Italos, Olympics, Bolzano rumors: Now Jalonen speaks

There has been no more successful national ice hockey coach in recent memory than Jukka Jalonen. He led his home country of Finland to world championship titles and Olympic gold. Now he faces a mission impossible in Italy. He is tasked with leading the Blue Team to promotion at the B World Championships in Romania at the end of the month and then whipping an entire country into ice hockey fever at the Olympics. He is currently preparing for this at a training camp in Bolzano. We sat down with the 62-year-old ice hockey coach there for an interview.

Mr. Jalonen, you've been in office for eight months. How do you like your new job?

"I'm thrilled. I'm working here with a highly professional coaching team and a large selection of good players. We fielded around 50 players in the first three friendly tournaments, and we've gained a good overview. We're currently training here in Bolzano with five lines, and more players like Damian Clara will join us at the end of next week. Then we'll get down to the nitty-gritty."

You seem undaunted. Has nothing surprised you in the past few months? "If anything surprised me, it was the players' focus and their desire to improve. Otherwise, I knew what to expect. I'd already been to Italy as a player and had also watched the Blue Team at the last World Cup."

Jukka Jalonen and his team are preparing for the World Cup in Bolzano. © VANNA ANTONELLO

You're a star in your home country, but here, hardly anyone would recognize you on the street. Does that feel strange? "Let me put it this way: Not every child in Finland knows me, either. Here, however, no child knows me at all (laughs). But maybe that will change after the Olympics. No, seriously, I may be more famous in my home country, but I've never felt like an important person. I don't attach much importance to that."

What do you appreciate about your new hometown? "I know it sounds cliché, but the good food, the great weather, and the open nature of the people fascinate me. When I'm here, I stay in Bolzano. It's a great city with a beautiful surrounding area. What's important to me, though, is that I have short distances to the arena next door and to the other important ice hockey venues in Italy." “I have attended around 40 games in the last few months” Jukka Jalonen From your quarters in Bolzano, do you also have an insight into the problems in domestic ice hockey? "I've watched around 40 games on-site over the past few months. I've been a guest at the ICE and the AlpsHL, and IHL games myself, such as the recent final series between Kaltern and Aosta. I can say that good ice hockey is played here. When we talk about problems, I see them most prominently in youth development. With Bolzano, Pustertal, and Asiago, we essentially only have three professional clubs, which is too few. Good youth players often have to travel abroad because there are hardly any opportunities here to develop and advance."

Speaking of young players: Which stars in your squad have star potential? "I'm impressed by Tommy Purdeller and Damian Clara. They have great talent, but above all, they have this indomitable will to improve. But age is fundamentally secondary to me. The chemistry within the team has to be right. We have a good mix of young players who bring a breath of fresh air and older players with experience. I like that." If Italy wants to play at a higher level of ice hockey, Italy needs dual citizens. Jukka Jalonen What role do dual citizens play in this team structure? "We don't have any cliques. I can assure you, all the players here—whether they were born in Italy, Canada, or the USA—are enthusiastic about putting on the blue jersey. I said it just on Monday in my first locker room speech: We are a family—and we must stay that way."

What is your general opinion on the Italo issue, which is currently heating up again in view of the Olympics? "For me, what matters is whether a player is eligible to play for Italy and whether he has the will to play for that country. That's it. Of course, it would be nice if there were enough good ice hockey players in Italy to form a strong team. But let's not kid ourselves: If Italy wants to play at a higher level of ice hockey, Italy needs dual nationals. It's always been this way and it will remain this way. We mustn't turn this into a negative; we must take advantage of it. At the same time, we must try to train good ice hockey players here in the country."

The World Cup is just around the corner, but the dominant topic is the 2026 Olympics in Milan. How much are you thinking about that? "Not at all at the moment. The focus is on the next test matches and the World Cup in Romania. But of course, we can't downplay the Olympics. Playing at home in our own living rooms – that will be an experience for everyone involved that only very few athletes get to enjoy. Or as the saying goes: That's a lifetime thing!" “A change or an additional job is out of the question” Jukka Jalonen Are you afraid of competing with the major ice hockey nations? "No, absolutely not. Of course, these will be huge challenges against teams that are better than us in terms of quality. But I'll be clear: We don't just want to be there. We want to play well, we want to be successful, but above all, we want ice hockey fans all over Italy to be proud of us."

One last question: Recently, rumors surfaced that you might also take over the reins at HC Bolzano in addition to your job as national coach. Is there any truth to this? "No (laughs). No one has contacted me. If there is any interest in the future, I will decline. I am the Italian national coach and I want to focus solely on that role. There was an opportunity last year to take on a coaching position in Switzerland, but I turned that down as well. A move or an additional job in Europe is out of the question. I would only make an exception for the NHL, but let's be honest, I'm a long way from that."

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Italos, Olympics, Bolzano rumors: Now Jalonen speaks

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