The new head coach of the Under-20 Lions was announced on Monday.

The Ice Hockey Association stated that Ville Mäntymaa will replace Lauri Mikkola as the next head coach of the Under-20 national team. The new head coach of the Under-16 national team is Tuomo Ropo.

– For Mäntymaa, the Youth World Championship and the preparatory events are familiar from his role as an assistant coach. Ropo, on the other hand, has already done excellent work with the current age group and, together with club coaches, is working towards the players’ development, commented Olli Salo, the director of coaching and high performance at the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, in the association’s press release.

Mäntymaa, 40, is serving as the assistant coach of the Under-20 Lions this season. Previously, he has coached, among others, the Kärpät Liiga team. Ropo is currently coaching the Finnish Under-18 national team.

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