"We are very satisfied with the work of Santeri Heiskanen and are happy to be able to count on him again next season. He is definitely the right person for the rejuvenation process that we started with him and that he will carry on successfully, as in the past years", so Renon's president Roberto Rampoldi is enthusiastic about the 45-year-old Finnish player who boasts almost 600 games in the top league of his native country. "Under his guidance the young talents of Renon have evolved enormously, it is impossible to deny it. It is on them that he will focus in the future. In the coming weeks we will do everything to provide him with a competitive team for the season ahead."

Immediately after concluding his playing career, Santeri Heiskanen started as an assistant coach in the Jokerit U18 in the 2011/12 season. In the 2012/13 season, he moved on to KHL team Avantgard Omsk. Five years ago, Heiskanen returned to work in Finland, initially as co-head coach of Peliitat and then replacing head coach Jani Keinänen of the 2017/18 runner-up.

In the following year, Heiskanen moved on to the Vienna Capitals Silver, who were promoted to the Erste Liga. In the 2019/20 season, in December, he was signed by the South Tyrolean team SV Kaltern Rothoblaas, but the season was cut short prematurely due to Covid.

Positive balance sheet with 43:28 wins

Heiskanen now faces his third season as head coach of the Rittner Buam. He has achieved notable successes such as two finals of the league, where both times the plateau cracks had to surrender to Asiago. Even in the Alps Hockey League the figures are eloquent: after 71 games, the Finnish coach can boast 43 victories against 28 defeats. This year the Rittner Buam reached the playoff semifinals, where unfortunately in the fourth game of the Best-Of-Five series they were eliminated by HDD SIJ Jenesice.

Photo: Max Pattis