Kari Jalonen

Kari Jalonen (born January 6, 1960) is a Finnish professional ice hockey coach and former player. He was a former head coach of Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team in year's 2022 and 2023. He is not related to Finnish ice hockey coach Jukka Jalonen.

Kari Jalonen
Born	(1960-01-06) January 6, 1960 (age 65) Oulu, Finland
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Kärpät HIFK TPS Lukko Junkkarit HT Calgary Flames Edmonton Oilers Skellefteå AIK Rouen HE
National team	Finland
NHL draft	Undrafted
Playing career	1978–1996

Medal record
Representing  Finland
Men's ice hockey
European Junior Championships
	1978 Finland
World Junior Championships
	1980 Finland

Playing career

A product of Oulun Kärpät, Jalonen played parts of two seasons (82-83, 83-84) at the NHL level, with the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. He made a total of 37 NHL appearances. He is best known for his time in the SM-liiga, but also had stints in Sweden (Skellefteå HC) and France (Dragons de Rouen).

Jalonen represented Finland internationally on nine occasions, including with the silver medal-winning 1980 World Juniors team and the bronze medal-winning 1986 European Championship team.

Coaching career

After his playing career, Jalonen embarked on a career in coaching. Jalonen has coached successful SM-liiga teams TPS, Kärpät and HIFK. He has won four Finnish national championships as a head coach: three with Kärpät and one with HIFK. Jalonen also played for HIFK during his playing career. He received Liiga Coach of the Year honors in 2005 and 2007.

Jalonen started as the head coach of Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in KHL from the beginning of the 2011–12 season and parted ways with the club during the 2012–13 season. During the 2013–14 season, he took over as head coach of fellow KHL team Lev Praha and guided the side to the Gagarin Cup finals, losing to Metallurg Magnitogorsk in seven games.

He was appointed head coach of Finland's national team in 2014. In April 2016, he was named head coach of SC Bern of the Swiss top-flight National League A (NLA).^[1] He guided the Finnish national team to a silver medal at the 2016 IIHF World Championships in Russia^[2] before stepping aside to take on the Bern job.^[3] He guided Bern to the Swiss championship in his first year in charge (2017)^[4] and also in 2019. On January 28, 2020, Jalonen was fired by SC Bern, following bad results. Hans Kossmann took over at the helm of the team. Bern was ranked 9th in the Swiss championship when Jalonen was sacked.^[5] In March 2022, Jalonen signed a head coaching contract with the Czech national team until May 2024.

Jalonen accepted a two-year contract to coach the Finnish U20 national team, covering the 2023 and 2024 IIHF U20 world championships.

Jalonen was named head coach of Kölner Haie of the German top-flight DEL league in 2024.

Awards and titles

Kari Jalonen coaching Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in KHL, 2011–12 season

As a player

• SM-Liiga champion, Kanada-malja: 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93
• SM-Liiga silver: 1986–87
• SM-Liiga bronze: 1979–80, 1983–84, 1988–89,1993–94
• Jarmo Wasama memorial trophy winner: 1979
• Veli-Pekka Ketola trophy winner: 1987
• SM-liiga First All-Star Team: 1987, 1989
• IIHF European Cup silver: 1989–90
• Ligue Magnus champion: 1994–95
• Six Nations Tournament champion: 1995–96
• Ligue Magnus silver: 1995–96

As a coach

• SM-Liiga champion, Kanada-malja: 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01 (as assistant coach). 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11 (as head coach)
• Kalevi Numminen trophy winner: 2005, 2007
• KHL silver: 2013–14 (as head coach)
• Silver medal at IIHF World U20 Championships: 2001 (as head coach)
• Silver medal at IIHF World Championships: 2016 (as head coach)
• Bronze medal at IIHF World Championships: 2022 (as head coach)
• National League champion: 2016–17, 2018-2019 (as head coach)
• DEL silver: 2024–25 (as head coach)

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1976–77	Kärpät	FIN U20		24	21	10	31	32		6	4	3	7	6
1977–78	Kärpät	FIN U20		23	23	18	41	52		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	Kärpät	SM-l		36	13	13	26	30		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Kärpät	SM-l		28	23	24	47	16		6	3	5	8	2
1980–81	Kärpät	SM-l		35	16	34	50	22		12	7	14	21	20
1981–82	Kärpät	SM-l		33	21	26	47	24		3	2	5	7	2
1982–83	Calgary Flames	NHL		25	9	3	12	4		5	1	0	1	0
1982–83	Colorado Flames	CHL		33	12	32	44	8		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Calgary Flames	NHL		9	0	3	3	0		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Colorado Flames	CHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		3	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Kärpät	SM-l		14	6	15	21	17		10	5	12	17	10
1984–85	HIFK	SM-l		21	9	9	18	10		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Kärpät	SM-l		35	19	35	54	46		5	2	3	5	14
1986–87	Kärpät	SM-l		44	29	64	93	30		9	3	7	10	12
1987–88	Skellefteå HC	SEL		22	9	18	27	16		—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	Skellefteå HC	Allsv		16	9	15	24	17		5	5	4	9	6
1988–89	TPS	SM-l		44	18	56	74	40		10	4	14	18	8
1989–90	TPS	SM-l		37	19	31	50	12		9	5	8	13	10
1990–91	TPS	SM-l		26	4	22	26	18		9	3	4	7	2
1991–92	TPS	SM-l		44	10	21	31	8		3	0	1	1	0
1992–93	JHT	FIN.2		26	21	45	66	28		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	TPS	SM-l		6	0	0	0	6		9	2	3	5	2
1993–94	Kärpät	FIN.2		28	21	46	67	22		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Lukko	SM-l		18	3	10	13	2		9	1	2	3	4
1994–95	Dragons de Rouen	FRA		23	16	18	34	4		8	5	13	18	4
1995–96	Dragons de Rouen	FRA		18	8	26	34	27		5	4	4	8	0
SM-l totals				422	190	360	550	281		94	37	78	115	86
NHL totals				37	9	6	15	4		5	1	0	1	0

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1978	Finland	EJC		5	2	2	4	2
1979	Finland	WJC		6	3	3	6	2
1980	Finland	WJC		5	3	5	8	0
1981	Finland	WC		8	4	3	7	5
1981	Finland	CC		5	0	1	1	4
1982	Finland	WC		7	4	3	7	0
1983	Finland	WC		6	3	2	5	0
1986	Finland	WC		9	4	6	10	6
1987	Finland	WC		10	2	3	5	0
1989	Finland	WC		10	5	9	14	0
Junior totals				16	8	10	18	4
Senior totals				55	22	27	49	15