OSLO – The Norwegian Ice Hockey Association named Anders Gjose new head coach of the U20 national team. He signed a two-year contract.

The 32-year-old was coaching the U18 national team for three years and earlier the U16 national team for three years. The past three seasons he was also working for his hometown team Lillehammer first as an assistant coach for the senior team and later coaching the U18 team.

Gjose represented Norway as a player at the U18 and U20 levels and played in the top league for Lillehammer and Stavanger until retiring at the age of 23.

At the U20 national team Gjose will replace Tor Nilsen, who he worked together with in Lillehammer and who led the team for the past two seasons.

Last winter Norway finished the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division I Group A in Bremerhaven, Germany, in last place and was relegated to the Division I Group B. It was the worst placing in eight years for a Norwegian junior team.

The Norwegians aim at getting back to the second level at the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship Division I Group B in Bled where they will play Poland, host Slovenia, Italy, Ukraine and Lithuania.

MARTIN MERK