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Juhani Wahlsten

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Juhani Wahlsten
Black and white photo of middle-aged man dressed in a suit jacket, holding up a trophy resembling a hockey puck and hockey stick
Wahlsten in 1962
Born (1938-01-13)13 January 1938
Helsinki, Finland
Died 9 August 2019(2019-08-09) (aged 81)
Turku, Finland
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb)
Position Forward
Shot Left
Played for KalPa
Ilves
HJK
TPS
EC KAC
National team  Finland
Playing career 1956–1970
Medal record
Representing  Finland
Ice hockey

Juhani Jorma Kalervo Wahlsten (13 January 1938 – 9 June 2019) was a Finnish professional ice hockey player and ice hockey coach who worked as an exercise and gymnastics teacher in Finland. He was also known by the nickname "Juuso". He also established and helped guide the early development of ringette in Finland, the first European country to do so.[1][2]

During his ice hockey career,[3] Wahlsten played in Finland's SM-sarja for a number of teams including KalPa, Ilves, HJK Helsinki (HJK), and TPS. After his playing career finished he went on to become a coach. Wahlsten was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986[4] and was later inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2006.[5]

Wahlsten is considered to be the "Father of Ringette" in Finland.[6] The Juuso Wahlsten Trophy, named in his honour, is awarded during the World Ringette Championships to the World Ringette Junior champions.

Early life

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Juhani Jorma Kalervo Wahlsten was born on 13 January 1938, in Helsinki, Finland.[7]

Playing career

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Wahlsten played for both the Finland men's national ice hockey team and in the Finnish professional ice hockey league, SM-sarja.[8]

Professional ice hockey player

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Wahlsten began his career at KuPS (Kuopion Palloseura) in Kuopio in 1957, from where he moved to KalPa. Wahlsten helped raise the team to the main league level for the first time. While playing, he formed the "Hurricane Line" together with Ossi Hyppönen and Mauno Revo. Later, Revo was replaced by second-line center forward, Lauri Helen, and Revo moved to Helen's second-place position.[9] Wahlsten's line-mate, Hyppönen, also won the Finnish Championship gold in 1960.[10]

In 1959, Wahlsten moved to Tampere's Ilves, where he won the Finnish championship. After two years with Ilves, Wahlsten moved on for one season to HJK Helsinki, then to the Turku Club. In Turku, Wahlsten became one of Finland's first star players.[citation needed]

After seven TPS seasons, Wahlsten followed in the footsteps of Reijo Hakanen to EC KAC in Austria, where he won the national championship. After the season, Wahlsten returned to Ilves where he played for the final year before retiring.[citation needed]

In 1960 at the age of 22, Wahlsten won the SM-sarja gold while playing for Ilves Tampere.[11] In 1967 at the age of 29, Wahlsten won the SM-sarja silver while playing for TPS Turku.[11]

From 1957 to 1971, Wahlsten scored 219 points and 139 goals in 200 games.[5]

Finland national ice hockey team

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Wahlsten played 115 games for the Finland men's national ice hockey team.[5]

Wahlsten played in the Ice Hockey World Championships in 1959, 1962, 1965, 1967, and 1969.[7][12][11][13]

In 1962 Wahlsten won silver at the Ice Hockey European Championships while playing for Finland's national team.[7][14]

Wahlsten also played for the Finland national team in the Winter Olympics in 1960, 1964, and 1968.[7][15] When Wahlsten was the captain of the Finnish national hockey team in 1967 he scored two goals when Finland defeated the ice hockey powerhouse, Czechoslovakia, for the first time.[5]

Coaching career

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Wahlsten in 2011

After his career as professional ice hockey player finished in 1971,[7] Wahlsten continued as a coach. Wahlsten coached for a professional ice hockey league in Finland, for junior amateur ice hockey, and for Finland's junior men's national team.

HC TPS

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Wahlsten coached HC TPS from 1971 to 1972.[16][17]

After he had moved on to coach FC Barcelona Ice Hockey in Spain,[18][16][17] Wahlsten returned to TPS in Finland to coach from 1980 to 1983. HC TPS was first in the Finnish Championships 1971–72, and then in the Finnish Ice Hockey Championships 1980–1983.

In the early 1980s, TPS had a strong team but was unable to reach gold. After Wahlsten came aboard, the team made it to the semi-finals and finished in first place during the three seasons when Wahlsten was coach.[citation needed]

At least six players born in the early 1960s from TPS's Lokit junior team in Turku who were coached by Wahlsten were drafted by the National Hockey League in the 1980s, specifically to the Buffalo Sabres (coached by Scotty Bowman) and its Rochester farm team: Hannu Virta, Kai Suikkanen, Mauri Eivola, Heikki Leime, Jari Paavola, and others.[19][20]

FC Barcelona Ice Hockey

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From 1972 to 1974, Wahlsten was the coach for FC Barcelona Ice Hockey in Spain, the ice hockey division of the well-known football team, FC Barcelona.[18][16][17]

EV Füssen

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From 1984 to 1985, Wahlsten was the Head coach for the EV Füssen juniors in Germany.[16][17]

Finland men's national junior ice hockey team

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In 1983, Wahlsten was head coach of the Finland men's national junior ice hockey team (U20).

