Olli Jokinen on his viral, expletive-laced coaching speech and a future NHL return: 'That is a dream'

OK, listen up, Olli Jokinen instructed his players before delivering a between-periods speech for the ages.

The longtime-NHLer-turned-coach of Timra IK was boiling over.

Timra had fallen behind the struggling Vaxjo Lakers 2-0 in a low-energy game last week, and Jokinen felt his team was simply going through the motions.

And so in a four-and-a-half minute speech that would almost immediately go viral across the hockey world, Jokinen unleashed 40 F-bombs in quick succession while prodding his players to take a step toward being the kind of team they want to be.

Advertisement The result? Timra rallied to earn a point while losing in a shootout, and Jokinen generated millions of social media impressions thanks to the embedded team camera that captured him painting the dressing room blue.

Obviously it got way too much attention, Jokinen told The Athletic Wednesday.

Its not my proudest moment.

You can get that message across without cursing.

Youtube imorgon kl.

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#timraik pic.twitter.com/6jsTokqkqq Timra IK (@timra_ik) January 8, 2025 Still, that behind-the-scenes glimpse into the Swedish Hockey League team said a lot about what kind of coach Jokinen is: Raw.

Passionate.

Demanding.

The fact that it took more than four months for one of his speeches to go viral is a testament to Jokinen only rarely leaning on that style of communication to get his message across.

Timras social media team has been capturing video in the dressing room on a daily basis and previously released dozens of clips with him addressing the team that didnt generate any meaningful buzz.

You cannot be like that every single day, Jokinen said.

Thats not todays world.

I was really, really upset with the way we were performing.

Im not trying to be an old-school NHL coach, you know, thats for sure.

I try to be me.

That approach is working tremendously well for the 46-year-old, whose career trajectory has him pointed toward a possible return to the NHL down the road.

Consider that it was only four years ago Jokinen found himself working with teenagers at the South Florida Hockey Academy.

When COVID-19 hit and the academy found itself without adequate ice time after having a contract terminated, Jokinen decided to try his hand at the professional game with no prior experience coaching men.

He took a job in his native Finland with Jukurit Mikkeli, which had by far the smallest player budget among Liiga teams, and helped them reach the playoffs in two of his three seasons.

There he also helped oversee the development of Konsta Helenius, the No.

14 pick by the Buffalo Sabres last year, and Vancouver Canucks prospect Aatu Raty, among others.

Advertisement That opened the door to take another step up the coaching ladder by jumping to Sweden last spring, and the Timra job came with expectations.

The club was littered with players boasting NHL experience Jonathan Dahlen, Magnus Paajarvi, Anton Lander, Filip Hallander but was looking for a push over the hump after quick playoff exits in consecutive seasons.

The roster has also been bolstered by 21-year-old forward Oliver Kapanen the son of Kimmo Kapanen, Timras GM following his 12-game stint with the Montreal Canadiens in November, and entering play Friday, Timra sits third in the SHL standings.

The true measure of progress will come in the playoffs, but its notable that Timra reeled off three consecutive wins after Jokinens expletive-filled speech.

It quickly became something everyone was joking about in the viral aftermath.

I was brought here to change the culture, elevate the bar higher, Jokinen said.

And thats kind of whats the message even on those clips that came out: Are we just satisfied being in the middle of the pack? You know, because we have a really good team.

We have really good leadership.

And the players, kind of the whole year, theyve been saying since Day 1 that they want to win and they are willing to do whatever it takes us to take that next step.

Jokinen played under 15 different head coaches during his 18-year NHL career that included more than 1,200 games for 10 teams.

The range of styles helped shape not only what he wants to do with his own group but also some things he tries to avoid.

Among the NHL coaches who left a lasting impression? Paul Maurice, Brent Sutter and Mike Keenan.

They didnt pretend to be anything that theyre not, Jokinen said.

Its a lesson hes taken to heart.

He was thrilled to see Maurice lift the Stanley Cup in June with the Florida Panthers , an organization he spent seven seasons playing for.

Advertisement Theres nothing bad to say about him and the way he runs the team, the character he has, Jokinen said.

Players absolutely love to play for a guy like him.

Hes an honest guy, and sometimes he gives you tough love, but most of the time its a good love.

You know what youre getting.

The players will go to war for him.

Across the ocean in Sweden, Jokinen is trying to carve out a similar legacy with his own players.

The early returns have been encouraging.

And while Jokinens primary focus is on trying to guide Timra to a long-awaited championship, hes hoping his coaching journey eventually brings him back to North America.

I understand that those spots over there are limited, he said.

Its not something I work toward every day.

I work to develop players, to be there for the players.

To help these individuals over here now and also help the club to build a culture help the team to win the games.

Obviously, I am a goal-oriented person.

I would say that (an NHL job) is a dream, but its not a must.

(Photo of Olli Jokinen during his playing career: Marianne Helm / Getty Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.