SDE Names Peter Elander Head Coach

SDE announced a coaching change on Wednesday, introducing Peter Elander as the team's new head coach. Elander replaces Emelie O'Konor who served as an assistant coach for the squad last season before taking over head coaching duties this past Summer. The team is stacked with talent, but has struggled with consistency in the first third of the season and currently sits in seventh place.

Elander is as big a name as there is in Swedish women's hockey. His storied coaching career includes nine seasons at the helm of the Swedish national team, where he helped the squad to their all-time best finish, a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino. His teams, featuring the likes of Swedish legends Maria Rooth, Erika Holst, Kim Martin Hasson, Pernilla Winberg and Gunilla Andersson, defined the Golden Age of Swedish women's hockey, and kickstarted the massive growth of the women's game across Northern Europe. Many of his former players now hold coaching and management positions in the SDHL, PWHL, and NCAA.

"We are very happy that Peter Elander had the opportunity to step in and take over responsibility for the women's team," said SDE's Sports Director Helene Åström on the team's website. "Elander is a very established coach and we hope that his experience will bring the team stability going forward."

SDE's next game is Friday, when they face Linköping at home.