Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction February 2025
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/18/2025
The worldwide governing body for the sport of ice hockey and founded in 1908, the International Ice Hockey Association is based in Zurich, Switzerland and currently contains eighty-four (84) member countries. Offered here, we present this large collection of IIHF memorabilia collection that dates from the 1950s to the 2010s and hails from the personal collection of Kimmo Leinonen. Including a number of items such as medallions, coins, pins and more, notable items within the group include; a medal commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Summit Series in 2002, a trio of medals from the Bulgarian National Hockey Championships (2015-16 and 2016-17), a medal from the East German Ice Skating Union that is housed in its original German Ice Hockey Federation box and shows light scratches over both sides, a commemorative plate from the 1975 Summer Spartakiad, a group of eight stick pins from IIHF World Championships played in Prague during the years of 1969 (actually played in Sweden), 1972 and 1978, a Hungarian coin set commemorating their hosting of the 2018 IIHF World Championship, a Thurn-und-Taxis Pokal medal from the 1963 edition of the tournament that was won by EV Fussen, a bronze medal from the 1968 Spengler Cup, a medal and plate from the 1960 Trofeo Conte Alberto Bonacossa tournament, a medal from the 1963 Trofeo Conte Alberto Bonacossa, a medal commemorating the 50th anniversary of professional hockey in Russia, a medal commemorating the champions of the Hungary, a medal from the 1986 Leningrad Pravda Cup and finally, two (2) 50 Forint coins commemorating Hungary's hosting of the 2018 IIHF World Championships. All remaining in overall good condition with expected light wear from age and handling observed throughout the group, a Classic Auctions LOA will accompany the lot.
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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