Jukka Jalonen has ended his work with the Blue Team. © ANSA / SALVATORE DI NOLFI

Jalonen's farewell: "A higher level is needed"

The decision is final. Jukka Jalonen is leaving Italy's national ice hockey team after two years and returning to Finland. Jalonen speaks out one last time after the team's relegation from the World Championship.

28 May 2026

From: cst

"The decisive defeat against Slovenia was primarily due to two factors: mental and practical. Our poor power play drained us mentally, and we also had offensive problems. These plagued us throughout the entire tournament," Jukka Jalonen explained regarding the final knockout against Slovenia. Italy was relegated from the top group at the end of the World Championship.

As a result, the Finn's contract was not renewed – also because Jalonen had a good offer from the Finnish Liiga. From a sporting perspective, FISG sports director Stefan Zisser praised the work. Jalonen emphasizes that the new Azzurri coach will find a good foundation: “There’s a strong coaching staff, so it doesn’t have to start from scratch. It will be important for the new coach to travel a lot and observe players. I used almost 50 players; I wanted to give many lads a chance. There are some talents; they just need to be discovered.”

Jalonen's advice to young talents

Jalonen advises Italy's top talents to look for opportunities abroad. "In modern hockey, everything happens very quickly. Moving abroad at 16 can be a good solution. The quality in the leagues in Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Canada, or the USA is simply higher than in Italy. The youngsters can develop faster and will be ready when they get a chance in professional hockey."

"The level for young players abroad is simply higher than here." Jukka Jalonen recommends that talented individuals explore new paths

Jalonen also hinted at some subtle criticism of Italy's hockey system: "There are basically only two professional clubs: Bolzano and Pustertal. It's not easy to get a spot there. Local hockey doesn't lack talent or attitude. What's needed is a higher level of training and practice."