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. 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-based Canadian newspaper sports journalist Elmer Ferguson. 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, Ontario, 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. The Hockey Hall of Fame recognizes the recipients as "media honourees"—a separate distinction from those inducted as "honoured members".

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, Marcel Desjardins, Jack Dulmage, Milt Dunnell, Ferguson, Tom Fitzgerald, Trent Frayne, Al Laney, Joe Nichols, Basil O'Meara, 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, 1996 and 2021.

Helene Elliott, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, 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, seven of the initial 23 honourees over the first two classes (1984, 1985), and Dave Fay in 2007 (award ceremony held four months after his death). Journalists who have worked for the Toronto Star have been recognised seven times, followed by The Globe and Mail 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.

Recipients

+KeyIndicates posthumous award +Recipients of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award Year Recipient Publication(s) 1984 Montréal-Matin/Le Journal de Montréal New York World-Telegram Toronto Star Montreal Gazette Southam Newspapers Chicago Tribune La Presse Windsor Star Toronto Star Montreal Herald/Montreal Star The Boston Globe Toronto Telegram/The Globe and Mail/Toronto Sun New York Herald Tribune The New York Times Montreal Star The Globe and Mail Detroit Times 1985 Buffalo Courier-Express Montreal Star/Montreal Gazette Toronto Telegram/Toronto Sun Le Journal de Montréal/Le Petit Journal Le Petit Journal/La Patrie Weekend Magazine 1986 The Buffalo News Boston Daily Record/Record-American/Boston Herald American UPI/Newsday 1987 The Detroit News The Globe and Mail/Toronto Star Associated Press The Boston Globe 1988 Toronto Star The Globe and Mail/Toronto Telegram 1989 Le Soleil Toronto Star 1990 Le Journal de Montréal 1991 New York Post 1993 The Globe and Mail/Toronto Star 1995 St. Catharines Standard 1997 The Hockey News 1998 La Presse/Le Journal de Montréal 1999 The Eagle-Tribune 2000 Edmonton Journal 2001 Calgary Herald 2002 The Boston Globe 2003 Montreal Gazette/Sports Illustrated 2004 The Buffalo News 2005 Los Angeles Times 2006 Toronto Sun/Sportsnet 2007 The Washington Times 2008 The Canadian Press 2009 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2010 Le Journal de Montréal/RueFrontenac.com2011 Edmonton Sun2012 The Globe and Mail/National Post/Ottawa Citizen/Toronto Star/Maclean's2013 Philadelphia Daily News2014 USA Today2015 TSN/The Hockey News2016 Chicago Tribune2017 Edmonton Journal/National Post/Vancouver Sun2018 New York Post2019 Associated Press/New York Daily News2020 The Province2022 Philadelphia Inquirer, NBC Sports2023 Sports Illustrated2024 Windsor Star, ESPN.com, The Athletic2025 RDS, La Presse2026 Expressen

Statistics + Multiple award recipients by publication Name AwardsToronto Star7The Globe and Mail6Le Journal de Montréal5Montreal Gazette3Montreal Star3The Boston Globe3Toronto Sun3Toronto Telegram3La Presse3Associated Press2Chicago Tribune2Edmonton Journal2National Post2New York Post2The Hockey News2

See also BBWAA Career Excellence Award Bill Nunn Memorial Award Curt Gowdy Media Award

References

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