Marián Hossa (source: SITA/AP)
Hossa got a total of 197 points, defeating the second place, Tomáš Tatar (Detroit Red Wings) by 98 points. The best goalie this year is Jaroslav Halák of the New York Islanders, the best defenceman is Zdeno Chára (Boston Bruins). The best forward is, again, Hossa, while the award for best player under 20 – the Pavol Demitra Award, went on July 31 to Martin Réway of Sparta Praha. The best coach is Ernest Bokroš, the TASR newswire wrote. The best referee was, for the fifth consecutive time, Vladimír Baluška.
However, the usual gala-evening during which the awards were bestowed was scrapped this year, as many of the players announced they would boycott it, due to the allegedly unfair course of the recent election for the head of the Slovak Ice-Hockey Association. Several hockey players, backing the rival of re-elected Igor Nemeček – Richard Lintner – asked for a change in the rules and statutes.
As things stand, all awarded hockey players will receive their trophies via delivery.
