List of VHF Awards: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:39, 17 January 2024

The Valorian Hockey Federation (VHF) presents a number of awards and honors to recognize teams' and individuals' achievments. Every year, typically sometime in early August, the VHF holds its Awards Ceremony to formally present all awards from the preceding season. In addition to VHF-sanctioned awards, there are a number of unofficial honors awarded to teams.

VHF-sanctioned awards

Team Achievements

League Championship

Main Article: Valorian Hockey League

The league championship is awarded anually to the winners of the VHL Finals Series, the title series of the VHL Playoffs.

It was most recently won by the Boston Spirits, who claimed their 17th title in 2023.

Dan Earle Trophy

Main Article: Earle Trophy

The Dan Earle Trophy, often referred to simply as the Earle or Earle Trophy, is presented annually to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season. It is named after former VHL commissioner Dan Earle.

Two teams, the Connecticut Bandits and the Acadia Rage, have won the Earle Trophy (in 1999 and 2002, respectively), yet never won the league championship.

It was most recently won by the Boston Spirits, who claimed their 24th trophy in 2023.

Coupe Balbuzard

Main Article: Coupe Balbuzard

The Coupe Balbuzard is a single-elimination tournament held annually, typically from June to July. Opponents are selected through random draws, and matches are always played at the arena of the lower-ranked team.

It was most recently won by the Newfoundland Sailors, who won their 9th title in 2023.

Double

Main Article: Double (VHF award)

The Double is awarded to a team that wins both the league championship and the Coupe Balbuzard in the same season.

It was most recently achieved by the Newfoundland Sailors, who completed the feat with their victory in the 2016 Coupe Balbuzard.

Star

Main Article: Star (VHF award)

The star is the most prestigious official or unofficial award in Valorian ice hockey. One is awarded at the end of each decade to the best performing team throughout the past ten years by a vote of ice hockey experts and VHF journalists. The star is adorned above and becomes part of a team's crest, and may permanently adorn a team's jersey.

Four stars have been awarded, representing the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. The Boston Spirits and the Newfoundland Sailors each sport two: the Spirits earned theirs for their performances in the 1980s and 2000s, and the Sailors for their showings in the 1990s and 2010s.

Due to its prestige, rarity, and more subjective awarding method than other honors, the star has at times been a controversial award. The 1990s and 2000s awards both saw contention in the awarding process.

It was most recently won by the Newfoundland Sailors, who earned their second star at the 2019 End-of-the-Decade Ceremony.

Individual Achievements

Golden Puck

Main Article: Golden Puck

The Golden Puck is awarded to "the VHL player with the greatest impact on the preceding season." The Mainers' Carlos Ortega is the most recent recipient, winning the award for the second time in 2023.

Top Scorer

The Top Scorer award is given to the player who scored the most goals throughout the preceding season. In the case of a tie, assists are used to determine the award winner. If assists are also equal, then the award may be presented to multiple players, although this has never happened in VHF history. The Mainers' Carlos Ortega is the most recent recipient, winning the award for the _ time in 2023.

Goalie of the Year

The Goalie of the Year is awarded to the goalie who performed the best throughout the preceding season.

Boston Spirits goalie Daniel Durbin is the most recent winner, winning the award for the _ time in 2023.

Unofficial awards

Team Awards

50+ Season

A 50+ Season is an unofficial recognition given to teams that manage to earn 50 or more points throughout a regular season. Because of the amount of matches teams play, and amount of points a team can earn during one (30 matches per season, with 2 points earned for every win, meaning 60 points for a perfect season), hitting the 50 point threshold has always been considered a very difficult feat.

It was most recently accomplishment by the Boston Spirits in 2022, their 4th achievement.

Mock Awards

x1.9

The x1.9 is an unofficial mock-award recognizing teams who win the league title, but then lose the Coupe Balbuzard finals match—in short, failing to win the Double in the final match.

The Wooden Spoon

Main Article: Wooden Spoon

The Wooden Spoon is an unofficial yearly mock-award given to the team that finishes last in the league standings. Since 1978, nine teams have been awarded the wooden spoon. Hartford Hockey holds the record for most wooden spoons, with 21, including the most recent in 2023.

Four teams have won both the wooden spoon and the league title: Halifax Hockey Club (Champions in 2019; wooden spoons in 1997 and 1998), the Mainers (Champions in 2022; wooden spoon in 1988), the Providence Doves (Champions in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2012; wooden spoon in 1989), and EH Bas-Canada (Champions in 1987, wooden spoon in 2010).

