Jukka Jalonen, who has coached Finland to five championship gold medals, is starting his last World Cup camp. His professional future has been completely open since May, but it doesn’t stress Jalo.
The hockey lions head coach From Jukka Jalose due at the end of May Antti from Penna has been sown this spring in cold waters.
Ilves, who went into the playoffs of the SM league even as the biggest favorite for the championship, flew out in the quarter-finals in the handling of KalPa, when the Kuopio team even sensationally took the match series 4–1. The situation is severely affecting Penna, whose success as Ilves’ head coach has been critically evaluated.
After a successful player like Jukka Jalonen, it wouldn’t be easy to become the head coach of the national team anyway, especially if Jalonen is still in the Czech Republic from 10 to 26. from the World Championships held in May, he and his team would return home with gold medals around their necks.
– It could be a bit overwhelming for him, Jalonen admitted to Urheilu on Friday.
– We are aiming for that, but not because it would be boring for Pennane, Jalonen laughed.
The intervals are good
Jalonen, who will start his last World Cup camp as head coach of the Lions on Sunday, wanted to emphasize that both his professional and private relations with Penna are very good and he wishes his successor great success.
Pennanen was one of Jalonen’s assistant coaches at the under-20 World Championships in Helsinki at the turn of the year 2015–2016 and at the men’s World Championships in Slovakia 2019. Both projects culminated in championships.
While Pennanen’s professional future is clear, Jalonen is thinking about his own. The head coach said that the only employment contract is currently valid with the Ice Hockey League.
– There are a couple of months left, and nothing else is certain. There is no need to panic to make a deal anywhere, but one option is to do nothing for a while.
I am interested in Switzerland or Sweden
Jalonen said that he strongly believes that he will receive a competitive offer for coaching in the near future.
– There’s probably not two words about it, but whether it comes now or later is a different matter.
Jalonen has made no secret of the fact that his biggest wish would be to become head coach at a high-quality club outside of Finland. In that case, it would mainly be the main leagues of Switzerland and Sweden.
– It hasn’t changed for any reason, but there aren’t a lot of places available and there are long queues, especially in Switzerland. In Sweden, on the other hand, Swedish coaches have traditionally been trusted to a large extent. In other words, the market situation in terms of top clubs is not the most optimal.
Is HIFK an option?
HIFK, which started the season with a top team with huge investments, has an early exit from the medal games naturally initiated speculations in which Jukka Jalonen, available in late spring, would replace the classic club as head coach Ville Peltonen. His expensive contract was extended in the middle of this season until the spring of 2026.
– The matter is not current for me. HIFK is probably now thinking about what to do with its coaching and sports management in general. If the matter progresses, then you have to think about whether you have to think. Since I don’t have a contract anywhere, of course I categorically do not rule anything out. But it’s not something I’m actively thinking about.
Jalonen admits that he was surprised that KalPa put Ilves out clinically. At the same time, KalPa and especially two of the team’s players have been the objects of his great interest this spring.
– For example Oliver Kapanen and Juuso Mäenpää play a great game, and KalPa is also pleased with its clear own game identity and a significant number of its own growths.
Who will come from the NHL?
With the World Cup approaching, the level of players available from the NHL is naturally of interest. Current names have been mentioned, e.g. Matias Maccelli, Joel Armia, Mikael Granlund, Juuse Saros and Erik Haula. Jalonen met several Finnish players on his NHL trip as GM Jere Lehtinen with.
– When you line up the essential variables, i.e. contract situation, health and motivation and the opportunity to commit to a World Cup project for a long time after the season, there are not a huge number of such players available even now.
An interesting player would be e.g. Haula of the New Jersey Devils, rarely seen in the national team, who last appeared at the World Cup in 2014. Jalonen is cautiously optimistic about getting him involved.
– When Jere and I met him, the Devils still had a realistic shot at going to the playoffs. Then we agreed in good spirit about further contact. If Erik was categorically refusing, it would hardly have been agreed upon.