Mikko Heiskanes became the SM league coach for the second time in his career in the middle of the season. JYP’s director of sports explains why Jukka Rautakorpi and Ville Nieminen were allowed to leave.
Joel Sippola,
Joni Pakarinen
Ice hockey championship league team JYP beat Ässät yesterday in the shootout 3–2. Shortly after the match, the chat group of JYP’s coaching team received an announcement that the coaching team must be there on Wednesday at 9:15 in hall 1 of JYP’s home hall.
In the morning, the head coach was planted there Jukka Rautakorpi and assistant coach Ville Nieminen. The two were informed that they had been relieved of their duties.
The rest of the coaching staff was asked to leave the place. Among them was JYP’s former assistant coach and the new head coach Mikko Heiskanen.
– I heard around 9:30 that I am JYP’s new head coach, Heiskanen says.
Heiskanen says that in the morning the feelings quickly changed from one side to the other. At first, he was upset for Rautakorvin and Nieminen.
– Those are unpleasant things for others. The brutality of coaching came up again. But when you are in an employment contract, you do what the employer tells you, Heiskanen reminds.
Certain weights were not met
Rautakorvi’s dismissal has caused widespread consternation on Wednesday. JYP is tenth in the standings, four points behind fourth-placed Luko. The people from Jyväskylä have played two matches less than the people from Rauma.
From a sporting point of view, the kicks seem strange on the outside.
Sports Director Mikko Viitanen stated in the club’s press release that apart from the physical requirement level, the goals set for coaching were not met.
The president of the club Jukka Sepppänen according to which the decision is related to the game goals of the strategy.
– Almost two years ago, we drew up a new strategy in the club, in which the new Jyppian game ideology plays an important role. Its key issues are e.g. creativity, courage to play and positivity. The goal is to develop a sustainable and modern sporting competitive advantage for JYP, Seppänen stated in the press release.
JYP only reached 13th place last season. Viitanen tells Urheilu that the decision was the result of a long time.
– We have had a clear plan for how we want to move the league team forward. After last season’s disappointment, we did a big demolition job of successful and unsuccessful things.
– Certain things were corrected to a good level, but certain emphasis was still a bit lacking. We felt that this decision was in the best interests of the club.
According to Viitanen, JYP was not at the level it should be in the long run.
– You have to look behind the result. What the game looks like, what it produces and in which direction it will develop, Viitanen summarizes.
“Let’s have fun”
It is not the first time that Heiskanen replaces a fired head coach. In the 2018–2019 season, he became KooKoo’s head coach Tuomas Tuokkolan in place of.
Now, however, the situation was a little different.
– Maybe this came a little faster. Then there was a time window of a week, Heiskanen recalls.
The new head coach does not want to know why Rautakorpi and Nieminen were allowed to leave.
– Surely the club management has made a decision and analyzed the matter. It is not my job to decide who is employed. It comes from other parties.
So what will change in JYP under the new head coach?
– Let’s have fun!
Can it be interpreted that it wasn’t fun before?
– Well, absolutely not! However, the joy must be brought to this first, Heiskanen answers.