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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 hock ...
. 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 established the accolade in 1984 and named it after the Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
-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 wa ...
. Early in the year, the recipient is chosen by a committee of members from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association
The Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) is a North American professional association for ice hockey sports journalism, journalists writing for newspapers, magazines and websites. The PHWA was founded in 1967 and has approximately 180 vot ...
. The winner receives the award from the Hockey Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at BCE Place
Brookfield Place (formerly BCE Place), is an office complex in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, comprising the block bounded by Yonge Street, Wellington Street West, Bay Street, and Front Street. The complex contains of office space, and con ...
, 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 ancho ...
, 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
Jacques Beauchamp (February 4, 1927September 17, 1988) was a Canadian sports journalist. During his 25-year tenure at the ''Montréal-Matin'', he became the first reporter to follow the Montreal Canadiens on the road on a regular basis. His wo ...
, Jim Burchard, Red Burnett
Robert James "Red" Burnett (1910 or 1911 – April 1, 1979) was a Canadian sports journalist. A columnist for the ''Toronto Star'', he won the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award
The Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award is an accolade presented annually to a ...
, Dink Carroll
Austin "Dink" Carroll (November 12, 1899 – April 8, 1991) was a Canadian sports journalist. A columnist for the '' Montréal Gazette'', he won the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 1984 and is a member of the media section of the Hockey Hall o ...
, 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.
Care ...
, 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, Joe Nichols
Joseph Edward Nichols (born November 26, 1976) is an American country music artist. Between 1996 and 2001, he held recording contracts with the Intersound and Giant labels. In 2002, he signed with Universal South Records, now known as Show Dog-U ...
, 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
The Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award is an accolade presented annually ...
, Jim Vipond 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, 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 Un ...
,'' 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 part ...
'' 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'' 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 on ...
'' journalist Tony Gallagher is the 2020 recipient.
Recipients
Statistics
See also
*BBWAA Career Excellence Award
The BBWAA Career Excellence Award, formerly the J. G. Taylor Spink Award, is the highest award given by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). It is given "for meritorious contributions to baseball writing" and voted on annually by ...
References
External links
* {{Official website, https://www.hhof.com/ * Ice hockey trophies and awards Sports writing awards National Hockey League mass media