Esa Tikkanen
Esa Tikkanen | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Helsinki, Finland | January 25, 1965||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
Position | Left wing | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for |
Anyang Halla | ||
National team | Finland | ||
NHL Draft |
80th overall, 1983 Edmonton Oilers | ||
Playing career |
1983–2001 2004–2005 |
Esa Tikkanen (born January 25, 1965) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, and the Washington Capitals, and won the Stanley Cup five times in his career, including in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990 with the Oilers, and 1994 with the Rangers.
Background and early career
Esa Tikkanen began his career in hockey as a little boy by being a mascot for
NHL playing career
Start in Edmonton
Tikkanen made his NHL debut with the
Time after Oilers
In March 1993, Tikkanen was traded to the New York Rangers for Doug Weight,[5][6][7][8] and he was part of that team's 1994 Stanley Cup victory, scoring 22 goals and 54 points in 83 regular-season games. In July 1994, Tikkanen was traded with Doug Lidster to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Petr Nedvěd.[9][10][11]
The start of the NHL's 1994–95 season was delayed by a lockout, during which Tikkanen returned to Finland to play for HIFK Helsinki. After the lockout Tikkanen, played with the Blues during the shortened 1995 season, and appeared in 11 games in 1995-96 before a trade sent him to the New Jersey Devils.[12][13] Three weeks later he was again dealt, this time to the Vancouver Canucks.[14][15][16]
The 1996–97 season saw him involved in yet another midseason trade, back to the Rangers, on March 8, 1997.[17][18][19] Although he contributed only one goal in 14 regular-season games with New York, he came alive in the playoffs, scoring 9 times in 15 games. Of the Rangers, only Gretzky, with 10, outscored Tikkanen. The Rangers eliminated the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils before falling to the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference finals.
The 32-year-old Tikkanen became a free agent in the summer of 1997, and he signed with the Panthers,[20][21] but this would also prove to be a short stay. By March 1998 he had appeared in only 28 games, and Florida traded him to the Washington Capitals for Dwayne Hay.[22] He appeared in all 21 of Washington's playoff games, as the Capitals went to the Stanley Cup finals, where they were swept in four straight games by the Detroit Red Wings. Tikkanen is remembered for missing a wide-open shot on goal that would have iced Game 2, which has been described as a turning point of the Series.[23] This was to be Tikkanen's last full season in the NHL. After becoming a free agent prior to the 1998–99 season, he signed for a third stint with the Rangers. However, he only played in 32 games before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.[24][25]
Before the start of the 1999–2000 season, Tikkanen attended the Oilers' training camp and was offered a role of playing coach in the minors. Tikkanen declined the offer and returned to Finland, where he played a full season with Jokerit. In 877 NHL games, he had scored 244 goals and 386 assists for 630 points, while racking up 1,077 minutes in penalties. In 186 Stanley Cup playoff games, he scored 72 goals and 60 assists for 132 points, with 275 penalty minutes.
Post NHL career
In 1999–2000, Tikkanen played a season with Helsinki-based team Jokerit, a rival team of HIFK, with whom Tikkanen had played earlier in his career. Jokerit finished in second place in the SM-Liiga. In 2000–01, Tikkanen moved to Germany, where he played what was to be his last season in a recognized professional league for Essen Mosquitoes of the DEL. He retired in 2001.
During the 2004–05 season, Tikkanen resurfaced again, this time as a player-coach for the
After one season in Korea, Tikkanen became the coach for
On 27 December 2010
International play
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Representing Finland | ||
Men's ice hockey | ||
Olympic Games | ||
1998 Nagano | Ice hockey | |
World Championships | ||
2000 Russia |
Ice hockey | |
World Junior Championships
| ||
1984 Sweden | Ice hockey |
Esa Tikkanen played 81 games for
Tikkanen participated in two Canada Cups, 5 World Championship tournaments and the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Notable achievements
Tikkanen won the Stanley Cup four times as a member of the Oilers and once more as a member of the Rangers. His various acquisitions were by teams craving him for his playoff experience and success: in 877 regular season games he scored 244 goals, but in 186 playoff games he scored 72 goals which puts him 14th all time in NHL playoff scoring, and 38th all time in play-offs points with 132 points. "Tik" was known for his ability to score clutch goals, but also for his general style of play—chippy and aggressive. He was nicknamed "The Grate One" (a pun on teammate Gretzky's moniker "The Great One") for his ability to irritate opposing players, often just by talking to them in his Finnish-English "Tikkanese" or "Tiki-Talk." His regular-season totals were 244 goals, 386 assists, and 1077 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, he added 72 goals, 60 assists, and 275 penalty minutes. Tikkanen also led the Edmonton Oilers with 69 points in the 1990-91 regular season. Tikkanen holds the NHL record for scoring two shorthanded goals in the shortest time (10 seconds apart). With 436 points and 178 goals as a member of Edmonton Oilers, he is ranked 10th in points and 8th in goals in the team's history. He is also Edmonton 6th all-time scoring leader in team play-offs with 97 points, and 5th in goals with 51. He is also tied 20th all-time regular season short-handed goals leader with 29. He is also tied 4th all-time in play-offs overtime goals leader with 4 goals.
