Mira Kuisma Named Finland U18 Head Coach

Fresh off repeat Aurora Borealis Cup victories, Kuisma takes on a new challenge.

Mira Kuisma is the new head coach of the Team Finland U18 women, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association announced Tuesday. She takes over from Jari Risku.

Kuisma, 31, is coming off another victorious season of coaching in Finnish club hockey. She led Oulun Kärpät Naiset to a repeat Aurora Borealis Cup victory this spring, her second as head coach and the third in club history as well as the inaugaral Naisten Liiga victory.

As a goaltender for Team Finland, Kuisma won bronze at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with the Naisleijonat. She played for Kärpät and her home club KalPa in Kuopio before her playing career was cut short by injury.

As a coach, she’s been with Kärpät since 2013 and won the Naisten Liiga (then Naisten SM-Sarja) Hannu Saintula Award for Coach of the Year in 2017. She will remain as Kärpät coach in addition to fulfiling her new U18 responsibilities. Kuisma’s contract with the U18 team runs through 2020-2021, with an option for renewal.