MANTERE, Sami

BORN 5 DECEMBER 1985 in Helsinki, Finland, Sami Mantere developed in attack with Kiekko-Vantaa and Jokerit in the SM-sarja junior leagues, then U20 in the SM-liiga. He averaged a point every two regular season games and a point a game in playoffs. Bob Parrington at the South Australia Ice Sports Federation had the vision to bring the Finn to Australia and support him. "The SAISF did a great job during those times to try and make the step to getting international-quality personnel to develop Ice Sports," recalls former national league and national team coach, John Botterill. Mantere completed a Bachelor of Sports and Leisure Management at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki and headed Down Under.

In South Australia, he was a founding member of the Jokers and played 66 games with the Redwings and Jokers averaging 2.4 points per game. He worked as a youth mentor and ice hockey coach in the Ice Factor Program at Thebarton in Adelaide for two years. Since May 2010, he has been the Program Manager and life skills instructor. This youth program targets high school students at risk of disengaging from education by engaging them in a team environment with opportunities to develop strengths and excel.

From 2008 Mantere played 50 games over three seasons for the Adelaide Adrenaline, winning the Goodall Cup and averaging a goal a game. In 2009 he was Assistant Coach with Gordie Cochrane in the Centenary Goodall Cup won by his state. In 2015 he was a coaching assistant of his club and Head Coach for 2017. He brought Canadian Jim Fuyarchuk back to Australia to coach in 2018.

In 2016, the club moved from the middle of the table to the bottom. There it remained with a handful of wins each season, finishing last in the standings four years straight on Goal Differentials of -44, -57, -89 and -117. The reasons were a reflection of state hockey and its rink. For instance, the club struggled with one practice each week when two were the minimum.

Re-appointed Head Coach in 2020 after Jim retired, Mantere noted he had learnt more from Fuyarchuk than any other coach. The COVID pandemic caused the cancellation of that season and the next, but he continued player development as Head Coach of the Noarlunga Stars in the local NHSL and Head of Hockey at The Ice ArenA.

In 2022, Sami Mantere was awarded PHL Best Coach for his work with Greg Oddy and others in leading the Adelaide Avalanche to the Walker Cup, the prize of a new national competition known as the Pacific Hockey League. The club finished the regular season in second place with eleven wins from twenty games. The national association did not sanction the 4-team PHL. It folded at the end of an otherwise successful season due to circumstances it could not control, including player selection for the National Team.

So far, Mantere has represented South Australia in three Brown Trophies (Men’s open) and coached or assisted the state teams six times in ten seasons across all age bands; Ginsberg, Defris, Tange and Brown. He still works cooperatively with the 17 schools involved in the Ice Factor program around the state, including student identification, individual goal-setting, and follow-up on results. He is also responsible for social media and financial administration, including budgeting, hiring on-ice coaches, transportation of personnel, and dealing with sponsors and supporters such as ClubsSA and Flinders University.

Over 15 seasons here, Sami Mantere successfully transitioned to coaching. He worked with the state’s best players and coaches and won two National Championships, but his contribution to local player development is most significant. Mantere and his assistants mentored and developed some of the best players in the country during a low point in state and national hockey further exasperated by a worldwide pandemic.