Former Oilers forward Esa Tikkanen is auctioning off four of his Stanley Cup rings, reportedly in response to his ongoing legal battle for tax fraud in Finland, raising eyebrows among fans and analysts.
Tikkanen was a consistent part of the 80s Oilers that dominated the NHL. He spent the majority of his career with Edmonton, despite playing for five teams in total, and won four championships with them. Unfortunately, retirement hasn't been kind to Tikkanen, as he faces a legal battle for tax fraud, leading him to auction off four of his Stanley Cup rings.
Tikkanen denies that the auction is linked to his legal troubles. He provided no specific reason for the move, noting only that he's considered it for a long time. In a statement to Finnish news sources, he said the auction is "in no way" related to his aggravated tax fraud case.
Tikkanen played in 877 career regular season NHL games, including 522 games with the Edmonton Oilers. He scored 244 career goals and 630 points. Tikkanen won the Stanley Cup five times, four with the Oilers and once in 1994 with the New York Rangers.
