Västerås IK announced Mikael Wikstrand as the new head coach for its men's hockey team on a 2+1-year contract. The 32-year-old former champion defenseman joins from Forshaga IF, where he led the team to two consecutive playoffs in Hockeyettan. Wikstrand boasts a distinguished playing career, including 2018 World Championship gold and 2022 SM gold.
Västerås IK confirmed the appointment on its website, with Stefan Holmgren praising the hire. “We have gotten a very good feeling about Mikael from our conversations with him. He is a young and hungry coach with a very strong drive who will fit well into our new start,” Holmgren said in the club's statement. This marks a new chapter for the club, which has also brought in Stiffen as assistant sports director and Peter Popovic as sports director—Popovic previously worked with Wikstrand on Sweden's national team staff when Wikstrand was a player. Wikstrand expressed enthusiasm for the role. “I feel very inspired to step into Västerås IK and work in a historic club with a strong hockey tradition. It will be very exciting to meet the guys in the coming weeks and sit down with ‘JG’ and ‘Stiffen’ to chart a new direction for the club,” he said. As a player, the Värmland native played over 300 SHL games for Färjestad BK and Frölunda HC, appeared in the KHL, and suited up for Mora IK in HockeyAllsvenskan. On Tuesday, Västerås IK also revealed that centers Svante Sjödin and Max Karlsson will not return for the next season, signaling further roster changes ahead.