Rangers bench boss named OHL Coach of the Year
Posted Apr 17, 2025 03:22:52 PM.
Last Updated Apr 17, 2025 03:22:58 PM.
It’s a major honour for the Kitchener Rangers’ Jussi Ahokas.
He has been named the winner of the Matt Leyden Trophy as the Ontario Hockey League Coach of the Year. The award is voted on by the league’s general managers.
A native of Oulu, Finland, Ahokas is in his second season with the East Avenue Blue and has already led them to consecutive 40-win seasons, including this year, where the Rangers sported a 47-15-4-2 record, the second best in the league despite entering the season ranked 13th.
Ahokas began is coaching career with the Finnish National Team in 2004-2005, eventually leading them to a gold medal at the World Juniors in 2020.
He’s just the third Rangers head coach to win the award and the first since Joe McDonnell did it in the 1988-89 season.
According to a release from the league, the other candidates were Jay McKee with the Brantford Bulldogs and Dale Hunter of the London Knights.
After beating the Flint Firebirds in five games in Round 1, the Blue Shirts have a mountain to climb, trailing the Windsor Spitfires 3-1 in their second-round series.
It’s do or die for the Rangers in Game 5 on Friday, April 18th. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
Mike Farwell and Paul Fixter will have the call of the game on 570 NewsRadio. The pre-game begins at 6:30 p.m.
