Savolainen, who coached the Slovenian team in 2003 and again in 2005, succeeds Nik Zupancic.

Zupancic has been replaced as head coach following a disappointing performance from Slovenia at the recent International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, where they finished bottom of the group held in Paris.

It meant they were relegated back to the World Championships Division 1A, which they were promoted from last year.

Zupancic, who is expected to stay on as Savolainen's assistant, did enjoy a successful two-year stint in the role as he guided the Slovenian team to qualification for Pyeongchang 2018.

Slovenia won Group D at the Final Olympic Qualification tournament in September of last year to book their spot at the Winter Olympic Games, where they have been placed in a tough group with Russia, the United States and Slovakia.

Savolainen led the Slovenian national team for two seasons and earned promotion in 2004 and a 13th-place finish at the 2005 Ice Hockey World Championship in Austria.

It was the last time Slovenia manged to stay in the top division for longer than one year.

The Finnish coach was also an adviser for the Slovenian team between 2010 and 2013 before he was the head coach of his native side from 2014 to 2016.

Savolainen will be hoping to lead Slovenia back into the top tier of the Ice Hockey World Championship next year when Slovenia compete in the Division I Group A tournament in Budapest.

They will go up against hosts Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland and Britain in Budapest at the event, which runs from April 22 to 28.