Janne Kivihalme (Wisconsin-Superior '97) is in his second season as an Augsburg men's hockey assistant coach in 2022-23, after a successful 21-year career as a coach at the high school level (Minnetonka, Burnsville, and Lakeville South). Kivihalme started his coaching career at Minnetonka High School (1998-2004), as an assistant varsity coach. In 2006, Kivihalme moved into a head coaching role at Burnsville High School (2006-2018), where he earned two section championships (2006-2007 and 2015-2016), a Lake Conference championship (2007-2008) and a South Suburban Conference Championship (2010-2011). His teams also earned section runner-up honors four times (2007-2008, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2014-2015). Kivihalme also served as head coach at Lakeville South High School (2018-2021), where he won three section championships (2018-2019, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021), won a South Suburban Conference Championship for the first time in school history in the 2019-2020 season, repeating the honor in the 2020-2021 season. He produced a 261-130-21 overall head coaching record. He was selected as Section Coach of the Year in 2007-2008, 2010-2011, 2015-2016 and 2020-2021.
Along with coaching, Kivihalme owns a hockey skills development business, Kivihalme Training LLC, and has served as an scout for the WHL Chilliwack Bruins/Victoria Royals (2009-2012), Vancouver Giants (2012-2014), and Regina Pats hockey Clubs (2014-2020). He has also served in many USA Hockey/Minnesota Hockey festivals as a head coach and evaluator since 2006.
Known as Janne Hassi during his University of Wisconsin-Superior playing career, Kivihalme joined the Yellowjackets in 1994, after transferring from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Kivihalme earned All-NCHA first-team honors 1995-1996 as a defenseman, was a two-time All American (1996 and 1997), and played in three consecutive NCAA Division III Frozen Fours. He played in 77 games with the Yellowjackets, scoring 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points. In 2007, his 1996 UW-Superior men’s hockey team was named to the UW-Superior Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was inducted into the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame as an individual.
A native of Oulu, Finland. Kivihalme earned his bachelor’s degree in physical science and corporate and community health promotion, with a minor in coaching, from UW-Superior in 1997.
