Kimmo Leinonen

He was the director of public relations and marketing for the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) from 1995 to 2007, and held similar positions for SM-liiga and Ilves.

He was inducted into the builder category of the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, and was named the 2023 recipient of the Paul Loicq Award from the IIHF.

[1][2] He became interested in ice hockey as a youth after his older brother took him to watch Ilves play, and when the team's captain Pentti Isotalo was his elementary school teacher in grade three.

[6] Leinonen was a scout for the New York Rangers from 1978–79 to 1982–83,[2] and worked in the ice hockey stick industry in Germany and Canada at the same time.

[10][11] He was also a technical delegate to four Olympic Games and 14 Ice Hockey World Championships from 1998 to 2010, and served as chairman of more than 40 IIHF men's and women's events from 1995 to 2022.

[5] After the exhibits moved into their new home at the Vapriikki Museum Centre in the early-2000s, Leinonen remarked that the hall of fame had evolved into "a place where you can also experiment and participate for yourself, not just watch".

[14] Leinonen is an honorary lifetime member of Ilves,[3] and was inducted into the builder category of the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, as Lion number 211.