Kari Makkonen
Encyclopedia
Kari Makkonen is a retired professional ice hockey
player who played in the SM-liiga
for Ässät
.
based team Ässät
.
Makkonen also played in National Hockey League
for one season. His team was Edmonton Oilers
.
Makkonen retired from playing in 1991 and He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1995.
HT and Kotka
n Titaanit.
Makkonen's first SM-liiga coaching job came when he coached Ässät
for a short period. Makkonen also was employed by Lukko
for some time before he was employed by Tappara
as an Assistant Coach for Jukka Rautakorpi
Makkonen was the Assistant Coach in Tappara for several years, winning the SM-liiga Championships in 2003 and finishing second in 2001 and 2002.
Makkonen was in 2007-09 the Head Coach of Mestis
team Jukurit, which is a top contender in the second highest level of ice hockey in Finland.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player who played in the SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
for Ässät
Ässät
Ässät is an ice hockey team in the Finnish elite league, SM-liiga. They play in Pori, Finland at the Porin jäähalli.-Team history:...
.
Playing career
Kari Makkonen played his entire SM-liiga career for PoriPori
Pori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
based team Ässät
Ässät
Ässät is an ice hockey team in the Finnish elite league, SM-liiga. They play in Pori, Finland at the Porin jäähalli.-Team history:...
.
Makkonen also played in National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
for one season. His team was Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.
Makkonen retired from playing in 1991 and He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame
Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame
The Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame is part of the Vapriikki Museum Centre in Tampere, Finland and was created in 1979 to honor those individuals who have contributed to Finnish ice hockey...
in 1995.
Coaching career
Makkonen coached his first seasons as coach in the Finnish Lower Divisions for SeinäjokiSeinäjoki
Seinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960...
HT and Kotka
Kotka
Kotka is a town and municipality of Finland. Its former name is Rochensalm.Kotka is located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland at the mouth of Kymi River and it is part of the Kymenlaakso region in southern Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water....
n Titaanit.
Makkonen's first SM-liiga coaching job came when he coached Ässät
Ässät
Ässät is an ice hockey team in the Finnish elite league, SM-liiga. They play in Pori, Finland at the Porin jäähalli.-Team history:...
for a short period. Makkonen also was employed by Lukko
Lukko
Lukko is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga, formed 1936. The full name of the club is Rauman Lukko. They play in Rauma, Finland at the Äijänsuo Arena. They have won the national championship once, in 1963...
for some time before he was employed by Tappara
Tappara
Tappara is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Tampere, Finland at Tampereen jäähalli. The team have won 15 league championships ....
as an Assistant Coach for Jukka Rautakorpi
Makkonen was the Assistant Coach in Tappara for several years, winning the SM-liiga Championships in 2003 and finishing second in 2001 and 2002.
Makkonen was in 2007-09 the Head Coach of Mestis
Mestis
Mestis, , is the second-highest ice hockey league in Finland.The league was established in 2000 to replace the first division. Since 2000, Mestis has been the highest hockey league in Finland that can be reached with playing merits only; the SM-liiga was closed in 2000...
team Jukurit, which is a top contender in the second highest level of ice hockey in Finland.