Harry Lindblad

Harry Gustaf Lindblad (30 July 1912 – 2 February 1984) was a Finnish ice hockey administrator, coach and player. He served as the Finnish Ice Hockey Association president for 18 years, after five years as its vice-president. During this time, Finland participated in its first ice hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics, won its first medal in international hockey, began to build indoor ice rinks, hosted two Ice Hockey World Championships, and founded the Finnish Elite League. He was posthumously recognized for his contributions by induction into both the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame.

Early life Lindblad was born on 30 July 1912 in Vyborg, Grand Duchy of Finland. He was baptised Harry Gustaf Lindblad on 25 October 1912, to parents Gustaf Edvard Lindblad, and Margaretha Elisabeth Henriksson. The young Lindblad played ice hockey with Tammerfors Bollklubb (TBK) in the 1940s and later coached the team. He became president of TBK in 1945, and remained with the club when it transitioned into Tappara in 1955.

Finnish national hockey Lindblad served as vice-president of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association from 1952 to 1957.

He was elected president of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association in 1957, and served in that role for 18 years until 1975. He later served as a council member of the IIHF from 1967 to 1976, When the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame was established June 14, 1979, Lindblad was one of its founding members, and served as chairperson from 1979 to 1983.

Later life and honors Lindblad died on 2 February 1984, in Tampere. As a result of his contributions to the sport of hockey, he posthumously joined the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985, and into the builder category of the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1999. He was later inducted into the Tappara Hall of Fame, and became the namesake of the Harry Lindblad memorial trophy, awarded to the regular season champion of Liiga.