Tikkanen moved to tears after receiving Borje Salming Courage Award

HELSINKI -- Esa Tikkanen was a unique character who also was a clutch performer during his 14 seasons in the NHL.

So, it was fitting that the ceremony at Helsinki City Hall on Friday honoring Tikkanen as the fourth recipient of the Borje Salming Courage Award presented by SAP celebrated both sides of that combination that helped the former forward win the Stanley Cup five times.

There were plenty of jokes about Tikkanen’s knack for annoying opponents, including a playful video showing him kissing Dale Hunter and Keith Jones during scrums, and his often-undecipherable chirping in a mixture of Finnish and English known as “Tikkanese.” 

“That’s like me,” Tikkanen said of the lighthearted tone of the ceremony. “I have lots of fun with the guys. They have fun with me. I think the most important thing is everybody had fun.”

The 61-year-old Helsinki native was also lauded for inspiring generations of hockey players from Finland and his ability to produce in big moments, as evidenced by 132 points (72 goals, 60 assists) in 186 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.

“At the key times in the playoffs, he always raised his level,” former Edmonton Oilers linemate Jari Kurri said. “Not everyone can do that, but he was one of those players who always played better hockey at key times and when there was something on the line.”

Tikkanen followed Nicklas Lidstrom, Kurri and Mats Sundin in receiving the Salming Courage Award, presented annually by the NHL Alumni Association to a Europe-born NHL alum who has been a positive influence in his community and best embodies Salming's legacy of courage, bravery and dedication on and off the ice.

“It’s one of the things I dreamed of when Nicklas Lidstrom, Jari Kurri and Mats Sundin got it,” Tikkanen said of the Salming Courage Award. “Now I’ve got it, so I’m really excited and happy about this.”

Salming died Nov. 24, 2022, after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The native of Kiruna, Sweden, signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 12, 1973, and became the first player born and trained in Europe to play 1,000 NHL games on Jan. 4, 1988. The defenseman was also the first NHL player from Europe to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame with the Class of 1996.

This year, the Salming ceremony took place in Helsinki during the off day between the games of the 2026 NHL Global Series Finland between the Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken. Salming’s oldest children, Anders and Teresa Salming, represented the family and presented Tikkanen with a limited edition Salming 1148 watch.

There were only 1148 watches made, all of which are numbered. Wayne Gretzky, also Tikkanen’s former linemate, fittingly has No. 99. The Salmings presented Tikkanen with No. 10, which is the number he wore for most of his career.

Tikkanen was moved to tears by the gift and fondly remembered playing against Salming.

“He never backed up,” Tikkanen said. “He every time stand up. Every time, Jari and me and Gretzky played against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he was right there, standing (up to) us, blocking our shots and he played tough all the time.”

Other dignitaries at the ceremony, which was emceed by NHL Alumni Association executive director Glenn Healy, included Helsinki mayor Daniel Sazonov, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and dozens of NHL alumni from Finland, including former Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.

The festivities began with Kurri and former Dallas Stars forward Jere Lehtinen carrying in the Stanley Cup and all the NHL alumni gathering around it for a group photo. Tikkanen won the Cup with Edmonton in 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990 and with the New York Rangers in 1994.

Selected by the Oilers in the fourth round (No. 80) of the 1983 NHL Draft, Tikkanen had 630 points (244 goals, 386 assists) in 877 regular-season games from 1985-98 with the Oilers, Rangers, St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals. 

“He was a very talented hockey player,” Kurri said. “He was one of those players that you could put on the ice when you need a goal or you’re up a goal or you’re short-handed or you’re on the power play or you need to shut down key players.”

One of Tikkanen’s most effective skills for shutting down players was his personality.

“Known affectionately as ‘The Grate One,’ Esa was the ultimate agitator,” Deputy Commissioner Daly said. “He had a legendary talent for getting under his opponent’s skin, using his own patented dialect of ‘Tikkanese,’ a hilarious, rapid-fire mix of the Finnish and English languages, that left rivals completely bewildered.”

As disliked as Tikkanen sometimes was by opponents, his teammates loved having him on their side.

“When it mattered the most, he showed up the best,” said Healy, a former NHL goalie. “That was Esa. He had an incredible, incredible career. When I won the Stanley Cup with him in 1994, he played with one leg. His knee was shot and he was getting shot up every night just so he could play and help to get my name on the Stanley Cup.”

In introducing Tikkanen as the winner of the Salming Courage Award, Rinne noted, “that man was our childhood hero.” Tikkanen proudly represented Finland in international competition, helping it win bronze medals at the 1998 Nagano Olympics and 2000 IIHF World Championship and a silver medal at the 1984 IIHF World Junior Championship.

He also played for each of Helsinki’s professional teams – HIFK (1983-85, 1994-95) and Jokerit (1999-2000).

“Esa has been an idol and inspiration to countless hockey players growing up in our city,” Sazonov said. “A generation of future hockey players in Helsinki saw what Esa did in the rink and moved to copy it in the neighborhood game on an outdoor rink.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Healy presented Tikkanen with a custom Scottish broadsword with the phrase "Rise and Rise Again Until Lambs Become Lions" engraved on the blade.

“Lambs never become lions. Never,” Healy said. “So from the NHL Alumni to ‘Tikki’ to the entire group, Esa, never change. You be you.”