Kitchener Rangers 2022-23 Off-Season Thread (Part 5)

[Gondrex]

Now this is hiring I can support.
Well done.

With regards to last year's hiring, I think MM stated that CD "ticked all the boxes". No offense meant to CD at all but I think this guy ticks more boxes.

 

[traffic cone]

I'm excited we've really gone outside the box for this hire. Excited to see what changes are made in the style we play as well as the culture. Also hoping Jussi has connections to finding top Euro imports, and particularly can play a hand in getting Aron over here next fall.

Zero chance Kiviharju plays in the CHL next season.

HIFK tried the whole last season to lure him there and they got him. They’ve already got a role ready for him to step in.

Add to that one of the reason he left TPS was because he didn’t get along with Ahokas.

 

[nelli27]

I'm excited we've really gone outside the box for this hire. Excited to see what changes are made in the style we play as well as the culture. Also hoping Jussi has connections to finding top Euro imports, and particularly can play a hand in getting Aron over here next fall.

That's what I was thinking too. An added bonus would be his ability to persuade Finnish prospects to cross the pond.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

Quite the resume! And has the experience needed to develop players. Impressive.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

Zero chance Kiviharju plays in the CHL next season.

HIFK tried the whole last season to lure him there and they got him. They’ve already got a role ready for him to step in.

Add to that one of the reason he left TPS was because he didn’t get along with Ahokas.

That was said about Mesar too.....so hey, you never say never.

 

[Habsrule]

That’s a hell of a resume. And a resume with coaching teens as well.

Great hire!! I know that the best 32 coaches are not all in the NHL. He must have NHL aspirations and I think that this will just be a stepping stone for him.

 

[traffic cone]

That was said about Mesar too.....so hey, you never say never.

I’d say Kiviharju is a tier above Mesar as a prospect. And has already played in Liiga against men last season. Going to OHL now would be a step backwards.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Impressive. As improbable as it once seemed, does this hiring give the Rangers any pull in luring Aron Kiviharju to this side of the pond ?

Absolutely possible Ahokas coached Kiviharju in TPS Turku last season.

 

[Torts]

Zero chance Kiviharju plays in the CHL next season.

HIFK tried the whole last season to lure him there and they got him. They’ve already got a role ready for him to step in.

Add to that one of the reason he left TPS was because he didn’t get along with Ahokas.

Thanks for the detail and insight!!

 

[EvenSteven]

Easily the best resume of a Ranger head coach hire since DeBoer.

In other news, the Spits promoted an assistant.

Two drastically different hires on the same day.

 

[Kahvi]

He must have NHL aspirations and I think that this will just be a stepping stone for him.

He actually admitted this in an article (in finnish) today Jääkiekko | Jussi Ahokkaan valmennusura jatkuu Kanadan laadukkaassa junioriliigassa: ”Aikamoinen elämänkokemus”

google translate

The Espoo native has spoken openly about his NHL dream and that dream has not gone away. Vice versa.

He believes that the famous junior league OHL is the right path towards the brightest lights.

"I think that's the way for a European to gain a foothold - especially since I don't have an NHL background myself," says Ahokas.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Jussi Ahokas is the Rangers new head coach.

Kitchener Rangers

kitchenerrangers.com

Good selection.
Ahokas has coached Finnish national junior teams every age group ( U16, U17,U18,U20 ).
He's U18 and U20 WJC gold medal winning coach.

Ahokas is one of the promising coaches in Finland.
He was a candidate next Team Finland head coach but now he's not available.

Ahokas got fired from TPS Turku after last season but it wasn't his fault.
TPS had some inner-circle problems and management take too much control of coaching decisions.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Zero chance Kiviharju plays in the CHL next season.

HIFK tried the whole last season to lure him there and they got him. They’ve already got a role ready for him to step in.

Add to that one of the reason he left TPS was because he didn’t get along with Ahokas.

Bullshit.
The reason why Kiviharju leaved from TPS wasn't Ahokas.

It was that TPS management ( Rauli Urama and Erkka Westerlund )
took too much control of coaching decisions and forced injured players to practice with injuries.

Finnish journalist Sasha Huttunen published spring 2023
some alarming inner-circle informations of TPS turbulence his twitter account.

And those tweets are still available in Twitter but you can see
them in Kiviharju's prospect thread in prospect section.

 

[traffic cone]

Good selection.
Ahokas has coached Finnish national junior teams every age group ( U16, U17,U18,U20 ).
He's U18 and U20 WJC gold medal winning coach.

Ahokas is one of the promising coaches in Finland.
He was a candidate next Team Finland head coach but now he's not available.

