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 jäähalli (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 Mikkelin 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 1998–99 season was a turning point for the team, when Matti Turunen became the executive director and Risto Dufva from Jyväskylä became head coach. In the 1999–2000 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. 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 Lipiäinen. 2008–09 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 2010–11 season, Jukurit returned to the finals but lost to Sport. Under Pikkarainen, Jukurit won another championship in 2012–13 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 2016–17 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. Coached by former NHL player Olli Jokinen, Jukurit finished second in the regular season of 2021–22, earning their first ever playoff spot.
Personnel
Current roster
Updated 15 September 2024
Team officials Updated 8 January 2022 TitleStaff MemberTeam ManagerMikko HakkarainenHead CoachOlli JokinenCoachSergei KrivokrasovCoachVesa SurenkinGoaltending CoachMika TarvainenVideo CoachJussi HyvärinenEquipment ManagerJose RämöTrainerJukka KääriäinenTrainerNiko RandelinPhysicianJouni HuttunenPhysicianRoni SarenMasseuseJari Veteläinen
Retired numbers # 12 Antti Laakso # 22 Martti Salminen # 24 Lasse Kanerva # 31 Petri Lehtonen Number 21 is not in circulation, it belonged to Sami Lehmusmetsä who died in a traffic accident.
Captains +NameSeasonsLasse Kanerva2000–02, 2005–07Mikko Hakkarainen2002–05Timo Kuuluvainen2007–08Ilkka Kallioinen2008–12Pasi Järvinen2012–14Juuso Akkanen2014–15Marko Kauppinen2015–17Miika Roine2017–20Jesper Piitulainen2020–21Petrus Palmu2021–present
Head coaches +Head coachSeasonsJorma Paju1970–1972Teuvo Myyryläinen1972–1973Martti Helle1973–1974Jukka Mattila1974–1975Eero Välivuori1975–1976Jukka Mattila1976–1980Kari Kivilompolo1980–1981Markku Mikkonen1981–1983Ole Renlund1983–1984Matti Ruohonen1984–1986Replaced mid-season 1985–86 by Hannu RiipinenHannu Muhonen1986–1988Markku Mustonen1988–1989Replaced mid-season by Martti SalminenMartti Salminen1989–1991Pekka Kähönen1991–1992Miroslav Paulus1992–1993Jukka Penttinen1992–1995Pertti Pöyry1995–1998Risto Dufva1998–2006Reijo Ruotsalainen2006–2007Replaced 26 January by Pekka LipiäinenKari Makkonen2007–2008Replaced 13 October by Pekka LipiäinenPekka Lipiäinen2008–2009Jarno Pikkarainen2010–2014Replaced 4 December by Timo Turunen, 16 December by Antti PennanenAntti Pennanen2014–2016Risto Dufva2016–2018Pekka Kangasalusta2018–2020Replaced 6 January by Marko KauppinenMarko Kauppinen2020–2021Olli Jokinen2021–present
Notable players
G Tero Leinonen G Mikko Strömberg D Kalle Kaijomaa D Marko Kauppinen D Tommi Kovanen D Jukka-Pekka Laamanen D Mikko Mäenpää D Simo Mälkiä D Joni Tuominen D Ilkka Vaarasuo F Mikko Hakkarainen F Iivo Hokkanen F Juha-Pekka Hytönen F Petri Koskinen F Niko Laakkonen F Pentti Nöyränen F Olli Sipiläinen F Erkka Westerlund F, C Pentti Matikainen C Sergei Krivokrasov D Alberts Šmits, 5th overall in the 2026 NHL entry draft; highest-drafted Latvian draft pick in NHL history HC Risto Dufva HC Olli Jokinen HC Reijo Ruotsalainen
Notes: G = Goaltender, D = Defenceman, F = Forward, HC = Head coach, C = Coach
References
External links