Fresh off leading the Kitchener Rangers to a Memorial Cup championship, Jussi Ahokas has been hired as the new head coach of the Colorado Eagles, bringing a championship pedigree to the Avalanche's top affiliate. The Colorado Avalanche are bringing a proven winner into the organization. Fresh off leading the Kitchener Rangers to a Memorial Cup championship, Jussi Ahokas has been hired as the next head coach of the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche announced Thursday. The 45-year-old replaces Mark Letestu, who departed this offseason to join the Vegas Golden Knights as an assistant coach. Ahokas arrives in Colorado after a wildly successful three-year run in Kitchener, where he transformed the Rangers into one of the Ontario Hockey League's premier programs. His teams won at least 40 games in each of his three seasons behind the bench, compiling a 135-52-13-4 record while capturing both the 2025-26 OHL championship and Memorial Cup title. His success earned league-wide recognition. Ahokas received OHL Coach of the Year honors and First All-Star Team recognition in 2024-25 before being named the Second All-Star Team's coaching representative following Kitchener's championship season. The Rangers also became a development powerhouse under Ahokas. Avalanche prospect Christian Humphreys flourished during his two seasons in Kitchener, recording 118 points (38 goals, 80 assists) in 91 games. Sam O'Reilly earned OHL Most Outstanding Player honors last season, while several other Rangers received All-Star and All-Rookie recognition during Ahokas' tenure. "Jussi has done a great job with every team and every league he's been a part of as a head coach, and we're excited to welcome him into the Avalanche and Eagles family," Avalanche assistant general manager and Eagles general manager Kevin McDonald said in a statement. "His track record of winning games in a variety of leagues and international tournaments is impressive, and he'll