Ahokas got fired from TPS Turku after last season but it wasn't his fault.
TPS had some inner-circle problems and management take too much control of coaching decisions.

From what I’ve heard (from my sources near/inside the team) many of the players disliked his ultra defensive approach to the games which led to him losing the dressing room.

And young players (like Aron) would lose their minutes after making a mistake while trying something too ambitious.

 

[Matttheleaf]

He actually admitted this in an article (in finnish) today Jääkiekko | Jussi Ahokkaan valmennusura jatkuu Kanadan laadukkaassa junioriliigassa: ”Aikamoinen elämänkokemus”

google translate

Well here is hoping that it's more of a take control of a bad team, turn them into a great team in time to host the memorial cup and win something then move onto the NHL, instead of only being here for like 2 years before anything gets done.

 

[traffic cone]

Bullshit.
The reason why Kiviharju leaved from TPS wasn't Ahokas.
It was that TPS management ( Urama and Westerlund ) took too much control of coaching decisions.
Finnish journalist Sasha Huttunen published some alarming inner-circle informations on his twitter account and those tweet are still available in Twitter but you can read / see them in Kiviharju's prospect thread in prospect section.

I can assure you Sasha Huttunen is way more far away from the team and the players than me and my sources are. He is basically Ahokas’ guy.

Believe what you will. I guess the truth is somewhere in the middle.

 

[nelli27]

Easily the best resume of a Ranger head coach hire since DeBoer.

In other news, the Spits promoted an assistant.

Two drastically different hires on the same day.

I thought the Spits were going to hire Coach Cal (but he was only "short" - listed).

 

[SantosHalper]

 

[Jives]

Shocked….seems like a solid hire

 

[Matttheleaf]

Well here is hoping that it's more of a take control of a bad team, turn them into a great team in time to host the memorial cup and win something then move onto the NHL, instead of only being here for like 2 years before anything gets done.

More on this. Josh Brown reported that his contract is for 2 years with a 2 year mutual option.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

From what I’ve heard (from my sources near/inside the team) many of the players disliked his ultra defensive approach to the games which led to him losing the dressing room.

And young players (like Aron) would lose their minutes after making a mistake while trying something too ambitious.

So long when Rauli Urama and Erkka Westerlund
are running their country club circus in TPS everything is possible.
If someone f***ed up Kiviharju case in TPS it was MANAGEMENT staff not coaching staff.

That’s a hell of a resume. And a resume with coaching teens as well.

Great hire!! I know that the best 32 coaches are not all in the NHL. He must have NHL aspirations and I think that this will just be a stepping stone for him.

Ahokas participated in Chicago Blackawks prospect camp 2015 and 2016 as a guest coach.
But as a head coach he's a rookie in North America.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Zero chance Kiviharju plays in the CHL next season.

HIFK tried the whole last season to lure him there and they got him. They’ve already got a role ready for him to step in.

Add to that one of the reason he left TPS was because he didn’t get along with Ahokas.

HIFK is actively looking 1 dman in free-agency market.
If / when signing happens HIFK do not have available roster spot for Kiviharju.
That's why i predict the odds for Kiviharju's next season team is 80% to Kitchener Rangers 20% HIFK.

 

[RangerNation]

So THIS is what the lame "Blue Wave" marketing was actually referring too. Not bad at all. I like it now.

Even Selanne is psyched.

Tervetuloa!

 

[Antiillafire]

Agreed that it isn’t surprising, just for a different reason.

Speaking of Josh Brown, in his last Rangers article before his, we’re assuming vacation, Mike McKenzie already confirmed to him and everyone in the article it would be the long game for Pobežal and that he would start his season in Slovakia.

The thing is Pobežal is more similar to Adam Sykora, in comparison to Mesar. He can play up and down the lineup in Nitra both down the middle and on the wing. Mesar has a more specified role, while Pobežal can play more of an expanded role. He could definitely stay in Nitra through his DY and even into his DY+1 or go to the AHL. It would be interesting to see him in the OHL as I think he could have some success, he’s got a real good motor and has more of that fire in his belly that Kitchener fans wanted from Mesar.

 

[gritdash60]

That's what I was thinking too. An added bonus would be his ability to persuade Finnish prospects to cross the pond.

That 100% is a part of the reason he got the deal, very interesting for a finnish hockey fan to see how he does and how the finnish kids he inevitably brings there. So cool to see a OHL team going for a finnish coach, and also great to see Ahokas took that route and not some "easier" route in europe.

This confirms at least the fact that Ahokas has watched how Grönborg and Jalonen who both want, or at least wanted to get a coaching job in the NHL failed by doing good in Europe and on international teams, and figured that if he wants ever to get a shot for NHL coaching job he needs to start the grind in the OHL.