Finnish Olympian and former Gopher makes her mark in Minnesota Frost coaching staff
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Frost recently started their second season.
Part of this team's success is that many of them are products of a great college hockey team: the Minnesota Gophers.
Nine Gophers are in the league, and five of them are on the Frost. The defending Walter Cup champions are also being led by former Gopher Mira Jalosuo, now in her second season as assistant coach.
"I got extremely lucky with my college choice coming to Minnesota, the 'State of Hockey,'" Jalosuo said
Originally from Finland, she came to the University of Minnesota to play D1 in 2009, helping the Gophers win two NCAA championships in 2012 and 2013.
In 2018, she represented her home country of Finland at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where they took home bronze.
Jalosuo ended her playing career on a high note as an Olympian, but her coaching career was just starting to blossom.
"I didn't even think about when I was in Finland that I could make money or I could make a living by being a hockey coach, just staying here and doing what I love. It's unreal," she said.
As a coach, Jalosuo worked with every age level in the Twin Cities from youth, high school and college to this moment now — coaching the first-ever pro women's hockey league.
"She brings a really cool energy. She has that credibility with players because she's been a player, she knows what it's like," said Kelly Paneck, another former Gopher and assistant captain of the Frost.
Jalosuo feels the winning mentality is something that lives in all products of the Gopher women's hockey program.
"I think that we have very similar expectations," Jalosuo said. "Obviously when you play for the Gophers, nothing is good enough besides winning the Frozen Four, so winning the national title, so I think that the standard of expectations is already up there."
Jalosuo has made Minnesota home and is raising her family here with her spouse. She says she's proud her 2-year-old son is growing up in a world surrounded by accomplished female athletes.
"In five years when I'm going to ask him, 'Who is your favorite player?' it's going to be a female name," she said. "So I'm just extremely proud to be part of this league and be a good role model for my son and also for other youth players."
