Roope Koistinen

The Detroit Red Wings on July 3, 2023, announced the hiring of Roope Koistinen as the goaltending coach of the Griffins and he enters his fourth season in the position. 

Last campaign, Koistinen helped the Griffins reach the Central Division Finals for the second time in the past three years. In addition, he aided the team to a Central Division Title as well as a Western Conference championship during the regular season with a franchise-record 51-16-4-1 (.743) mark. The Griffins reached the 50-win mark in 2025-26 for the first time since 2005-06 and the 107 points were the fourth-most in franchise history. Grand Rapids enjoyed a franchise-record tying 15-game win streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 27, 2025, which tied for the sixth-longest run in AHL history. In addition, the Griffins’ 19-game point streak from Nov. 22, 2025-Jan. 7, 2026 (18-0-1-0), tied for the longest run in franchise history. The Griffins began the 2025-26 season with a 29-1-1-1 record and the 17-game point streak on the road from Oct. 10, 2025-Jan. 23, 2026 (15-0-1-1), set a new AHL record. Under Koistinen’s guidance, Sebastian Cossa and Michal Postava were the winners of the 2025-26 Harry “Hap” Holmes Memorial Award, given annually to the goaltender(s) on the team that allows the fewest goals per game in the regular season. Grand Rapids paced the AHL with 159 goals allowed (franchise record) and totaled 10 shutouts (tied franchise record). 

Also in 2025-26, Cossa became the first Griffins goalie to earn consecutive all-star selections, and the first Griffins player since Chris Terry (2019 and 2020). With four shutouts last season, Postava set a franchise rookie record and tied a franchise record by becoming the 10th netminder in team history to log back-to-back shutouts. In the franchise’s all-time single-season record book, Postava’s 2025-26 numbers placed first in GAA (1.71), first in save percentage (.937) and tied for 10th in shutouts (4). Cossa ranked among the 2025-26 AHL leaders in GAA (2.33, 5th), save percentage (.915, 6th), wins (26, 3rd) and shutouts (5, 2nd). Finally in 2025-26, Cossa was named the AHL Goaltender of the Month twice (November and December) and player of the week on Nov. 30, while Postava garnered the player of the week on April 19. 

In 2024-25, Koistinen aided goaltender Cossa to a 21-15-5 record with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage, as the netminder earned his first-ever AHL All-Star Classic appearance. In 2024-25 with the help of Koistinen, Cossa ranked among the AHL leaders in games played (41, T8th), wins (21, T10th), GAA (2.45, 11th), and save percentage (.911, T13th). In his first season with the team in 2023-24, Koistinen coached Cossa to a 22-9-9 record with two shutouts to go along with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage. Under Koistinen’s guidance, Cossa ranked among the AHL leaders in GAA (2.41, T6th) and save percentage (.913, T13th), and set a new franchise record with a 19-game point streak (13-0-6) from Jan. 19-April 5, 2024. 

Koistinen had been with Karpat’s youth programs in Finland from 2014-23, serving in multiple roles for the club. In 2022-23, Karpat U20 allowed the third-fewest goals in the SM-sarja U20 league in Finland with 48 goals allowed in 23 outings (2.09 GAA) with Koistinen as its goaltending coach. He also garnered a 2023 U17 World Hockey Challenge bronze medal with Team Finland, serving as the team’s goaltending coach. As an assistant coach for Finland’s U17 team, he collected another bronze medal at the 2023 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival.

From 2015-23, the Kiiminki, Finland, native served as the goaltending coach for Karpat’s U18 and U20 clubs in addition to his director of goaltending development title with Karpat. In 2018-19, Koistinen helped guide Karpat U20 to a U20 SM-liiga championship as its goaltending coach with a 32-13-5-2 ledger and just 121 goals allowed (2.33 GAA), the fewest in the league by 17 goals. In total from 2015-23, Koistinen won three league titles, four silver medals and two bronze medals with Karpat’s youth programs. Under Koistinen’s guidance, Justus Annunen (NSH) won the 2018 U20 SM-sarja Best Goalie award, Joel Blomqvist (PIT) claimed the 2020 U20 SM-sarja Best Goalie achievement, Leevi Merilainen (OTT) was named to the 2021 U20 SM-sarja Second All-Star Team, and Niklas Kokko (SEA) was honored on the 2022 U20 SM-sarja Second All-Star Team. 

Koistinen has also been part of Finland’s coaching staff for its youth national teams since the 2018-19 season. He served as goaltending coach for Finland U16 from 2018-19 and 2021-22, before earning a spot as goaltending coach for Finland U17 from 2019-20 and 2022-23. In 2020-21, Koistinen finished in fourth place as Finland’s goaltending coach at the 2021 U18 World Championship.

Koistinen spent his entire playing career with KKP’s youth teams in Finland. He began his career in 2008-09 with KKP U17 in the U17 SM-sarja division in Finland, posting a 4.11 goals against average in 15 appearances. Koistinen competed in his final season during the 2013-14 campaign with KKP U20 in the U20 Aluedivisioona league, compiling a 3.50 GAA and a 0.921 save percentage in two appearances.