Next Head Coach Finland U20 National Team

[ChicagoBullsFan]

As we know, Helsingin Jokerit has signed Jukka Jalonen their next head coach.
This means that Finland U20 national team, is without head coach again after this season.

When Finnish Ice Hockey Association, realize how important tournament U20 world juniors is.
There's no clue to hire new head coach every single season, when previous head coach has received better offer in KHL.

If you could decide Finland's next U20 national team head coach, who it would be?.
I say Erkka Westerlund, and why he's best for that job.

Also Erkka has talked a lot for that how, Finland should start coaching their juniors individually.
Karri Kivi is also potential head coach, but he is headed for replacing Lauri Marjamäki in Oulun Kärpät liiga team head coach.

Finland has rising coach prospects like Tero Lehterä, Antti Törmänen,Tuomas Tuokkola, Pekka Tirkkonen ( world junior gold medalist 1987), Tomek Valtonen ( world junior gold medalist 1998) and Ville Peltonen.

Peltonen would be perfect coach for Finnish U20 juniors.
He has long player career national ( Liiga) and international top level ( NHL,KHL,SHL, NLA, and 261 games in national team), also he knows what means to be a pro player and how to live, practice, and eat like pro player

But Peltonen has already HIFK juniors coaching director, assistant coach in HIFK U20 team and assistant coach men's national team.
Raimo Summanen isn't an option, he can't handle himself ( gets mad really easily) and he's real psychopath, who shouts very personal insults for his players. ( case Janne Niinimaa world cup 2004).

Rauli Urama And Hannu Jortikka aren't options too.
Speculation begins now.

Click to read more...

 

[Uncle Leland]

Antti Pennanen.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Antti Pennanen.

Better than Urama, everything is fine in Finnish national junior teams.
So long when Urama stays far away national team coaching.

It makes me sick always when i remembering, how Urama avoided his responsibility in U18 WJC home tournament ( 2014) in Lappeenranta.
When Sweden humiliated Finland 0-10 in quarterfinals

 

[Tulipunaruusu*]

Peltonen would be perfect coach for Finnish U20 juniors.
He has long player career national ( Liiga) and international top level ( NHL,KHL,SHL, NLA, and 261 games in national team), also he knows what means to be a pro player and how to live, practice, and eat like pro player

Next step for him would be learning to coach ice hockey?

Depends on who passes on the sauna ladle the best while. White smoke shall rise from Hartwall Arena's depths. A decision has been made.

 

[FiLe]

Liitto has lately veered towards pro coaches for the gig instead of just picking the closest sauna buddy. While Jortikka was a miss, even he was considered a merited pro name when he took up the job.

Raipe was far too inexperienced and a tactical disaster, Rindell a washout who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Peltonen is in the same point of his career as Raipe was back then - so a big and sound "NO" to him.

The issue of picking a guy who's "too" merited and keeps posting good results while on the job is that they don't tend to last out their contracts. So we need someone who's done a reasonable amount of daily coaching in responsible roles, but not someone who piques the KHL's interest as soon the team under him happens to do better than expected.

A winning Mestis head coach like Pennanen, who also has decent experience from junior coaching would actually be quite ideal. Also he's currently Jalonen's assistant, learning the ropes, and will be available after this season because Dufva takes over Jukurit when they move to Liiga. In other words, he's a match.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Liitto has lately veered towards pro coaches for the gig instead of just picking the closest sauna buddy. While Jortikka was a miss, even he was considered a merited pro name when he took up the job.

Raipe was far too inexperienced and a tactical disaster, Rindell a washout who just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Peltonen is in the same point of his career as Raipe was back then - so a big and sound "NO" to him.

The issue of picking a guy who's "too" merited and keeps posting good results while on the job is that they don't tend to last out their contracts. So we need someone who's done a reasonable amount of daily coaching in responsible roles, but not someone who piques the KHL's interest as soon the team under him happens to do better than expected.

A winning Mestis head coach like Pennanen, who also has decent experience from junior coaching would actually be quite ideal. Also he's currently Jalonen's assistant, learning the ropes, and will be available after this season because Dufva takes over Jukurit when they move to Liiga. In other words, he's a match.

Pennanen would be solid choice, but also Juuso Nieminen and Jussi Ahokas are other candidates.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Jukka Rautakorpi is new head coach, of Finland U20 team.
Last time ( 2008-2009) when Rautakorpi, was U20 national team's head coach. Finland played relegation round in world juniors.

Hopefully that wont happen again next year.

 

[FiLe]

Last time ( 2008-2009) when Rautakorpi, was U20 national team's head coach. Finland played relegation round in world juniors.

Hopefully that wont happen again next year.

You make it sound like it was Rautakorpi's fault. Truth be told, the crop was pretty garbage (a bunch of grinders with a handful of underage skill still more suitable for U18 thrown into the mix), and even then it was a close shave - had they won the SO vs. Slovakia instead of losing it, and they would have made the QF.