Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2025
Attended by over 325,000 spectators, the 1995 IIHF World Championships took place in Sweden, with Finland winning it's first title after defeating the host nation in the gold medal game. We offer a gold medal from the tournament along with a participation medal that both hail from the personal collection of noted Finnish hockey executive and writer Kimmo Leinonen. The gold medal measures 2 3/4" in diameter with the original blue and yellow ribbon attached, with "World Championships" appearing in raised letters circling the perimeter on the obverse along with two generic players in raised relief with "1995" above. Featuring a painted globe IIHF logo with crossed hockey sticks on the reverse that is encompassed by "International Ice Hockey Federation" in matching style raised letters, the medal displays beautifully and remains in near mint condition. The participation medal comes in the original wooden case and is rectangular shaped at just over 2" x 2 3/4". It has the design logo for the tournament in raised relief with "95" and "Ice Hockey World Championship Sweden" in raised letters beneath. The reverse has "Sporrong" stamped at the base. The medal show just very light wear along edges. 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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