Joe Wirkkunen | |
|---|---|
 Wirkkunen (left) receives a medal in 1970 | |
| Born | Viljo Wirkkunen June 27, 1928 Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | July 13, 1986 (aged 58) Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Forester, ice hockey coach |
| Known for | Finland men's national ice hockey team coach |
| Awards | |
Viljo "Joe" Wirkkunen (June 27, 1928 – July 13, 1986) was a Finnish-Canadian ice hockey coach. Growing up in family of immigrants from Finland to Port Arthur, Ontario, he overcame polio as a child to become an instructor for the Finnish Ice Hockey Association and head coach of the Finland men's national ice hockey team. He led the national team at four Ice Hockey World Championships and two Winter Olympic Games, established a training camp at Vierumäki, and wrote three instructional books for coaches and players. Returning to Canada, he served as the first coach of the Thunder Bay Twins, and contributed to local minor ice hockey. He was among the inaugural class of inductees into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985, and was posthumously inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.