2008-09 Swedish hockey awards

The NHL season is on the final stretch, which also means the NHL Awards are getting closer. While the NHL Awards won't come close to the excitement of the Stanley Cup final, it's still always a big thing in the NHL.

Here in Sweden, there has never been a big tradition of handing out individual awards in hockey. Last couple of years though, more and more awards have been popping up.

The latest one was added this year and goes to the best defenseman in the SEL. What it is called? Salming Trophy of course, after the great Börje Salming.

As I'm all for these trophies, I've put together a list with descriptions of them and this year's winners.

Enjoy!

Le Mat Trophy
The Stanley Cup of the SEL, which the Swedish Champs win. It was donated by American film director Raoul Le Mat (founding father of ice hockey in Sweden) and MGM in 1926 and is the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in Sweden. It has been modified throughout the years and the current one is a copy of the original one, since the original one was stolen in the 50s.
Winner: Färjestads BK

Guldhjälmen (The Golden Helmet)
The Lester B. Pearson Award of the SEL, which has been handed out since 1986. The MVP of the SEL as decided on by voting of its players. You find a list of former winners here.
Winner: Johan Davidsson, HV71

Guldpucken (The Golden Puck)
Goes to the best Swedish player of the season that is playing in Sweden and has been handed out since 1956. Wikipedia compare it with the Hart Memorial Trophy, but it's not really anything like it since it's just for Swedish players and since even HockeyAllsvenskan players can get it like Kenny Jönsson in 2006. You find a list of former winners here.
Winner: Jonas Gustavsson, Färjestads BK

Håkan Loob Trophy
The Maurice Richard Trophy of the SEL, which has been handed out since 2006. The team of the player with most goals gets 1000 SEK for each goal the player has scored during the season and the money goes to the club's youth program. You find a list of former winners here.
Winner: Per-Åge Skröder, MODO

Rookie of the Year
The rookie of the year in the SEL, which has been handed out since 1990. All players under 25 with less than 25 regular season games before the season and all juniors are eligible. 4 candidates for the award are announced throughout the season. You find a list of former winners here.
Winner: Victor Hedman, MODO

Honken Trophy
Goalie of the season in the SEL as decided on by the hockey journalists, which has been handed out since 2002. You find a list of former winners here.
Winner: Johan Holmqvist, Frölunda HC

Salming Trophy
Defenseman of the season in the SEL as decided on by the hockey journalists, which is being handed out for the first time this year.
Winner: Marcus Ragnarsson, Djurgårdens IF.

Rinkens Riddare (The Knight of the Rink)
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy of the SEL as decided on by the hockey journalists, which has been handed out since 1997. You find a list of former winners here.
Winner: Jörgen Jönsson, Färjestads BK

Coach of the Year
Coach of the season in the SEL as decided on by the hockey journalists, which has been handed out since 1992. You find a list of former winners here.
Winner: Per-Erik Johnsson and Tommy Samuelsson, Färjestads BK.

Junior of the Year
Swedish junior player of the season as decided on by the hockey journalists, which has been handed out since 1993. You find a list of former winners here.
Winner: Victor Hedman, MODO

Viking Award
The best Swedish player of the season in the NHL as decided by a vote among the players themselves, which has been handed out since 1976. You find a list of former winners here.
Winner: Nicklas Bäckström, Washington Capitals
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Icebreakers - the follow-up

I wrote about the charity team Icebreakers in my posts about Peter Forsberg and I thought that it was time to do a follow-up on how it went in the two games the team played this week.

On the Tuesday, they played against SEL team Luleå. Luleå is predicted to finish around the bottom of the SEL this upcoming season and some of their better players weren't playing in the game, so the 11-4 win for the Icebreakers didn't come as a surprise. Forsberg actually ended up being the best scorer in the game with 3 goals and 1 assists, while Vancouver's Mattias Öhlund and Washington's Nicklas Bäckström both had a 3-point game.

I haven't found much info about the Icebreakers game in Turku, Finland, the day after. The challenge they would take on there was a lot harder though as they played a team called the Läkerol Dark Allstars filled with NHLers. Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff, Montreal's Saku Koivu and Stanley Cup Champion Valtteri Filppula were some of the players on the team and they were actually coached by Mike Keenan.

The only thing I know about the result is that the game ended 5-5 and that the Icebreakers won the shootout which followed.

The Icebreakers also visited and donated toys to children's hospitals in Luleå and Turku during their visits to the cities.

Some links of interest:

• The rosters of LDA and Icebreakers.
• Pictures from the LDA-Icebreakers game.
• The blog of 10-year-old Marcus, who got to drop the puck in the Luleå-Icebreakers game.
• Pictures from the Luleå-Icebreakers game here and here.

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