HIFK Helsinki found a new coach

Traditional Finnish SM-liiga club HIFK Helsinki found itself suddenly without a coach about one week ago when Petri Matikainen decided to step away and go to Russian KHL league to coach Avangard Omsk. Last season's KHL finalist team also lost suddenly their coach when another Finn Raimo Summanen decided to leave the team.

As a new HIFK coach will start Pasi Sormunen, 42, who was last season an assistant coach to Matikainen. Sormunen is a former top defender from Finnish SM-liiga and won two national championships along with two European cups with Jokerit. He also played at the highest European club level for Nürnberg in the German DEL, EHC Chur in the Swiss NLA and Frölunda HC in the Swedish Elitserien. In 1994 he won a bronze medal with the Finish national team at the Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer. Prior to be named assistant coach last year, Sormunen collected first experiences behind the bench as head coach of the U20 team of HIFK. His contract is valid for one year with the option for a second.

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