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For immediate release
June 30, 2004
(OTTAWA) - Jarome Iginla, Martin St. Louis and Miikka Kiprusoff are this year's winners of the National Hockey League Fans' Association (NHLFA) player awards for the 2003-04 season and playoffs.
Each year during the playoffs the NHLFA asks its Members to vote on the top NHL player in three categories: Best Role Model, Most Valuable Player and Best Bang for the Buck.
Iginla won Best Role Model, awarded to the player who demonstrates a commitment to the community and good sportsmanship coupled with a high level of skill.
"I am blessed to have been given the opportunity to live my dream and play in the NHL," said Iginla. "It is with great pleasure that I attempt to make a difference in children's lives through community and charitable initiatives. I am honored that the fans would identify me as a role model."
Martin St. Louis, star with the Tampa Bay Lightning, took this year's award for NHLFA Most Valuable Player while leading his team to Stanley Cup victory. He had an impressive season, leading the league in assists (56), points (94) and plus/minus (+35).
Miikka Kiprusoff won the Best Bang for the Buck award, after having a superb season with the Calgary Flames. Kiprusoff led all goaltenders with a 1.69 GAA and a .933 save percentage while earning a below average salary of $880,000 for the season.
Jarome Iginla | 
Miikka Kiprusoff | 
Martin St. Louis |
"I am pleased to be recognized by the fans with this award," said Kiprusoff. "This past year has been very exciting for our team and City. As we progressed through the Playoffs it was nice to see the amount of support we received from fans everywhere. With acceptance of this award I would like to say thank you to all Flames fans for that support."
For the awards, the NHLFA polls its community asking Members to nominate one player in each of the three categories. To arrive at a final winner, the nominations are short listed and then voted on by the entire Association.
The NHLFA was launched in 1998 to give hockey fans a way to express their views on NHL hockey and to influence the game for the better. Hockey fans can join the existing 21,000+ Members of the NHLFA by registering at www.nhlfa.com. Membership is free.
For more information, please contact:
Jim Boone
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