Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2025
Hailing from the personal collection of noted Finnish hockey executive and writer Kimmo Leinonen, we have group of six IIHF World Championships participation medals. The first medal comes from the 1955 tournament in West Germany that was won by Team Canada. It is just over 3 1/2" in diameter with a rubber core encircled by a metal ring, with German text along with "Eishockey - Weltmeisterschaft 1955". The reverse has competing nations flags in raised relief along with a skate motif. The original case is included, with some minor wear to the medal along the edges. The second medal comes from the 1958 tournament in Norway, where Team Canada won the nation's 17th title. At just under 1 1/2" x 2", there is an enamel tournament logo on the front with "VM Ishockey Oslo 1958", with a blank reverse. There is light oxidation to the medal. The third medal comes from the 1962 tournament in the US, where Sweden earned it's third title after defeating Canada in the finals. At just over 2" in diameter, there is an image of The Broadmoor resort on the obverse, with a tournament logo and "1962 World and European Ice Hockey Championships" in raised letters on the reverse. There is also the makers name stamped on the edge. The medal shows some minor handling wear. The fourth medal comes from the 1965 tournament in Finland, won by a strong undefeated Soviet team. At 3" in diameter, there is raised hockey stick motif on the obverse along with "Finnish Ice Hockey Association" in both English and Finnish, with "Tampere 1965" stamped into the reverse. The original case comes with the medal, and it remains in beautiful condition. The fifth medal comes from the 1972 tournament in Prague, Czechoslovakia, which witnessed the home nation win it's third title after defeating the rival Soviets. Square shaped at 2" x 2", the raised text on the obverse includes "Praha 1972", with an impressionist image of a player in raised relief on the reverse. The medal shows light wear with a few tiny marks. The sixth and final medal comes from the 1973 tournament in Moscow, Soviet Union, with the mighty Russians winning after beating Sweden in the final. At 2 3/8", the gold-coloured medal has an engraved hockey glove with red enamel tournament logo on the obverse along with Cyrillic text, with a globe design and "CCCP 1973" on the reverse. The medal remains in near mint condition. An LOA from Classic Auctions will accompany.
Born in Tampere, Finland, in 1949, and beginning his rise in the hockey ranks as a junior hockey coach while also involved in the hockey stick industry in Canada and Germany, Finnish hockey executive and writer Kimmo Leinonen had a connection to the NHL as he was employed as a scout for the New York Rangers from 1978-79 to 1982-83. As a founding member of the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 - where he served as chairman from 2011 to 2018, Leinonen also helped to establish the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1996 and was the director of public relations and marketing for the organization from 1995 to 2007. His later career included an appointment as general secretary of the 2012 and 2013 Ice Hockey World Championships co-hosted in both Finland and Sweden. The hockey guru has written multiple books on the history of hockey in Finland, and for his great contributions to the sport, was inducted into the builder category of the Finnish Hall of Fame in 2011. He was further acknowledged as the only person from Finland to win the Paul Loicq Award in recognition for his efforts in international ice hockey in 2023. We are pleased to offer items from his personal collection that he acquired during his years as the IIHF director of public relations and marketing from 1995 to 1997, with others originating from later in his career as well as international hockey memorabilia he collected and items he was gifted.
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