Kari Jalonen returns to Tappara with quieter, player-focused leadership

Kari Jalonen has stopped shouting and now leads with a calmer, player-centred approach while continuing to deliver results. The 66-year-old will take charge of Tappara from 1 September, YLE reports. He says he has reshaped his leadership since 2005.

Jalonen’s record spans five countries and more than two decades. He has won four Finnish championships, claimed two Swiss titles with SC Bern, reached KHL and German league finals, and earned World Championship medals with both Finland and the Czech Republic. He traces the shift in style to his time at Oulun Kärpät. There, a structured review involving players, staff and club leadership prompted him to listen more, bring players closer and stop shouting after 2005.

The veteran coach still expects high standards, but now pairs demanding coaching with empathy. He uses younger assistant coaches to stay in tune with players aged 20 to 25 and relies on quiet interventions, such as a team breakfast before a decisive game, to read the locker-room mood and pick the right moment to push. He says he’s learned to smile more, while direct, honest feedback remains central to his approach.