After separating from Jan Tlacil during the inter-season, the Pioneers finally have their coach.
Thursday 14th September 2017, the managers of the Chamonix Hockey Club announced the new sports manager/coach of the Pioneers: the 55-year-old Finnish Heikki Leime.
Heikki Leime (55) is a professional ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey player. He trained in France the hockey teams of Caen, Angers, Amiens and was head coach of the French national team between 2000 and 2004.
According to Le Dauphine, the Finnish has already led his first training session on Thursday morning, 14th September 2017.
On Sunday 17th September, at 6pm, the Pioneers will face the Scorpions of Mulhouse at the Richard Bozon Ice Rink in Chamonix. Therefore, the new coach will officially begin the 2017/2018 season of the Saxoprint Magnus League.
A new high level coach
Already arrived in the Chamonix valley, the Finnish coach (55) will be keen to quickly find his marks on the red and white bench.
He has also managed a large part of his coach career in LNB Switzerland. He was hired as head coach of Lausanne, Sierre and EHC Olten and experienced the emotions of the Liiga in 2010-2011 with Turku-based club TPS, a Finnish Elite club.
Ex-coach of the French National team from 2000 to 2004, his arrival is a boon for the club, which sees the arrival of an experienced coach knowing perfectly the workings of the French championship.
Playing career
Heikki Leime is a product of Turku-based club TPS. He made the roster of the Finnish junior national team in the late 1970s and played his first professional game during the 1980-81 season, representing his hometown team TPS in the country’s top-tier division.
He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1981 NHL Draft and played in 136 games for Buffalo’s AHL affiliate Rochester Americans from 1982 to 1986.
Heikki Leime returned to his native Finland in 1986, joining first division side TPS. Until the end of his playing career in 1992, Leime won three consecutive Liiga championships (1989, 90 and 91) with the club and represented his country at the 1990 World Championships.
Heikki, welcome to the foot of Mont Blanc!
