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Jukka Pertti Juhani Jalonen (born 2 November 1962 in Riihimäki, Finland) is a Finland professional ice hockey coach and former player. In 2011, 2019 and 2022, he led the Finnish national team to the gold medal in the IIHF World Championship, and at the 2022 Winter Olympics, he coached the team that won Finland's first ever Olympic gold in ice hockey. He was the head coach of Jokerit in the Kontinental Hockey League during 2016–2018 before returning to coach the Finnish national team.
After his years in HPK, Jalonen started coaching the Finnish national team, first in the role of an assistant coach under Doug Shedden in 2007–08, and then as the head coach from 2008–09 onward. In 2010, Jalonen's team won the Olympic bronze medal in Vancouver, and in 2011 he coached the Finnish national team to the country's second World Championship title. In the final game, Finland defeated arch rivals Sweden with a score 6–1. While Jalonen remained as the head coach of the national team until the end of 2012–13 season, the national team failed to win additional medals under his tenure. During the 2012–13 season Jalonen signed with KHL side SKA St Petersburg, replacing Miloš Říha during the season. He went on to lead the team to conference finals in the Gagarin Cup. He stayed with SKA the following season, 2013–14, but the team's run ended in a loss in conference semi-finals.
For the 2016 World Juniors that were organised in Finland, Jalonen was hired to coach the Finnish U20 team. He successfully led the Finnish team to a World Junior Championship title on home ice, beating Russia with a score 4–3 (OT) in the final at the Hartwall Arena.
In the 2016–17 season, Jalonen returned to the KHL with the Jokerit. Jokerit made the playoffs but were knocked out in the first round of the Gagarin Cup. In 2017, Jalonen was re-elected to the Finnish national team as head coach, replacing Lauri Marjamäki after the 2018 World Championship. The contract originally covered the seasons 2018–2020, and was later extended by another two years to include the 2021–22 season. After his successful performances, which included gold medals at the 2019 IIHF World Championship and 2022 Winter Olympics, and a silver medal at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, Jalonen extended his contract to 2024. In June 2023, after another gold medal at the 2022 IIHF World Championship but a disappointing quarterfinals exit in 2023 he announced that he would be leaving the national team after his contract runs out.
In 2024, Jalonen signed a two-year contract to become the head coach of the Italian national team. Jalonen wants to raise the level of Italian hockey before the 2026 Winter Olympics. Jukka Jalonen has also mentioned that this is a very good challenge at an unknown level. Jalonen has lived in Italy for a year (as head coach of Alleghe Hockey in 1998-99) and likes the lifestyle there.
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