Kitchener Rangers name Jussi Ahokas head coach
Posted Jul 24, 2023 11:44:49 AM.
Last Updated Jul 25, 2023 09:39:03 AM.
Jussi Ahokas has been named the 25th head coach in Kitchener Rangers history.
The 42-year-old from Espoo, Finland brings 20 years of coaching experience in Europe to the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Jussi and his family to Kitchener,” said Kitchener Rangers general manager Mike McKenzie in a media release. “Jussi’s 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. I look forward to working with Jussi and seeing our player’s benefit from his care and coaching.”
Ahokas was behind the bench most recently for TPS Turku and Kouvola KooKoo in the Finnish Elite League (Liiga).
During the 2019-20 season, Ahokas earned Liiga’s Coach of the Year award as well as being named the Alliance of European Hockey Clubs’ Coach of the Year across all Europe’s top professional hockey leagues including Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland.
KooKoo improved its point totals from a 73-point campaign in 2018-19, prior to Ahokas’ time as coach, to a 110-point campaign in 2019-20.
After two years behind the bench for KooKoo, Ahokas was hired to lead TPS Turku in 2021. TPS Turku earned a silver medal in Liiga’s playoff format in his first year as head coach.
Ahokas has also served as head coach of Team Finland during international events. He helped his teams win gold medals at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championships and 2016 IIHF World U18 Championships.
“I’m really excited and really honoured,” said Ahokas. “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. I cannot wait for the season to start and look forward to working with the Rangers’ business and hockey staff moving forward.”
Ahokas is the first-ever non-Canadian head coach in Rangers’ history.
He will be officially introduced Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