He appeared in an episode of the Trailer Park Boys: Out of the Park in 2016.
In the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, the authors ranked Tikkanen at No. 85 all-time of the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons.[28]
His #5 jersey has been retired by Jokerit.
Tikkanese
Tikkanen is famous for his Finnish-English, sometimes referred to as "Tikkanese" or "Tiki-Talk." Even members of his team often did not understand what he was saying. Wayne Gretzky once commented, "He brings something special. I don't know what it is, but if you ask him, you couldn't understand his answer." Former Edmonton Oiler coach and teammate Craig MacTavish said, "Esa talks twice as much as anybody else. That's because you can understand just half what he says."
Even fellow Finn Jari Kurri had difficulty understanding Tikkanen. During their tenure with the Oilers, Tikkanen let go with a particularly colourful pronouncement, after which another player turned to Kurri and asked, "What did he just say?" Kurri simply shook his head; "I have no idea."[29]
Personal life
Esa Tikkanen has been married three times. His first wife was Swede Ann Charlotte (Lotta) Kraft and they have two daughters, Sabrina and Stephanie. The couple separated in 2000, after 17 years of marriage. He started dating Finnish model Marita Hakala in 2000; however, Hakala called off the engagement in 2002. In 2004, Esa Tikkanen married Tua Backman; the couple had three children together (two sons and a daughter) before divorcing in 2014. In 2015, Tikkanen became engaged to Tuuli, a Finnish physiotherapist from Somero;[30] the couple married in 2016.[31]
Awards and achievements
- HIFK)
- 1984–85 – NHL – Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
- 1986–87 – NHL – Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
- 1987–88 – NHL – Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
- 1989–90 – NHL – Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
- 1993–94 – NHL – Stanley Cup (New York Rangers)
- SM-liiga– 1985
- Tikkanen's number 5 was retired by HIFK. The number 5 as opposed to the number 10 Tikkanen commonly wore during his professional career stems from the sweater made by his great-grandmother that Tikkanen wore while acting as a Jokerit mascot, at the time Jokerit owner Aimo Mäkinen had promised to young Tikkanen that he would retire it someday.
- Tikkanen finished as runner-up for the Frank J. Selke Trophy three times.
Tikkanen, the racehorse
The 1994
Transactions
- March 17, 1993 – Traded by the Edmonton Oilers to the New York Rangers in exchange for Doug Weight.
- July 24, 1994 – Traded by the New York Rangers, along with Doug Lidster to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Petr Nedvěd.
- November 1, 1995 – Traded by the St. Louis Blues to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for New Jersey's 1997 3rd round draft choice.
- November 23, 1995 – Traded by the New Jersey Devils to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Vancouver's 1996 2nd round draft choice.
- March 8, 1997 – Traded by the Vancouver Canucks, along with Russ Courtnall, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Sergei Nemchinov and Brian Noonan.
- September 17, 1997 – Signed as a free agent with the Florida Panthers.
- March 9, 1998 – Traded by the Florida Panthers to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Dwayne Hay and future considerations.
