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The Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award is an accolade presented annually to a print newspaper columnist or reporter in recognition of their achievements covering the game of
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
. The award is "to recognize distinguished members of the newspaper profession whose words have brought honor to journalism and to hockey." The Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...
established the accolade in 1984 and named it after the Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
-based Canadian newspaper sports journalist Elmer Ferguson
Elmer Ferguson (February 25, 1885 – April 26, 1972) was a Canadian sports journalist. Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Ferguson moved to Montreal in 1910 and became the sports editor of the Montreal Herald in 1913. Ferguson was ...
. Early in the year, the recipient is chosen by a committee of members from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The winner receives the award from the Hockey Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at BCE Place, Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada. Each recipient receives a glass plaque that is put on display on two glass columns in the media section of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The ceremony associated with the accolade takes place separately to the induction of players into the Hockey Hall of Fame as -- despite widespread confusion on the issue -- media honorees are not considered full inductees.
During the 37 years the award has been active, there have been a total of 62 winners. The first 17 recipients -- Jacques Beauchamp, Jim Burchard, Red Burnett, Dink Carroll, Jim Coleman, Ted Damata
Ted Damata (died May 23, 1988) was an American sports journalist for the Chicago Tribune. He was awarded the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 1984.
Personal life
Damata was married to Eleanore Lapenda and together they had four children.
Car ...
, Marcel Desjardins, Jack Dulmage, Milt Dunnell
Milton William Ryan Dunnell (December 24, 1905 – January 3, 2008) was a Canadian sportswriter, known chiefly for his work at the ''Toronto Star''.
Early life
Dunnell was born in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada on December 24, 1905 and attended ...
, Ferguson, Tom Fitzgerald, Trent Frayne
Trent Gardiner Frayne (September 13, 1918 – February 11, 2012) was a Canadian sportswriter whose career stretched over 60 years. Pierre Berton described Frayne as “likely Canada's greatest sportswriter ever."
Early life
"Billy" Frayne, as he ...
, Al Laney
Albert Gillis Laney (January 11, 1896 – January 31, 1988) was an American sportswriter who specialized in tennis and golf but also covered baseball, boxing and American football.
Biography
Laney was born on January 11, 1896 in Pensacola, Florid ...
, Joe Nichols, Basil O'Meara
Basil Edmund "Baz" O'Meara (June 5, 1892 – October 25, 1971), was a Canadian sports journalist. A columnist for the ''Montreal Star'', he won the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 1984 and is a member of the media section of the Hockey Hall of Fa ...
, Jim Vipond
James French Vipond (July 11, 1916 – December 4, 1989), was a Canadian sports journalist. A columnist for '' The Globe and Mail'', he won the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 1984 and is a member of the media section of the Hockey Hall of Fame. H ...
and Lewis Walter -- were honored in 1984. At least two journalists were named winners each year until 1990. There was no winner in each of 1992, 1994 and 1996. Helene Elliott
Helene Elliott is an American sportswriter for the ''Los Angeles Times'' who is a general sports columnist. She is the first female journalist to receive the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 2005 for bringing "honor to journalism and to hockey". Sh ...
, a writer for the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
,'' became the first female recipient in 2005. She was also the first woman to be honored in the media section of one of the Big Four team Sports Halls of Fame. The award has been presented posthumously on eight occasions. Journalists who have worked for the ''Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and par ...
'' have been recognised seven times, followed by ''The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' reporters with six and ''Le Journal de Montréal
''Le Journal de Montréal'' is a daily French-language tabloid newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Quebec and is also the largest French-language daily newspaper in North America. Es ...
'' on five occasions. Each of the 62 winners have been journalists from either Canada or the United States. ''The Province
''The Province'' is a daily newspaper published in tabloid format in British Columbia by Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network, alongside the '' Vancouver Sun'' broadsheet newspaper. Together, they are British Columbia's ...
'' journalist Tony Gallagher is the 2020 recipient.
Recipients
Statistics
See also
* BBWAA Career Excellence AwardReferences
External links
* {{Official website, https://www.hhof.com/ * Ice hockey trophies and awards Sports writing awards National Hockey League mass media