HAMILTON, ON – The Hamilton
Bulldogs announced today the winners of the hockey club’s
2007-2008 individual player awards. The following is a list
of the worthy recipients:
The Hamilton Spectator Most Valuable Player
Award:
*As voted by the Hamilton Bulldogs players
Winner: #30 Jaroslav Halak
Previous Winners: Steve Passmore (1998-99), Daniel Cleary
(1999-00), Paul Healey & Brian Swanson (2000-01), Brian
Swanson (2001-02), Jason Ward (2002-03), Benoit Gratton
(2003-04), Chris Higgins (2004-05), Marc-Antoine Pouliot
(2005-06),
Jaroslav Halak (2006-07)
The Hamilton Bulldogs Leading Scorer Award:
*Awarded to the Bulldogs Leading Scorer during the regular
season
Winner: #84 Corey Locke
Previous Winners: Tomas Plekanec (2004-05), Corey Locke (2005-06),
Duncan Milroy (2006-07)
The Tim Horton’s Top Defenceman
Award:
*As
voted on by the local media
Winner: #12 Jean-Philippe Cote
Previous Winners: Todd Reirden (1998-99), Alex Zhurik (1999-00),
Rory Fitzpatrick (2001-02), Sven Butenschon (2001-02),
Marc-Andre Bergeron (2002-03), Francois Beauchemin & Patrick
Traverse (2003-04), Dan Jancevski (2004-05), Dan Smith
(2005-06),
Dan Jancevski (2006-07)
The Swiss Chalet Top Rookie Award:
*As voted
on by the Hamilton Bulldogs Radio Broadcast Team
Winner: #25 Pavel Valentenko
Previous Winners: Yann Danis (2004-05), Marc-Antoine Pouliot
(2005-06), Jaroslav Halak (2006-07)
The Hamilton Entertainment and Convention Facilities Inc.
(H.E.C.F.I.) Community Leadership Award:
*As voted on by the staff of the Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey
Club
Winner: #32 Ajay Baines
Previous Winners: Jeff Daw (1998-99), Mike Minard (1999-00),
Ryan Risidore (2000-01), Alain Nasreddine (2001-02), Jason
Ward (2003-03), Duncan Milroy (2003-04), Duncan Milroy (2004-05),
Corey Locke (2005-06), Corey Locke (2006-07)
The Bill Sturrup Trophy Presented
by the Growl (Formerly the Hamilton Bulldogs Fans’ Choice
Award):
*As voted on by The Growl – the Hamilton Bulldogs’ Booster
Club
Winner: #32 Ajay Baines
Previous Winners: Chris Ferraro (1998-99), Mike Minard (1999-00),
Jason Chimera (2000-01), Brian Swanson (2001-02), Marc-Andre
Bergeron (2002-03), Duncan Milroy (2003-04), Corey Locke
(2004-05), J.J. Hunter, Jean-Francois Jacques (2005-06),
Duncan Milroy (2006-07)
The Molson Cup:
*As voted on by the media at each game throughout the season
(Three Stars of the Game)
Winner: #84 Corey Locke
Previous Winners: Steve Passmore (1998-99), Daniel Cleary
(1999-00), Paul Healey (2000-01), Brian Swanson (2001-02),
Jason Ward (2002-03), Jozef Balej (2003-04), Yann Danis (2004-05),
Jean-Francois Jacques (2005-06), Duncan Milroy (2006-07)
The Flamboro Downs Workhorse of the Year: (Hardest Working
Bulldogs Player)
*As voted on by the local media at each home game and by
the Hamilton Bulldogs Radio Broadcast Team after each road
game throughout the season.
Winner: Not yet determined. (#21 Jonathan Ferland leads the
race with 80 points while #84 Corey Locke has 70 points with
only three games remaining in the season. Each time a player
is named the Flamboro Downs Workhorse of the Game, they receive
10 points.)
Previous Winners: Steve Potvin (1998-99), Brian Swanson
(1999-00), Chad Hinz (2000-01), Jason Chimera (2001-02),
Tony Salmelainen & Jarret
Stoll (2002-03), Jozef Balej (2003-04), Steve Ott (2004-05),
Maxim Lapierre (2005-06), Kyle Chipchura (2006-07)
For the second consecutive season, goaltender Jaroslav
Halak won ‘The Hamilton Spectator Most Valuable Player Award’ as
voted by his teammates despite playing in only 28 games.
At the time of his recall to the Montreal Canadiens on February
26th, the 5-foot-11, 181-pound netminder was second overall
in the American Hockey League in goals against average (2.10)
and save percentage (.929), with a 15-10-2 record and two
shutouts. Halak was named the Rbk/AHL Player of the Week
for the period ending January 6th after posting a 3-1-0 record
with one shutout, a 1.01 goals against average and a .966
save percentage in that span. The 21-year-old native of Bratislava,
Slovakia, is the Bulldogs’ franchise leader with
11-career shutouts in only 69 games.
Fourth-year Bulldog Corey Locke took home
two awards, earning ‘The
Hamilton Bulldogs Leading Scorer Award’ for the second
time in his career, ‘The Molson Cup Three Stars Award’,
and is in the running for the ‘Flamboro Downs Workhorse
of the Year’. In 75 games so far this season, the 5-foot-9,
171-pound forward leads the Bulldogs in goals (28), game-winning
goals (6), assists (40) and points (68) and is currently
13th overall in AHL scoring. Locke became Hamilton’s
all-time leading scorer with a goal on December 29th against
Toronto and is the franchise leader in goals (83), assists
(142) and points (225). The native of Newmarket, Ontario,
also tied a franchise record with six points (3-3-6) in
a single game on April 9th versus Rochester.
Jean-Philippe Cote is the winner of the ‘The Tim Horton’s
Top Defenceman Award’ as voted by local media. The
25-year-old native of Quebec City, Quebec, has posted a goal,
11 assists, 12 points, 110 penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating
in 76 games this season. Cote, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound blueliner,
is Hamilton’s all-time leader in games played by a
defenceman (331) and is also the franchise’s all-time
plus/minus leader with a plus-52 rating.
Defenceman Pavel Valentenko took home ‘The Swiss Chalet
Top Rookie Award’ as selected by the Hamilton Bulldogs
Broadcast Team. A 20-year-old native of Nizhnekamsk, Russia,
Valentenko has registered 15 assists and 58 penalty minutes
with a plus-6 rating in 54 games this season. The 6-foot-2,
220-pound rookie recorded the Bulldogs’ hardest shot
at this year’s skills competition with a 102 mph
blast.
Captain Ajay Baines won two awards including
the ‘The
H.E.C.F.I. Community Leadership Award’ for his work
within the Hamilton Community as voted by the Hamilton Bulldogs
front office staff and ‘The Bill Sturrup Trophy Presented
by the Growl’. Baines was this year’s player
representative for the Bulldogs’ annual ‘TD Canada
Trust Smiles on Ice’ game, won the 2007 Canadian Diabetes
Association’s Regional Inspiration Award, and was the
Bulldogs’ Head Table guest at the 57th Annual B’Nai
Brith Sports Celebrity Dinner. Baines also visited several
elementary schools in the Hamilton community, reading to
children and speaking to them about the importance of school,
health, and self-esteem. In addition he attended all of
the team events including the annual player visit to McMaster
Children Hospital.