Lehtinen named GM of Finnish national team

Former NHL forward Jere Lehtinen has been named general manager of the Finland national team by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association.

Lehtinen replaces Jari Kurri, who held the post since 2003.

Lehtinen spent 14 seasons in the NHL, all with the Dallas Stars, with 243 goals and 514 points in 875 regular-season games. He had 27 goals and 49 points in 108 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. A seven-time 20-goal scorer, he won the Frank J. Selke Trophy three times as the League's top defensive forward, in 1998, 1999 and 2003. He won a Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999.

Lehtinen represented his country in the Olympics five times, winning the bronze medal three times (1994 Lillehammer, 1998 Nagano, 2010 Vancouver) and the silver (2006 Turin). He competed in the World Championship four times, winning a gold medal in 1995 and a silver medal in 1992, 1994 and 2007.

Lehtinen is the only Finn to win a World Championship gold and a Stanley Cup.

Finland will compete in its first tournament under its new leadership on home ice during the Karjala Tournament, held Nov. 6-9 in Helsinki.