Esa Tikkanen, a former player for the Edmonton Oilers, has decided to sell three of his four Stanley Cup rings won with the team, as well as one ring he earned with the New York Rangers. The Finnish 59-year-old won four Stanley Cups with the Oilers between 1985 and 1990, and one with the Rangers in 1994.
Tikkanen explained that he is keeping his first Stanley Cup ring from 1985, which he gave to his father as a promise when he started his NHL career. The auction for his rings is set to end on June 25th, with bids reaching $28,000 for the Rangers ring and between $11,000 and $16,000 for each of the Oilers rings as of Monday.
The decision to sell his rings comes as the Oilers are striving to win their first Stanley Cup since Tikkanen, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, and others led the team to victory in 1990. Tikkanen played alongside Wayne Gretzky during their championship wins in 1985, 1987, and 1988 before Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings.
Marc Juteau, the president of ‘Classic Auctions’, described the auction as one of the most significant collections of championship rings ever offered by a member of the prestigious Oilers dynasty, highlighting Tikkanen’s connection to Gretzky. Tikkanen revealed that he stores his rings in his toiletry bag and mentioned that his children are not interested in keeping them.
Despite parting ways with the majority of his Stanley Cup rings, Tikkanen expressed contentment with his decision, noting that he began his NHL career during the playoffs in 1985 and retired after 14 seasons in 1999. The sale of his rings signifies a new chapter for the former player as he moves forward from his successful hockey career.