Kitchener Rangers announce Jussi Ahokas as new head coach
Ahokas coached Team Finland to gold medal win at 2019 World Juniors
The Kitchener Rangers have announced Jussi Ahokas as the hockey team's new head coach.
The team described the 42-year-old as "one of the most decorated bench-bosses in European professional hockey."
He was named the Alliance of European Hockey Clubs' coach of the year in 2019-20 and he was head coach of Team Finland when they won gold at the 2019 World Juniors in Vancouver and when they won gold at the 2016 World U18 championships in North Dakota.
He also served as the video coach for Team Finland's women's team when they won a bronze medal at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Kitchener Rangers general manager Mike McKenzie said in a release that Ahokas' resume "speaks for itself."
"He has already accomplished so much at the club and international level in Finland. We are thrilled he has chosen to take the next step in his decorated career by coming to North America and thankful it will be here in Kitchener," McKenzie said.
Ahokas has spent the last four seasons as a head coach in the Finnish Elite League, which is Finland's top men's professional hockey league.
He said he's "really excited and really honoured" to be joining the Rangers.
"In Finland, we know what the Kitchener Rangers are about and the type of organization they are. I feel privileged to get this opportunity to coach in Canada, especially in Kitchener," he said.
"I cannot wait for the season to start and look forward to working with the Rangers' business and hockey staff moving forward."
The Kitchener Rangers play in the Ontario Hockey League. They're set to start the preseason on Sept. 3 when they host the Oshawa Generals. The regular season gets underway Sept. 29 when the Rangers host the Saginaw Spirit.