Release from 26.01.2023

Antti Karhula takes over Ljubljana

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The HK SZ Olimpija signed Antti Karhula as their new head coach. The Finn already coached Hydro Fehérvár AV19 in the win2day ICE Hockey League and was last head coach of Slovakian first division team HC Banska Bystrica. Karhula arrived in Ljubljana already on Thursday evening. His contract runs until the end of the 2023/24 season.

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Antti Karhula is the new head coach of HK SZ Olimpija. The Finn takes over the twelfth of the win2day ICE Hockey League with immediate effect. The Slovenians are nine points behind a place in the pre-playoff with eleven games left to play.

Between 2019 and 2021, Karhula coached Hydro Fehérvár AV19, first as assistant coach, later as head coach, before being dismissed on April 6th, 2021. In January 2022, the 46-year-old took over as head coach at HC Banska Bystrica in Slovakia. After qualifying for the quarterfinals in the first year of his contract, Karhula was relieved of his duties again last October.

Miha Butara, President of HK SZ Olimpija on the signing of Karhula: "There have been big changes in the club in the last few days and I am very happy that we were able to get Antti Karhula as our new head coach. We believe that he will be able to motivate the guys and prepare them for the most important games of the season. In addition, we will also actively start building the team for next season."

"Everything happened very quickly and I am happy to be the new head coach of Olimpija. I have heard only good things about the club and the city," said Antti Karhula after his arrival in Ljubljana.