| Joe Wirkkunen | |
| Birth Name: | Viljo Wirkkunen |
| Birth Date: | 27 June 1928 |
| Birth Place: | Port Arthur, Ontario |
| Death Place: | Thunder Bay, Ontario |
Viljo "Joe" Wirkkunen (June 27, 1928 – July 13, 1986) was a Finnish-Canadian ice hockey coach. Both of his parents were originally from Finland.[1] Wirkkunen was the first head coach of the Finnish national team who did not hold Finnish citizenship. His significance to Finnish ice hockey culture is considerable.[2]
Wirkkunen was hired as an assistant coach to for the 1951–1952 season, during which he primarily traveled around the country sharing ice hockey knowledge. He served as the coach of the Finnish national team during the 1959–1960 and 1961–1966 seasons.
Wirkkunen coached Finland as the head coach in four World Championships and two Olympic Games. He introduced Canadian fundamental skills to Finnish ice hockey, thereby contributing to the development of Finland's ice hockey culture.
In 1978 Wirkkunen was awarded the silver medal for Merit in Sport by the Finnish government.
The Finnish Ice Hockey Hall of Fame named Wirkkunen Finnish Ice Hockey Lion number 25 in 1985.[3]
Wirkkunen was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in September 2008.[4]