IL: Jussi Ahokas made a bombshell revelation regarding the NHL

Jussi Ahokas is a Finnish coach whose career in North America has attracted attention in NHL circles. Ahokas, who is at the helm of the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL, tells Iltalehti that his dream of the NHL was very close to coming true last summer.

– We made quite a bit of progress. Now during the season, there has been nothing, he tells IL about the NHL negotiations.

Ahokas has been coaching the Rangers for his third season now and has quickly risen among the most respected head coaches in the league. In the 2024–2025 season, he was awarded as the best coach in the OHL.

Although Ahokas has a contract with Kitchener for next season as well, he does not rule out the possibility of moving to bigger leagues.

– I have a contract for next season, but of course, the NHL is a dream – if the opportunity arises, I will go there. Here, contract matters are usually handled after the season in the summer, he says.

Working in North America has brought Ahokas a lot of learning and new perspectives.

– You constantly learn more about the North American game, and many things are now clearer than when I came here. There are many small details related to player deployment and daily operations where I have made progress. And development ultimately consists of details, Ahokas says.

His career in Canada began in the 2023–24 season when the Rangers advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The following year, they made it all the way to the conference finals.