Kitchener Rangers head coach Jussi Ahokas emerging as NHL candidate after OHL coach of the year season

When Jussi Ahokas became the first European head coach in Ontario Hockey League history in 2023, the hire raised eyebrows across junior hockey. Two years later, the Finnish bench boss silenced doubters in emphatic fashion.

Entering his third season with the Kitchener Rangers, Ahokas is coming off a 47-15-6 record and a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2024–25, a run that earned him the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHL Coach of the Year.The Oulu, Finland, native has built a reputation for exceeding expectations. Many believed the Kitchener Rangers would take a step back after losing Carson Rehkopf, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Matthew Sop.

Instead, the Blueshirts finished second overall in the Ontario Hockey League standings, behind only the London Knights, who went on to win the OHL Championship.

Kitchener Rangers depth under head coach Jussi Ahokas fuels OHL success

Unlike many OHL contenders, the Kitchener Rangers did not rely on a single superstar to carry the offense. Adrian Misaljevic was the lone 30-goal scorer with 31 tallies, and he also led the team with 69 points. Vegas Golden Knights prospect Trent Swick followed with 61 points.

That kind of balanced scoring only works when the head coach knows how to build chemistry across four lines.

Ahokas has shown that ability consistently. “The process went well,” he told Waterloo Region reporter Josh Brown this summer after interviewing for an NHL assistant coaching role. Brown reported that it was the second straight offseason Jussi Ahokas had been considered for a position in the National Hockey League, though the unnamed franchise ultimately went in a different direction.For now, the Finnish coach remains in the Ontario Hockey League, with two years left on his Kitchener Rangers contract.

Jussi Ahokas builds international coaching success before leading Kitchener Rangers in OHL

Before arriving in the OHL, Ahokas made his mark internationally with Finland, guiding his country to gold medals at both the IIHF Men’s U18 World Championship and the IIHF World Junior Championship. He also found success in Finland’s top men’s league, Liiga, where he was voted Coach of the Year after leading KooKoo to a 37-16-6 record, a season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.Back in Ontario, the Kitchener Rangers organization is aiming to host the 2027 Memorial Cup, with the Guelph Storm as the other finalist. That tournament could give Jussi Ahokas another major platform to showcase his coaching ability, second only to the World Juniors in junior hockey prestige.Jussi Ahokas has quickly turned the Kitchener Rangers into an OHL powerhouse and positioned himself on the radar of NHL clubs. With a proven record in Finland, international gold medals, and two straight seasons of success in Kitchener, it seems only a matter of time before his next opportunity arrives. Until then, Rangers fans can expect more winning hockey — and possibly a Memorial Cup in their own backyard.Also Read: Toronto Maple Leafs sign Dennis Hilde by to three-year extension