Published 2024-10-21 10.02
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Västerås IK has not been able to get it right in the hockey Allsvenskan this year either.
Now the club has fired the coaching duo Karl Helmersson and Örjan Lindmark.
– I will certainly come to things, says Karl Helmersson about the break-up to Sportbladet.
It was before last season that Karl Helmersson took over as Västerås IK’s head coach.
He would, with Örjan Lindmark by his side, get the club on the right track in what have been a couple of tough years during the SHL venture.
But that has not been the case.
It ended with missing the playoffs last year and the team has not taken off this year either. Eight points in ten games means a tenth place.
Considers meritorious names
Now the coaching duo with Helmersson and Lindmark are forced to leave, something the members found out in a letter shortly before the club announced the news at 10 o’clock.
– We want to thank both Karl and Örjan for their efforts in the club and I know that they have worked very hard to try to reverse the negative trend that the team has fallen into. Now we feel that we have to make a change to bring new energy into the squad and look ahead. We are currently working on recruiting a new head coach and hope to have a solution in place shortly. In the meantime, Eric Karlsson leads the team during training and matches. He will also be helped by Stefan Fredriksson from J20, says sports director Niklas Johansson.
Karl Helmersson’s first words about being forced to leave his job in Västerås, where he came from BIK Karlskoga, in April 2023 come when he himself is sitting in the car on Monday morning.
– When you’re in this industry and you don’t get the points, and I haven’t got that at the beginning of the series, then I understand that it can be like this in our industry. It’s sad that it has turned out the way it has, but it is what it is.
Own words: “Surely coming to things…”
At the same time, the pressure on him has been great.
– You can feel it, but I try not to think about it. But now I have to land in this first.
How do you reflect on the fact that it turned out the way it did?
– I will certainly come to things… but if you look at that season, I think the pre-season was a damn good case. I think that in the last two games of the pre-season we did well against AIK and Nybro. We played really good ice hockey and went into the series game with a good feeling and good confidence.
He is aware that it became something of a vicious spiral when the points, which they might have deserved (?) didn’t come in, which affected confidence and the game.
– We had good performances against top teams like Björklöven in the premiere, then against Djurgården. We made a great effort against Östersund at home. But we didn’t get the points that you might have wanted in the games where we performed well. We conceded too much and did too little forward…
But he is not ready for his own part.
– It is clear that I have to land in this. Then I’m not done with hockey in any way. It’s just a matter of taking new steps and looking ahead.
Ante Karlsson’s answer about the data
According to Expressen’s information, Ante Karlsson, formerly in Timrå, has been contacted about taking over the team.
– I have no comments at all. Västerås can comment on how they want to do it. I didn’t even know that they had fired the coach, he told Sportbladet on Monday.
Do you miss standing in the booth?
– Yes, it’s starting to itch a little, you certainly miss the feeling of standing down there. You know exactly how it feels.
Viktor Stråhle, formerly in Björklöven, has also been on Niklas Johansson’s list according to Sportbladet’s information.
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full screen Karl Helmersson and Örjan Lindmark are fired. Photo: Bildbyrån
