Jukka Jalonen

Who is Jukka Jalonen?

Jukka Jalonen is a Finnish professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the first Finnish head coach to lead the Finnish national men's ice hockey team to a World Championship.

Jalonen served as the head coach of the Finnish national team 2008–2013. He led the team to World Championship gold medals in 2011, bronze medals in 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and World Championship bronze medals in 2008.

Jalonen has previously coached several Finnish ice hockey teams in the SM-liiga: Ilves, Lukko, and HPK, and also Vaasan Sport in Mestis. He also coached the Newcastle RiverKings and Newcastle Jesters in the British Ice Hockey Superleague during seasons 1999/2000 and 2000/2001. Currently he is the head coach of SKA Saint Petersburg in KHL.

During his coaching career he has won the Finnish Championship once, in 2006, with HPK. He has won also four bronze medals; 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007. All of them were with HPK.

In his playing career, he played in two SM-liiga games for JyP HT in the 1985-86 season. He also played for JYP, Jääahmat and Lohi in lower divisions.