In January, it was announced that Jörgen Jönsson had to leave as head coach of Färjestad - less than a year into a four-year contract.
Now that the 53-year-old is assistant national coach for Tre Kronor during the Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland, he has been hired by the association. Jönsson remains employed by the Karlstad club.
What were your thoughts when you received the news from Färjestad last winter?
I don't want to talk about that, but I'm happy to talk about Tre Kronor.
Nine World Championship medals
What made you take on the role of assistant national coach ahead of the World Championship?
I still missed working in the sport. It's a chance to do something with Tre Kronor that I love, and I think the World Championship as a phenomenon is fantastic.
Jörgen Jönsson knows what he's talking about. He is Tre Kronor's most-capped international player of all time with 285 caps. He has won two Olympic gold medals and at the World Championships he has won two gold medals, three silver medals and four bronze medals.
Tre Kronor means a lot to me. I think you should wear the Tre Kronor jersey with pride. I'm proud to work with Sweden's best hockey team. Gather the best of the best that are available and go for it.
Jönsson ended his playing career in 2009 with a fifth Swedish Championship gold medal with Färjestad, with whom he also won the Swedish Championship gold medal in 2011 as an assistant coach. There have been two more Swedish Championship titles as a manager – first as an assistant in Växjö in 2018 and then as head coach in 2023 after Sam Hallam left the Småland club for the national team.
Now the duo is reunited in Tre Kronor, with Hallam making his last championship as national team head coach after four seasons in the post.
"Have a discussion"
His experience of playing for the national team speaks for itself, as does his experience of World Championship tournaments. We know each other and he knows what is expected, but he also dares to be himself right away.
What awaits Jörgen Jönsson after the World Championship in Switzerland is unclear. Färjestad CEO Stefan Larsson has stated to Värmlands Folkblad that there is a dialogue.
Jörgen has not been fired but is still employed by the organization. So it is not a big issue right now, but we will have to have a discussion about what the future will look like for both Jörgen and the association.
Larsson told VF in early May.
Born: September 29, 1972 in Ängelholm.
Assignments as a leader: Färjestad (assistant coach, sports director, head coach), Forshaga (head coach), Växjö (assistant coach, head coach), Örebro (assistant), Davos (assistant), Tre Kronor men's (assistant national coach).
Merits: Two Swedish Championship gold medals as an assistant (Färjestad and Växjö), one as head coach (Växjö).
Clubs as a player: Rögle, Färjestad, New York Islanders, Anaheim.
Main achievements: 2 Olympic gold medals, 2 World Championship gold medals, 5 Swedish Championship gold medals, 285 A-level internationals, elected to both the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, his jersey number 21 with Färjestad hangs from the rafters in the home arena.
The Men's Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland will be held May 15–31.
Sweden's Group B will be played in Fribourg - Group A will be in Zurich.
Tre Kronor's matches:
May 15: Canada (4:20 p.m.).
May 17: Denmark (4:20 p.m.).
May 18: Czech Republic (8:20 p.m.).
May 20: Slovakia (8:20 p.m.).
May 22: Italy (8:20 p.m.).
May 23: Norway (8:20 p.m.).
May 26: Slovakia (4:20 p.m.).
Teams in Group A: USA (reigning champions), Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, Austria, Hungary, Latvia.
The top four in each group advance to the quarterfinals, which will be played on May 28. The host cities will each host two quarterfinals.
Semifinals (May 30) and medal matches (May 31) will be played in Zurich.
