Former Canuck Esa Tikkanen auctioning off Stanley Cup rings due to legal trouble

The 59-year-old Tikkanen has decided to put four of his Stanley Cup rings up for auction with Classic Auctions including three from his time with the Edmonton Oilers as well as his 1994 ring from the New York Rangers when he defeated the Vancouver Canucks. The only ring that Esa Tikkanen is keeping is from his first Stanley Cup championship with the Edmonton Oilers back in 1985.

Also up for auction are two of Tikkanen's game-worn jerseys from his NHL career including one from the 1993-94 season with the New York Rangers and the other from the 1998 Stanley Cup Final while he was a member of the Washington Capitals.

The Helsinki native has been dealing with legal issues in Finland in recent years. He is facing aggravated tax fraud charges, with his main hearing set for back in April, but it had to be postponed to a later date. Last year, he also had some of his property seized by authorities in Finland with was reportedly worth 168,000 Euros ($182,406 USD). The ruling was ultimately overturned by the courts in Finland and Tikkanen got his belongings back.

Bidding has already begun on Esa Tikkanen's memorabilia, with the Stanley Cup rings starting at $5,000 USD. For those interested in either bidding for or looking at the memorabilia, click the link below.

Source - Classic Auctions: The Esa Tikkanen Personal Collection