HC Davos

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From 1987 to 1988, Wahlsten coached HC Davos in Switzerland.[7]

Ringette

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Wahlsten, a.k.a. "Juuso" Wahlsten, is known as the "Father of Ringette" in Finland.[2][21]

In 1979, Wahlsten introduced the Canadian sport of ringette to Finland[22] by inviting two Canadian ringette coaches, Wendy King and Evelyn Watson, from Dollard des Ormeaux (a suburb of Montreal Quebec, Canada) to teach girls of various ages how to play ringette in Finland.[1] Wahlsten first introduced ringette to female players during hockey practice in Turku, then began creating some ringette teams in the area.[2] The first recorded ringette game in Finland took place on January 23, 1979. It was the first time ringette had been played in Europe. Finland's first ringette club was Ringetteläisiä Turun Siniset and the country's first ringette tournament took place in December, 1980.[2]

Today, the World Ringette Championships (WRC) presents the Juuso Wahlsten Trophy, named in his honour, to the winning junior world champion ringette team. The trophy was first introduced at the international competition during the 2019 World Ringette Championships.[23] The Team Canada Juniors became the first national team to win the trophy.[24]

Personal life

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Wahlsten worked as an exercise and gymnastics teacher at Aurajoki Co-educational School, where his wife Leena taught gymnastics to girls.[1] Wahlsten's sons Jali and Sami have also been representative level ice hockey players.[25][26]

Wahlsten died on 9 June 2019, in Turku, Finland.[20]

Achievements and awards

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "# 32 Juhani Wahlsten". mtvuutiset.fi (in Finnish). 14 March 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Ringette Suomessa". Wrc2015.com. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Statistics and profile, Juhani Wahlsten". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Ice Hockey Lions – Hockey Hall of Fame Finland - Jääkiekkomuseo". jaakiekkomuseo.fi (in Finnish). Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Martin Merk (11 June 2019). "Wahlsten passes away". iihf.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Juhani "Juuso" Wahlsten on kuollut" (in Finnish). Etusivu - Suomen Ringetteliitto Ry. 10 June 2019. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Olympedia - Juhani Wahlsten - Biographical information". olympedia.org. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Wahlsten Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Juhani Wahlsten 80 vuotta". kalpa.fi (in Finnish). 13 January 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Ossi Hyppönen - QuantHockey". quanthockey.com. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  11. ^ a b c "Juhani Wahlsten - QuantHockey". quanthockey.com. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Team Finland Roster @ Ice Hockey World Championships 1969". quanthockey.com. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Team Finland - Ice Hockey World Championships 1962 - Player Stats". quanthockey.com. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Ice Hockey Championships (821)". Olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  15. ^ "06.02.1968. Олимпиада. СССР - Финляндия". youtube.com. Hockey Legends. 6 February 1968. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g "Juhani Wahlsten at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Honoured Members: Players – Juhani Wahlsten". tampere.fi/jaakiekkomuseo/. Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 9 January 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  18. ^ a b c "Henkilökuvassa jääkiekkoilija ja valmentaja Juhani Wahlsten, El Padre del Hockey Hielo". Suomenkuvalehti.fi (in Finnish). 4 May 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  19. ^ Pasi Kostiainen (4 May 2012). "Henkilökuvassa jääkiekkoilija ja valmentaja Juhani Wahlsten, El Padre del Hockey Hielo". suomenkuvalehti.fi (in Finnish). Suomen Kuvalehti. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  20. ^ a b c d e f Pesu, Vili (10 June 2019). "Suomalaisen jääkiekon suurmies Juhani "Juuso" Wahlsten on kuollut" (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  21. ^ "History". Archived from the original on 7 September 2011.
  22. ^ a b Terhi Pinomäki. "Tyot pelaaman! Ringette koukutti turkulaiset lätkätytöt heti ensikosketuksella. Joukkueen aktiivisuudesta sai alkunsa Suomen ensimmäinen ringetteseura, Turun Ringette" (in Finnish). Turku Ringette. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  23. ^ IRF (28 November 2019). "IRF Ringette". instagram.com. International Ringette Federation. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  24. ^ Adelle Ellis (17 January 2020). "Local NRL player debuts at worlds, coaches youth". strathmoretimes.com. Strathmore Times. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Jali Wahlsten at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  26. ^ "Sami Wahlsten at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  27. ^ a b c d Virolainen, Antti (10 June 2019). "Juhani Tamminen kertoo, mikä vei hänen oppi-isänsä Juuso Wahlstenin: "Mitään ei ollut tehtävissä"". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Helsinki, Finland. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  28. ^ a b "Leijonalegenda Juhani Wahlsten on kuollut". mtvuutiset.fi (in Finnish). 10 June 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2022.

Further reading

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  • Mennander, Ari & Mennander, Pasi (2003). Leijonien tarina [The Story of the Lions] (in Finnish). Gummerus. ISBN 951-20-6455-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)⁣
  • Wahlsten, Juhani & Kaskinen, Kalle (2011). Juuso – aikaansa edellä [Juuso - Ahead of His Time] (in Finnish). Helsinki: Suomen Urheilumuseosäätiö (Finnish Sports Museum Foundation). ISBN 978-952-67019-6-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)⁣
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