Westerlund takes over at the helm of Finnish national hockey team

Former head coach Summanen's deputy and mentor is most expected choice

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"The sort of coach that suits me is one who squeezes you by turns from the throat and in the balls", said ice hockey player Ville Nieminen some years ago in a TV interview.
      Nieminen's neck and privates are unlikely to suffer much painful squeezing in the locker-room of the national hockey team in the next couple of years. The Lions' new head coach Erkka Westerlund, who was appointed on Monday, has the reputation of being a calm and peaceful character.
      After all the fuss that surrounded the events of recent days, the flagship of Finnish ice hockey will in fact be heading out under exactly the same set of officers as were appointed two years ago, with the exception of the former head coach Raimo Summanen. Summanen's contract was terminated with immediate effect last week.
      Westerlund, 47, will be backed up by assistant coaches Hannu Virta and the former NHL legend Jari Kurri. Kurri will take on the role of general manager in a few months' time.
     
This trio have a contract running until the end of the 2006 IIHF World Championships and including the Torino Olympics in that year.
      Next year a new coach will be added to the line-up, but the name and his precise job description is still up in the air.
      Timo Jutila, who was captain of Finland's World Championship winners in 1995, also continues in the squad as team-leader.
     
There was nothing very dramatic or unexpected about Westerlund's appointment, and not even the gentleman's agreement worked out earlier between Summanen and other members of the management team caused any friction in the discussions.
      According to that verbal deal, the entire management team would resign their positions if the national head coach was forced to leave on sporting grounds. The reasons behind Summanen's dismissal, however, related to other aspects of his command.
      "The first thing to be done was to clear up my thoughts on past events. I have given Rami [Summanen] the support that I could. Then again, I could not do anything about the events that took place last month, so my conscience is clear on that score", commented Westerlund at the Finnish Ice Hockey Association's press briefing.
      Westerlund has been Summanen's mentor and inspiration as a coach. He has been there in the background for many years, stepping up as assistant coach to collect his share of the medals when the team has succeeded.
      "If I'm not ready to shoulder the job of head coach now, then I never will be", he said on Monday.
      Westerlund has also coached several teams in the Finnish league, including both the Helsinki sides, HIFK and Jokerit. He was recently head coach of the national under-20s squad until 2003, when he joined Summanen's team. 
     
Westerlund is not planning any drastic changes of direction with the national team.
      "I think we have been up to speed on the way the game is going at the top level. We have to try to stay one step ahead of the rest all the time, so we have to keep a close eye on developments elesewhere."
      Jari Kurri's title of general manager sounds very impressive, but at this stage it appears to point more in the direction of an all-rounder than a managing director.
      "There are a lot of things to be done. For example contacts with players will take up a good deal of time. The general manager is a kind of coordinator", explained Kurri.
      "There was talk about this job two years ago when I met with [FIHA Chairman] Kalervo Kummola about joining the squad. Erkka Westerlund brought the subject up again."
     
Erkka Westerlund's first task as head coach came within minutes of his appointment. The squad for the Helsinki tournament to be played from November 11th to 14th was announced on Monday.
      The team includes ten players from last spring's World Championships and six from the recent World Cup of Hockey, where the Finns made it through to the final before going down to Canada.
      One of the names not on the list was that of NHL defenseman Janne Niinimaa, whose abrupt departure from the team during the World Cup of Hockey was seen as one part of the decline in Summanen's stock as head coach. Westerlund nevertheless stated that nothing final had been decided on Niinimaa's future involvement on the ice with the Lions.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnish Ice Hockey Association terminates contract of national coach (28.10.2004)

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