- October 9, 1998 – Signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Regular season
|
Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1981–82 | Regina Blues | SJHL | 59 | 38 | 37 | 75 | 216 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1981–82 | Regina Pats | WHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1982–83 | HIFK
|
FIN U20 | 30 | 34 | 31 | 65 | 104 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 10 | ||
1982–83 | HIFK | SM-l
|
— | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
1983–84 | HIFK | FIN U20 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 8 | ||
1983–84 | HIFK | SM-l | 36 | 19 | 11 | 30 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
1984–85 | HIFK | SM-l | 36 | 21 | 34 | 55 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1984–85 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
1985–86 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 35 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 28 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | ||
1986–87 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 76 | 34 | 44 | 78 | 120 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 22 | ||
1987–88 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 23 | 51 | 74 | 153 | 19 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 72 | ||
1988–89 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 67 | 31 | 47 | 78 | 92 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ||
1989–90 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 79 | 30 | 33 | 63 | 161 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 26 | ||
1990–91 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 79 | 27 | 42 | 69 | 85 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 24 | ||
1991–92 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 40 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 44 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | ||
1992–93 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 66 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1992–93 | New York Rangers | NHL | 15 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1993–94 | New York Rangers | NHL | 83 | 22 | 32 | 54 | 114 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 34 | ||
1994–95 | HIFK | SM-l | 19 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1994–95 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 43 | 12 | 23 | 35 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 20 | ||
1995–96 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 11 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1995–96 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1995–96 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 38 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||
1996–97 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 62 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1996–97 | New York Rangers | NHL | 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 26 | ||
1997–98 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 28 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1997–98 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 20 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 2 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 20 | ||
1998–99 | New York Rangers | NHL | 32 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1999–2000 | Jokerit | SM-l | 43 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 85 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 | ||
2000–01
|
Essen Mosquitoes | DEL | 46 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2004–05 | Anyang Halla Winia
|
ALH | 30 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 877 | 244 | 386 | 630 | 1,077 | 186 | 72 | 60 | 132 | 275 | ||||
SM-l totals | 135 | 52 | 69 | 121 | 173 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 12 |
International
Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1982 | Finland | EJC | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | |
1983 | Finland | WJC
|
7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | |
1983 | Finland | EJC | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 | |
1984 | Finland | WJC | 7 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 12 | |
1985 | Finland | WJC | 7 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 10 | |
1985
|
Finland | WC
|
10 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 12 | |
1987 | Finland | CC | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
1989
|
Finland | WC | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 14 | |
1991 | Finland | CC | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |
1993
|
Finland | WC | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
1996
|
Finland | WC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
1998 | Finland | OLY
|
6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
2000
|
Finland | WC | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | |
Junior totals | 31 | 22 | 22 | 44 | 43 | |||
Senior totals | 51 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 50 |
References
- ^ Swane, Brian (18 November 2021). "Oilers' History Isn't Complete Without Esa Tikkanen". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Austin (23 December 1991). "The Grate One". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Springer, Steve (18 May 1990). "Gretzky's Shadow Following Janney Now : NHL playoffs: Tikkanen, illness dogged Bruin in triple-overtime loss to Oilers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Springer, Steve (20 April 1990). "Kings Got Licked, Gretzky Tikked : NHL playoffs: Tikkanen kept a close check on No. 99 in 7-0 rout, but it's not new strategy for the Oilers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Friesen, Eric (26 July 2020). "Oilers' Doug Weight Trade Revisited". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- New York Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Rangers, Oilers swap key players". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Oilers send Tikkanen to Rangers - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- New York Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Archives, L. A. Times (25 July 1994). "Keenan Gets $100,000 Fine, 60-Day Ban; Nedved a Ranger". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Devils Trade For Tikkanen | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- New York Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- New York Times. 24 November 1995. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Tikkanen Traded Again -- to Canucks". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Tikkanen traded, now to Vancouver". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "CANUCKS-RANGERS TRADE". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- New York Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- New York Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- New York Times. 6 September 1997. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Staff (6 September 1997). "PANTHERS GRAB TIKKANEN FROM RANGERS". Buffalo News. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Svrluga, Barry (29 April 2013). "Washington Capitals coaches are direct link to team's run to 1998 Stanley Cup finals". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- ^ staff, CBSNews com staff CBSNews com (16 September 1998). "Tikkanen Tries Out With Rangers - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- New York Times. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "Sports". ABC News.
- ^ "The Asahi Shimbun".
- ISBN 978-0470736197. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
- ^ "Esa Tikkanen, Indecipherable on Ice". Washington Post. 6 June 2000. Retrieved 3 October 2006.
- ^ Huusela, Jasmin (26 November 2015). "Esa Tikkanen kihlasi Tuuli-kultansa: "Häät vuoden sisällä"" [Esa Tikkanen engaged to his golden Tuuli: "Wedding within a Year"]. Iltalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- Seiska(in Finnish). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- "New-look Anyang Halla adds western flavor" nhl.com, July 31, 2008