Finnish Ice Hockey Museum | |
Established | 1979 |
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Location | Vapriikki Museum Centre Alaverstaanraitti 5 Tampere, Finland |
Type | Sports museum and hall of fame |
Chairperson | Mika Sulin |
Website | Official website (in Finnish) |
The Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame is housed in and administered by the Suomen Jääkiekkomuseo ('Finnish Ice Hockey Museum'), a part of the Vapriikki Museum Centre, in Tampere, Finland. The mission of the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame is to record, document, and exhibit objects, photographs, and printed materials related to Finnish ice hockey. The original Kanada-malja and the Aurora Borealis Cup are on display along with a number of active-use Liiga awards and hockey memorabilia including sweaters and game-used gear from past seasons.
When the hall of fame was established on 14 June 1979, its founding members included Aarne Honkavaara, Kalervo Kummola, Kimmo Leinonen, Harry Lindblad, and others. Notable chairpersons of the hall of fame have included, Harry Lindblad (1979–1983), Aarne Honkavaara (1983–1996), Unto Wiitala (1996–2001), and Kimmo Leinonen (2011–2018).[1]
Since 1985, the Hockey Hall of Fame Finland has honored distinguished players, coaches, referees, influencers, and members of the media who have made significant impact on ice hockey in Finland, naming them each a Suomen Jääkiekkoleijona ('Finnish Ice Hockey Lion'). Each Jääkiekkoleijona is designated with the chronological number of their induction. Including the induction class of 2023, there are 274 inductees in the Hockey Hall of Fame Finland.[2] Of the 274 inductees, thirteen are women.