Professional Hockey Writers' Association

Last updated

The Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) is a North American professional association for ice hockey journalists writing for newspapers, magazines and websites. The PHWA was founded in 1967 and has approximately 180 voting members. [1] The association was founded as the National Hockey League Writers' Association, then renamed itself to the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in 1971, to distinguish itself from National Hockey League (NHL) teams. [2]

Contents

Functions

PHWA members vote for the following seven NHL individual awards: [3] Hart Memorial Trophy, Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, Calder Memorial Trophy, James Norris Memorial Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, and Frank J. Selke Trophy. [4] [3] Members of the National Hockey League Broadcasters' Association vote for the Jack Adams Award (coaching), [1] [4] while the NHL general managers vote for the Vezina Trophy (top goalie). [1] [4] Members of the National Hockey League Players' Association vote for the Ted Lindsay Award. There are several other NHL awards, including the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award and the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. [4]

The members of the PHWA also vote for the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to professional hockey writers.

The association is dedicated to "preserving the rights and improving the access for members of the North American–based media who cover the sport of hockey all over the world". [5]

Presidents

List of presidents of the National Hockey League Writers' Association (1966–1971), and the Professional Hockey Writers' Association since 1971:

YearsPresidentMedia employmentRef
1966–1968 Tom Fitzgerald The Boston Globe [6]
1968–1970 Red Fisher Montreal Star
1970–1971 George Gross Toronto Telegram [7]
1971–1972 Jack Berry Detroit Free Press [2]
1972–1974 Red Burnett Toronto Star [8]
1974–1975 Bill Brennan The Detroit News [9]
1975–1977 Dan Stoneking Minneapolis Star [10]
1977–1979 Bob Verdi Chicago Tribune [11]
1979–1981 Bill Fleischman Philadelphia Daily News [6]
1981–1985 Francis Rosa The Boston Globe
1985–1987 Rod Beaton USA Today
1987–1993 Scott Morrison Toronto Sun
1993–1999 Jim Kelley The Buffalo News
1999–2001 Helene Elliott Los Angeles Times
2001–2003 Larry Brooks New York Post
2003–2013 Kevin Allen USA Today
2013–2017 Scott Burnside ESPN
2017–2018 Mark Spector Sportsnet
2019–present Frank Seravalli The Sports Network

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Norris Memorial Trophy</span> NHL award

The James Norris Memorial Trophy, or simply the Norris Trophy, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top "defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". It is named after James E. Norris, the longtime owner of the Detroit Red Wings. The James Norris Memorial Trophy has been awarded 62 times to 26 players since its beginnings in 1953–54. At the end of each season, members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote to determine the player who was the best defenseman during the regular season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Hockey League</span> North American professional ice hockey league

The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered to be the top ranked professional ice hockey league in the world, with players from 18 countries as of the 2022–23 season. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) also views the Stanley Cup as one of the "most important championships available to the sport".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hockey Hall of Fame</span> Ice hockey museum in Toronto, Canada

The Hockey Hall of Fame 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) records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup. Founded in Kingston, Ontario, the Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1943 under the leadership of James T. Sutherland. The first class of honoured members was inducted in 1945, before the Hall of Fame had a permanent location. It moved to Toronto in 1958 after the NHL withdrew its support for the International Hockey Hall of Fame in Kingston, Ontario, due to funding issues. Its first permanent building opened at Exhibition Place in 1961. The hall was relocated in 1993, and is now in Downtown Toronto, inside Brookfield Place, and a historic Bank of Montreal building. The Hockey Hall of Fame has hosted International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) exhibits and the IIHF Hall of Fame since 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Hull</span> Canadian ice hockey player (1939–2023)

Robert Marvin Hull was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blonde hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot the puck at very high velocity all earned him the name "The Golden Jet". His talents were such that an opposing player was often assigned just to shadow him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hart Memorial Trophy</span> Ice hockey award

The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, is an annual award for the most valuable player in the National Hockey League (NHL), voted by the members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association. The original trophy was donated to the league in 1923 by David Hart, the father of Cecil Hart, the longtime head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. The Hart Trophy has been awarded 99 times to 61 different players since its beginnings in 1923–24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Hockey League</span> Sports league in Canada

The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overage players of 20 years of age. There are currently 20 teams in the OHL; seventeen in Ontario, two in Michigan, and one in Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vezina Trophy</span> Ice hockey award

The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's (NHL) goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the thirty-two NHL general managers vote to determine the winner. It is named in honour of Georges Vezina, goaltender of the Montreal Canadiens from 1910 until 1925, who died in 1926 of tuberculosis. The trophy was first awarded after the 1926–27 NHL season and was awarded to the top goaltender. From 1946–47 to 1981–82, the trophy went to the goaltender(s) of the team allowing the fewest goals during the regular season; now, the William M. Jennings Trophy is awarded for this.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syl Apps</span> Canadian ice hockey player and politician

