a hobby for poor either, atleast at the top level.

I just can't imagine the costs of junior hockey in Finland right now for the parents. It must be something ridiculous.

 

[Scrantonicity 2]

Not the coaches fault, the team just isn't good enough to compete this year.

Exactly. Fans can come up with all the excuses they want and blame the coaches, but the fact of the matter is that the players on the ice just didn't get things done.

 

[vaiski]

Exactly. Fans can come up with all the excuses they want and blame the coaches, but the fact of the matter is that the players on the ice just didn't get things done.

I bet you thought the same thing when Mike Johnston was coaching the Penguins.

 

[BusQuets]

How many 1st rounders plus 2017 1st rounders are in this team Finland? Like 7. Then there's many 2nd rounders. Only Canada can challenge that kind of pure talent level when looking at the paper. When so many talented guys under-perform it's usually the coach who takes the blame. A bit weird to fire mid-tournament though.

 

[RageQuit77]

While Liitto isn't most egalitarian part of our society (and can't ever be by the nature of the game), even it can come to the conclusions. Egalitarian sauna fellowship of 7 isn't the way you can lead any team to a tournament success. Advisors and clowns whispering the ears of the king can cause serious troubles...

Luckily Liitto is enough egalitarian to just make only really available move now. You simply cannot drop whole load upon young guys (that's something we don't do here in Finland generally), some of them not even legally full aged yet.

An aftermath of this episode will be loooooooong chapter in the Finnish hockey, but in long run it will have positive, healthy impact to it. Someone would say "at last".

Mini-model of our society in action.

 

[Lempo]

Lol.

Just like old trope.

A roman commander changed in the lead of an undiciplined and unregimented front line legion... With full imperium and all.

I fear, it is too little too late, but right call. Only in Finland.

A decimation wasn't enough, they went for a 3/7-ation.

 

[RageQuit77]

A decimation wasn't enough, they went for a 3/7-ation.

Yeah. That's the story of our Teutoburg, or Lost eagle of the 9th.

 

[Ruok]

If they end up being relegated I feel really bad for the kids representing Finland this year. They would pretty much go down in history as the worst Finn team in a long time

 

[Past Considerations]

I strongly disagree here. I put them in the same tier as the Czech Republic when looking at Finland in ALL international events. But this year at the WJC they are without a doubt one of the weakest if not weakest team involved. They lost their 3 best players and don't really have that much depth. Had they not won last year and you just looked at their roster from this year, it's pretty clear that the team is not even close to the rest of the competition. It's just a down year because of this years class. They will likely bounce back next year or the year after, but the team this year really isn't that good.

How many FIN games did you watch? With your eyes open?

No one is denying the roster is a downgrade from last year but that doesn't explain the way the team played. Bad system, stupid line combinations, unorganised and just clueless coaching including not even knowing the right time to pull the goalie.

And you probably didn't know many players already before this had made displeased comments about the coaching. One of them said the team had had ONE practice during the whole tournament (!?!?). Players also held a meeting before SWE game. Writing was on the wall.

The head coach that was now fired is an accomplished Finnish League coach, but at adults level and everyone knew he was a bad fit for juniors even without an oversized and clueless coaching staff like now. Coincidentally the last time he coached U20 in this tournament he also found himself in the relegation round.

 

[BL92]

Shouldn't have hired that ****ing coach in the first place...

I'm sure that we will get more of these Kekkonen-era hardliners in the near future too, they never learn.

 

[Muston Atthews]

They did lose Laine Puljujarvi Aho Kapanen and Rantanen in a year. Almost two full lines

 

[Jussi]

I have to wonder whether Rautakorpi publicly admitting that he didn't see the players live, was a factor in this decision. Both Karri Kivi and Jukka Jalonen toured NA in the Fall to see gusy playing over there (granted, they had fewer players to watch) but they could have split duties between Rautakorpi and Urea...Urama. This was just a monumental **** up preparation process for this tournament.

 

[Jussi]

They did lose Laine Puljujarvi Aho Kapanen and Rantanen in a year. Almost two full lines

Plus losing one of the best tournament coaches in Finland.

 

[Canada4Gold]

They did lose Laine Puljujarvi Aho Kapanen and Rantanen in a year. Almost two full lines

a lot of the best players in this tournament age out every year. The entire Russian team will be too old next year aside for 4 guys and Sergachev will probably be in the NHL. I'm sure Russia won't be last in their group next year. Most teams lose a majority of their best players every single year. They have quality replacements and so did Finland.

This age group in 2015 got the Silver in the U18, yeah that team had those 3 but I do not believe that without them they would have did this bad. The age group beneath them won the U18's this past year so they had quality replacements.

I'm not going to blame the coaches nor blame underperforming players, I don't know the ins and outs of how this team functions. But the talent was certainly there to at least make the QF. So something went wrong besides for, oh our top 3 players weren't available lets blame it on that.

 

[xxxx]

that's awesome

 

[llwyd]

Not the coaches fault, the team just isn't good enough to compete this year.

In all honesty, this is pure nonsense. The team has many u18 and u20 world champions and potential 1st round picks. They absolutely should have eked a win or two before the last match. I don't think anyone had gold exceptions this year but pretty much everyone thought they would rather easily make the quarters.

 

[llwyd]

They did lose Laine Puljujarvi Aho Kapanen and Rantanen in a year. Almost two full lines

Yes, and that's why no-one was talking about gold - but, fgs, we still should have made the bloody quarters. To be among top 4 in this group should have been a simple task.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

I bet you thought the same thing when Mike Johnston was coaching the Penguins.

Mike Johnston was squandering some of the best talent in the world.

Finland doesn't have that excuse.

 

[Raimoh]

Pulju this laine that. Finland should never finish last in their group in this tournament. Period. Especially the first game was an extremely poor showing from Finland, and it took two whole games before they started to play like they should. In the game against Sweden the team showed they had medal potential. They would have made Canada or the US earn that semifinal spot had the Danes beat the Swiss.

I'm not saying this is all on the coaches but it's the coaching staffs job to get the best result out of the players they have at their disposal and clearly they didn't. Mediocre goaltending didn't help either.

 

[Elvs]

I strongly disagree here. I put them in the same tier as the Czech Republic when looking at Finland in ALL international events. But this year at the WJC they are without a doubt one of the weakest if not weakest team involved. They lost their 3 best players and don't really have that much depth. Had they not won last year and you just looked at their roster from this year, it's pretty clear that the team is not even close to the rest of the competition. It's just a down year because of this years class. They will likely bounce back next year or the year after, but the team this year really isn't that good.

Olli Juolevi - drafted #5 overall in 2016
Miro Heiskanen - projects as a mid first round pick in 2017
Vili Saarijarvi - 3rd round pick in 2015. A PPG defenseman in the OHL
Uhro Vaakanainen - projects as a mid-late first round pick in 2017
Juuso Valimaki - projects as a mid-late first round pick in 2017
Kasper Bjorkqvist - 2nd round pick in 2016
Henrik Borgstrom - 1st round pick in 2016
Janne Kuokkanen - 2nd round pick in 2016
Julius Nattinen - 2nd round pick in 2016
Eeli Tolvanen - projects as a top 10 pick in 2017
Kristian Vesalainen - projects as a mid 1st round pick in 2017

I didn't bother to mention some of their later round picks, or kids who are playing well against men in Liiga and the KHL.

Please enlighten us, how this team is without doubt one of the weakest, if not the weakest team involved...