Juhani Jorma Kalervo Wahlsten (13 January 1938 – 9 June 2019) was a Finnish professional ice hockey player and ice hockey coach who worked as an exercise and gymnastics teacher in Finland. He was also known by the nickname "Juuso". He also established and helped guide the early development of ringette in Finland, the first European country to do so.[1][2]
Wahlsten began his career at KuPS (Kuopion Palloseura) in Kuopio in 1957, from where he moved to KalPa. Wahlsten helped raise the team to the main league level for the first time. While playing, he formed the "Hurricane Line" together with Ossi Hyppönen and Mauno Revo. Later, Revo was replaced by second-line center forward, Lauri Helen, and Revo moved to Helen's second-place position.[9] Wahlsten's line-mate, Hyppönen, also won the Finnish Championship gold in 1960.[10]
In 1959, Wahlsten moved to Tampere's Ilves, where he won the Finnish championship. After two years with Ilves, Wahlsten moved on for one season to HJK Helsinki, then to the Turku Club. In Turku, Wahlsten became one of Finland's first star players.[citation needed]
After seven TPS seasons, Wahlsten followed in the footsteps of Reijo HakanentoEC KAC in Austria, where he won the national championship. After the season, Wahlsten returned to Ilves where he played for the final year before retiring.[citation needed]
In 1960 at the age of 22, Wahlsten won the SM-sarja gold while playing for Ilves Tampere.[11] In 1967 at the age of 29, Wahlsten won the SM-sarja silver while playing for TPS Turku.[11]
From 1957 to 1971, Wahlsten scored 219 points and 139 goals in 200 games.[5]
After his career as professional ice hockey player finished in 1971,[7] Wahlsten continued as a coach. Wahlsten coached for a professional ice hockey league in Finland, for junior amateur ice hockey, and for Finland's junior men's national team.
After he had moved on to coach FC Barcelona Ice Hockey in Spain,[18][16][17] Wahlsten returned to TPS in Finland to coach from 1980 to 1983. HC TPS was first in the Finnish Championships 1971–72, and then in the Finnish Ice Hockey Championships 1980–1983.
In the early 1980s, TPS had a strong team but was unable to reach gold. After Wahlsten came aboard, the team made it to the semi-finals and finished in first place during the three seasons when Wahlsten was coach.[citation needed]
Wahlsten, a.k.a. "Juuso" Wahlsten, is known as the "Father of Ringette" in Finland.[2][21]
In 1979, Wahlsten introduced the Canadian sport of ringette to Finland[22] by inviting two Canadian ringette coaches, Wendy King and Evelyn Watson, from Dollard des Ormeaux (a suburb of Montreal Quebec, Canada) to teach girls of various ages how to play ringette in Finland.[1] Wahlsten first introduced ringette to female players during hockey practice in Turku, then began creating some ringette teams in the area.[2] The first recorded ringette game in Finland took place on January 23, 1979. It was the first time ringette had been played in Europe. Finland's first ringette club was Ringetteläisiä Turun Siniset and the country's first ringette tournament took place in December, 1980.[2]
Wahlsten worked as an exercise and gymnastics teacher at Aurajoki Co-educational School, where his wife Leena taught gymnastics to girls.[1] Wahlsten's sons Jali and Sami have also been representative level ice hockey players.[25][26]
Wahlsten died on 9 June 2019, in Turku, Finland.[20]
Mennander, Ari & Mennander, Pasi (2003). Leijonien tarina [The Story of the Lions] (in Finnish). Gummerus. ISBN951-20-6455-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Wahlsten, Juhani & Kaskinen, Kalle (2011). Juuso – aikaansa edellä [Juuso - Ahead of His Time] (in Finnish). Helsinki: Suomen Urheilumuseosäätiö (Finnish Sports Museum Foundation). ISBN978-952-67019-6-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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