Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award

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 12 by 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

Indicates posthumous award

Year	Recipient	Publication(s)	Ref
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*	date=November 5, 2005	title=Hall needs woman's touch	page=C03	work=Toronto Star	url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/438901846	url-access=subscription	access-date=May 30, 2021	archive-date=June 25, 2021	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625075415/https://www.proquest.com/docview/438901846	id=	url-status=live}}
2006	*Toronto Sun*/Sportsnet
2007	*The Washington Times*
2008	The Canadian Press
2009	*Pittsburgh Post-Gazette*
2010	*Le Journal de Montréal*/RueFrontenac.com
2011	*Edmonton Sun*
2012	*The Globe and Mail*/*National Post*/*Ottawa Citizen*/*Toronto Star*/*Maclean's*
2013	*Philadelphia Daily News*
2014	*USA Today*
2015	TSN/*The Hockey News*
2016	*Chicago Tribune*
2017	*Edmonton Journal*/*National Post*/*Vancouver Sun*
2018	*New York Post*
2019	Associated Press/*New York Daily News*
2020	*The Province*
2022	*Philadelphia Inquirer,* *NBC Sports*
2023	*Sports Illustrated*
2024	*Windsor Star,* ESPN.com, *The Athletic*
2025	*RDS, La Presse*