Lukon Kalle Sahlstedt: this is what the work of a sports director at a Liiga club is really like

For many hockey fans, working as a GM or sports director for a hockey club appears to be a dream job: scouting players, drafting contracts, and making trades. In reality, jobs at the top of hockey may not be as exciting and glamorous as they seem from the outside.

SuomiKiekko interviewed Lukko’s sports director Kalle Sahlstedt about his work. During his nearly ten-year tenure, he has led Lukko to a Finnish championship once and has successfully acquired high-profile foreign reinforcements year after year.

In addition to visible successes, Sahlstedt does a lot of work that may not necessarily be apparent to the general public.

– The role of a sports director is quite new in Finland, and for that reason, the job descriptions and tasks vary in different organizations. In some organizations, the role is narrower, and the main focus may be on building the team for the upcoming season, monitoring the current season, and considering whether to make changes or look for reinforcing players. There are also teams where the sports director has much more work to do, Sahlstedt explains.

Lukko falls into the latter category. Sahlstedt also works with the junior side and is responsible for the entire organization’s sports strategy. The goal is to have a consistent approach that is followed all the way to the Liiga.

When Sahlstedt started as Lukko’s sports director in the 2017-18 season, significant investments were also made in the club’s junior side: full-time coaches were hired, and training volumes were increased.

– Nowadays, when you look at our junior teams, they are athletes and a well-conditioned group. This creates the foundation for the kind of hockey we want to play, Sahlstedt says.

What kind of hockey does Lukko play then?

– Our game is based on puck control, but in recent years, the game has sped up quite a bit. You have to keep up with that. Strong puck control alone is no longer enough. You also need to have a fast team and be quick to turn situations around. We aim to be a fast, puck-controlling team across all age groups and in the Liiga.

Lukko’s investments in the junior side have also borne fruit. According to Sahlstedt, 11 of the current 25 players on the Liiga team have gone through Lukko’s junior system.

The year 2025 was particularly remarkable for Rauma hockey. Lukko won both the Liiga and the B-juniors’ regular season, as well as the A-juniors’ Finnish championship gold that spring.

The work of a sports director is not for everyone

Sahlstedt’s job description is diverse and the weeks are long.

– My job involves being with people, watching practices and games, reviewing videos, and discussing with agents and colleagues, Sahlstedt says.

– The work is such that you have to – or get to – always be working. Sundays are usually a bit easier days since there are practically never any games in the Liiga then. It’s generally the day of the week during the season when you can take a little breather. Of course, when there’s a situation or negotiations ongoing, those are also handled on Sundays. In a way, people in this line of work are quite strongly married to their jobs.

In addition to long working hours, the job of a sports director also demands a lot mentally.

– Thick skin is required for the job, along with stress tolerance, perseverance, and belief in what you’re doing.

How to attract big names to Rauma?

One of the biggest names in recent years for Rauma was defenseman Éric Gélinas. Known for his powerful shot, the defenseman had previously played 189 NHL games and spent many years in the top leagues of Switzerland and Sweden.

How on earth was a name like Gélinas attracted to Rauma?

– I’m sure Gélinas was mainly looking at Sweden and Switzerland at that time, but he couldn’t find a suitable place. I got wind of that, so I quickly went after that profile of a defenseman. The timing was right that he was available, and there was a bit of luck involved that he didn’t reach an agreement with a Swiss or Swedish team, Sahlstedt modestly says.

Gélinas played in Lukko for just under two seasons. During that time, the defenseman scored 16 goals and 41 points in 78 games.

Another interesting name attracted to Rauma is winger Alex Beaucage.

– Beaucage was a great find for us. He made a strong impact in the ECHL, but in the AHL, he was limited to lower lines when he got to play. We followed him for a longer time and decided to give it a try because we believed he could be a really good player in this league, Sahlstedt explains.

– I would argue that at the time he came to us, there wasn’t much demand for him. At that point, when you look at his statistics, he had been good in the ECHL, but his AHL stats were weak since he hadn’t scored goals or points there.

In the AHL, Beaucage’s reputation was that he had a hard shot, but not much else. In Lukko, the winger’s potential was seen more clearly.

– We always had the vision that if this guy gets trust, a lot of ice time, and gets on the power play, he will be really good.

Based on his first season, Lukko’s and Sahlstedt’s vision was correct. Beaucage scored 24 goals and 44 points in 55 regular season games.

Kalle Sahlstedt’s interview will be published in three parts before the start of the Liiga super season. This is the first part of the interview series. The next part will focus on player recruitment by other Liiga teams.

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