Charles Joseph Sylvanus Apps, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1936 to 1948, an Olympic pole vaulter and a Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario. In 2017 Apps was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toe Blake</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Joseph Hector "Toe" Blake, was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). Blake played in the NHL from 1935 to 1948 with the Montreal Maroons and Montreal Canadiens. He led the NHL in scoring in 1939, while also winning the Hart Trophy for most valuable player, and served as captain of the Canadiens from 1940 to his retirement. He won the Stanley Cup three times as a player: in 1935 with the Maroons, and in 1944 and 1946 with the Canadiens. While with the Canadiens Blake played on a line with Elmer Lach and Maurice Richard which was dubbed the Punch line, as all three were highly-skilled players. In 2017 Blake was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Crozier</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Roger Allan Crozier was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals. During his career, Crozier was named to the NHL First All-Star Team once, was a Calder Memorial Trophy winner, and was the first player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy while playing for the losing team in the Stanley Cup Finals. He was the last goaltender in the NHL to start all of his team's games in the regular season, in 1964–65.

William Masterton was a Canadian American professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota North Stars in 1967–68. He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game, the result of massive head injuries suffered following a hit during a January 13, 1968 contest against the Oakland Seals.

In 1970, the Junior A level was divided into two more levels, Tier I and Tier II. In 1974, the "Major Junior A" division of the OHA became the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) and began to operate independently of the OHA. Finally in 1980, the OMJHL became the Ontario Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Kaminsky (ice hockey)</span> Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Max Kaminsky was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played four seasons in the National Hockey League, followed by nine seasons in the American Hockey League where he won two Calder Cup championships. He later coached the Pittsburgh Hornets and Philadelphia Rockets, then led the St. Catharines Teepees to the 1960 Memorial Cup championship. The Max Kaminsky Trophy was established by the Ontario Hockey Association in his honour in 1961, and he was posthumously inducted into the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Fisher (journalist)</span> Canadian sports journalist

Saul "Red" Fisher, was a Canadian sports journalist who wrote about the National Hockey League and the Montreal Canadiens in his newspaper column. Fisher received the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 1985. He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, and became a Member of the Order of Canada (CM) in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken McKenzie</span> Canadian newspaper publisher

Ken McKenzie was a Canadian newspaper publisher and sports journalist. He served as publicity director of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1946 to 1963. In 1947, he published the first NHL press and radio guide, and co-founded The Hockey News with Will Cote and C$383.81. McKenzie bought out his partner and later sold an 80 per cent share of The Hockey News for a reported $4-million in 1973. He stayed on as its publisher and a columnist until 1981. He also published Canadian Football News, Ontario Golf News, and the magazines Hockey Pictorial and Hockey World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">38th National Hockey League All-Star Game</span> Professional ice hockey exhibition game

The 38th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, home to the Hartford Whalers, on February 4, 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylor Hall</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Taylor Hall is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft selected by the Edmonton Oilers. He has previously played for the Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins.

John Thomas Berry is an American sports journalist. A native of Detroit, he graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, and wrote for the school's student newspaper, The State News. He was a correspondent for United Press International at the bureau in Lansing, Michigan, before working on the sports staff of the Detroit Free Press. He served as president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in 1971, then worked at The Detroit News from 1971 to 1993. As a golf correspondent and author of the "Golf Page", he covered more than 70 major golf championships during his career.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Duhatschek, Eric (April 8, 2011). "Handing out the NHL hardware". TheGlobeandMail.com. The Globe and Mail, Inc. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  2. 1 2 The Canadian Press (January 20, 1971). "Hockey writers change name". The Albertan . Calgary, Alberta. p. 13. Lock-green.svg
  3. 1 2 "PHWA Awards". Professional Hockey Writers Association. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "2015 NHL Awards". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises, L.P. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
  5. "Home". hockeywriters.net.
  6. 1 2 "About the PHWA". Professional Hockey Writers' Association. 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  7. "Barry[sic] Named V.P. Of NHL Sportswriters". The Evening News . Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. Associated Press. January 21, 1970. p. 8. Lock-green.svg
  8. "Dulmage Returned". Windsor Star . Windsor, Ontario. January 26, 1972. p. 28. Lock-green.svg
  9. "Brennan heads hockey writers". Montreal Star . Montreal, Quebec. January 30, 1974. p. 66. Lock-green.svg
  10. "Dulmage bows out". Windsor Star . Windsor, Ontario. January 22, 1975. p. 34. Lock-green.svg
  11. "Verdi to head group". South Idaho Press . Burley, Idaho. January 26, 1977. p. 7. Lock-green.svg