| Mikkelin Jukurit | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Mikkeli |
| League | Liiga |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Home arena | Let's Go Areena |
| Colours | Blue, yellow, red, white ย ย ย ย |
| Owner | Jukurit HC Oy |
| Head coach | Jonne Virtanen |
| Captain | Jesper Piitulainen |
| Affiliates | SaPKo (Suomi-sarja) |
| Farm club | Jukurit U20 |
| Website | jukurit |
 | |
Mikkelin Jukurit is a professional ice hockey team in Liiga, the top tier Finnish ice hockey league. They play in Mikkeli, Finland, at the Kalevankankaan jรครคhalli (also known as Let's Go Areena for sponsorship reasons). The team has won seven Mestis (second highest level) championships (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2013, 2015, and 2016).
History
editMikkelin Jukurit was founded in 1970. During the 1970s Jukurit played in the second highest level but the 1980s and 1990s were spent in lower levels. The 1998โ99 season was a turning point for the team, when Matti Turunen became the executive director and Risto Dufva from Jyvรคskylรค became head coach. In the 1999โ2000 season they won their first championship in the newly established Suomi-sarja league, and returned to the Mestis after a 20-year break. Jukurit won the Mestis championship in their first three seasons and made the semifinals consecutively on their first eight seasons.[1] After Jukurit won a fourth championship in early 2006, Risto Dufva left the team. He was replaced by Finnish hockey legend Reijo Ruotsalainen as head coach but Ruotsalainen's tenure was short-lived and was replaced mid-season by a long-time assistant coach Pekka Lipiรคinen. 2008โ09 was the only Mestis season Jukurit did not make the playoffs. In 2009 an incorporation Jukurit HC Oy was founded. Until this the team had operated as an association.
After hiring Jarno Pikkarainen as head coach for the 2010โ11 season, Jukurit returned to the finals but lost to Sport. Under Pikkarainen, Jukurit won another championship in 2012โ13 and two more in 2015 and 2016 with Antti Pennanen as head coach. After the team's seventh Mestis championship, Jukurit was granted a permission to purchase a license to Liiga, the top league in Finnish ice hockey. During the team's 16 seasons in Mestis, they achieved seven gold medals, four silver medals, and one bronze medal.
Since the season 2016โ17 Jukurit has played in Liiga. During the first four seasons, the team did not make the playoffs, finishing 11th, 13th, 14th, and 13th in the regular season.[2] Coached by former NHL player Olli Jokinen, Jukurit finished second in the regular season of 2021โ22, earning their first ever playoff spot.
Personnel
editCurrent roster
editThis article needs to be updated. (October 2025) |
Updated 15 September 2024
Team officials
editUpdated 8 January 2022[3]
| Title | Staff Member | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Manager | Mikko Hakkarainen | |||||
| Head Coach | Olli Jokinen | |||||
| Coach | Sergei Krivokrasov | |||||
| Coach | Vesa Surenkin | |||||
| Goaltending Coach | Mika Tarvainen | |||||
| Video Coach | Jussi Hyvรคrinen | |||||
| Equipment Manager | Jose Rรคmรถ | |||||
| Trainer | Jukka Kรครคriรคinen | |||||
| Trainer | Niko Randelin | |||||
| Physician | Jouni Huttunen | |||||
| Physician | Roni Saren | |||||
| Masseuse | Jari Vetelรคinen | |||||
Retired numbers
edit- # 12 Antti Laakso
- # 22 Martti Salminen
- # 24 Lasse Kanerva
- # 31 Petri Lehtonen
Number 21 is not in circulation, it belonged to Sami Lehmusmetsรค who died in a traffic accident.
Captains
edit| Name[4] | Seasons |
|---|---|
| Lasse Kanerva | 2000โ02, 2005โ07 |
| Mikko Hakkarainen | 2002โ05 |
| Timo Kuuluvainen | 2007โ08 |
| Ilkka Kallioinen | 2008โ12 |
| Pasi Jรคrvinen | 2012โ14 |
| Juuso Akkanen | 2014โ15 |
| Marko Kauppinen | 2015โ17 |
| Miika Roine | 2017โ20 |
| Jesper Piitulainen | 2020โ21 |
| Petrus Palmu | 2021โpresent |
Head coaches
edit| Head coach[5] | Seasons | |
|---|---|---|
| Jorma Paju | 1970โ1972 | |
| Teuvo Myyrylรคinen | 1972โ1973 | |
| Martti Helle | 1973โ1974 | |
| Jukka Mattila | 1974โ1975 | |
| Eero Vรคlivuori | 1975โ1976 | |
| Jukka Mattila | 1976โ1980 | |
| Kari Kivilompolo | 1980โ1981 | |
| Markku Mikkonen | 1981โ1983 | |
| Ole Renlund | 1983โ1984 | |
| Matti Ruohonen | 1984โ1986 | Replaced mid-season 1985โ86 by Hannu Riipinen |
| Hannu Muhonen | 1986โ1988 | |
| Markku Mustonen | 1988โ1989 | Replaced mid-season by Martti Salminen |
| Martti Salminen | 1989โ1991 | |
| Pekka Kรคhรถnen | 1991โ1992 | |
| Miroslav Paulus | 1992โ1993 | |
| Jukka Penttinen | 1992โ1995 | |
| Pertti Pรถyry | 1995โ1998 | |
| Risto Dufva | 1998โ2006 | |
| Reijo Ruotsalainen | 2006โ2007 | Replaced 26 January by Pekka Lipiรคinen |
| Kari Makkonen | 2007โ2008 | Replaced 13 October by Pekka Lipiรคinen |
| Pekka Lipiรคinen | 2008โ2009 | |
| Jarno Pikkarainen | 2010โ2014 | Replaced 4 December by Timo Turunen, 16 December by Antti Pennanen |
| Antti Pennanen | 2014โ2016 | |
| Risto Dufva | 2016โ2018 | |
| Pekka Kangasalusta | 2018โ2020 | Replaced 6 January by Marko Kauppinen |
| Marko Kauppinen | 2020โ2021 | |
| Olli Jokinen | 2021โpresent |
Notable players
edit- G Tero Leinonen
- G Mikko Strรถmberg
- D Kalle Kaijomaa
- D Marko Kauppinen
- D Tommi Kovanen
- D Jukka-Pekka Laamanen
- D Mikko Mรคenpรครค
- D Simo Mรคlkiรค
- D Joni Tuominen
- D Ilkka Vaarasuo
- F Mikko Hakkarainen
- F Iivo Hokkanen
- F Juha-Pekka Hytรถnen
- F Petri Koskinen
- F Niko Laakkonen
- F Pentti Nรถyrรคnen
- F Olli Sipilรคinen
- F Erkka Westerlund
- F,C Pentti Matikainen
- C Sergei Krivokrasov
- HC Risto Dufva
- HC Olli Jokinen
- HC Reijo Ruotsalainen
Notes: G = Goaltender, D = Defenceman, F = Forward, HC = Head coach, C = Coach
References
edit- ^ "Jukurit at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ "Jukurit | Liiga". liiga.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ "Jukurit". Eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ^ "Jukurit | Liiga". liiga.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ "Jukurit | Liiga". liiga.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 6 August 2020.