The Providence Doves are the only team to have both a Double and a wooden spoon.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 ==== League Championship ====
 ''<small>Main Article: [[Valorian Hockey League]]</small>''
+The league championship is awarded anually to the winners of the [[VHL Finals Series]], the title series of the [[VHL Playoffs]].
+It was most recently won by the [[Boston Spirits]], who claimed their 17th title in [[2023 VHL Finals Series|2023]].
+==== Dan Earle Trophy ====
+<small>''Main Article: [[Dan Earle Trophy|Earle Trophy]]''</small>
+The Dan Earle Trophy, often referred to simply as the Earle or Earle Trophy, is presented annually to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season. It is named after former VHL commissioner Dan Earle.
+Two teams, the [[Connecticut Bandits]] and the [[Acadia Rage,]] have won the Earle Trophy (in 1999 and 2002, respectively), yet never won the league championship.
+It was most recently won by the [[Boston Spirits]], who claimed their 24th trophy in 2023.
 ==== Coupe Balbuzard ====
 <small>''Main Article: [[Coupe Balbuzard]]''</small>
+The Coupe Balbuzard is a single-elimination tournament held annually, typically from June to July. Opponents are selected through random draws, and matches are always played at the arena of the lower-ranked team.
+It was most recently won by the [[Newfoundland Sailors]], who won their 9th title in [[2023 Coupe Balbuzard|2023]].
 ==== Double ====
@@ Line 15: / Line 32: @@
 The Double is awarded to a team that wins both the league championship and the Coupe Balbuzard in the same season.
+It was most recently achieved by the [[Newfoundland Sailors]], who completed the feat with their victory in the [[2016 Coupe Balbuzard]].
 ==== Star ====
@@ Line 24: / Line 43: @@
 Due to its prestige, rarity, and more subjective awarding method than other honors, the star has at times been a controversial award. The [[1990s VHF Star Controversy|1990s]] and [[2000s VHF Star Controversy|2000s]] awards both saw contention in the awarding process.
+It was most recently won by the [[Newfoundland Sailors]], who earned their second star at the [[2019 VHF End-of-the-Decade Ceremony|2019 End-of-the-Decade Ceremony]].
 === Individual Achievements ===
@@ Line 33: / Line 54: @@
 ==== Top Scorer ====
-The Top Scorer award is given to the player who scored the most goals throughout the preceding season. In the case of a tie, assists are used to determine the award winner. If assists are also equal, then the award may be presented to multiple players, although this has never happened in VHF history.
+The Top Scorer award is given to the player who scored the most goals throughout the preceding season. In the case of a tie, assists are used to determine the award winner. If assists are also equal, then the award may be presented to multiple players, although this has never happened in VHF history. The Mainers' [[Carlos Ortega]] is the most recent recipient, winning the award for the _ time in 2023.
 ==== Goalie of the Year ====
 The Goalie of the Year is awarded to the goalie who performed the best throughout the preceding season.
-==== Manager of the Year ====
+Boston Spirits goalie [[Daniel Durbin]] is the most recent winner, winning the award for the _ time in 2023.
-The Manager of the Year award is presented to the manager who performed the best throughout the preceding season. It is almost always presented to the manager who won the league title.
 == Unofficial awards ==
@@ Line 45: / Line 65: @@
 === Team Awards ===
-==== League Shield ====
+==== 50+ Season ====
-The League Shield is an unofficial annual award given to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season. Although it remains an unofficial award,
+A 50+ Season is an unofficial recognition given to teams that manage to earn 50 or more points throughout a regular season. Because of the amount of matches teams play, and amount of points a team can earn during one (30 matches per season, with 2 points earned for every win, meaning 60 points for a perfect season), hitting the 50 point threshold has always been considered a very difficult feat.
-This honor is unique in that a physical trophy is created by fans and sent to the winning team each year. The honor was originally created out of fan discontent at the VHF's failure to recognize the top team in the standings. As per official VHF rules, the top-ranked team's only honor was being top seed in the [[VHL Playoffs|playoffs]]. Fans thus created the award in 1989, after the Boston Spirits had topped the regular season rankings for the tenth time. The VHF decided to formally recognize the award in 1993,
+It was most recently accomplishment by the [[Boston Spirits]] in 2022, their 4th achievement.
-Two teams, the [[Connecticut Bandits]] and the [[Acadia Rage,]] have won the league shield (in 1999 and 2002, respectively), yet not won the league championship.
+=== Mock Awards ===
-It was most recently won by the [[Boston Spirits]], who claimed their 24th league shield in 2023.
-==== 50+ Season ====
 '''x1.9'''
-=== Mock Awards ===
+The x1.9 is an unofficial mock-award recognizing teams who win the league title, but then lose the Coupe Balbuzard finals match—in short, failing to win the Double in the final match.
 ==== The Wooden Spoon ====
 ''<small>Main Article: [[Wooden Spoon]]</small>''
-The Wooden Spoon is an unofficial yearly mock-prize given to the team that finishes last in the league standings. Since 1978, nine teams have been awarded the wooden spoon. [[Hartford Hockey]] holds the record for most wooden spoons, with 21, including the most recent in 2023.
+The Wooden Spoon is an unofficial yearly mock-award given to the team that finishes last in the league standings. Since 1978, nine teams have been awarded the wooden spoon. [[Hartford Hockey]] holds the record for most wooden spoons, with 21, including the most recent in 2023.
 Four teams have won both the wooden spoon and the league title: [[Halifax Hockey Club]] (Champions in 2019; wooden spoons in 1997 and 1998), the [[Mainers]] (Champions in 2022; wooden spoon in 1988), the [[Providence Doves]] (Champions in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2012; wooden spoon in 1989), and [[EH Bas-Canada]] (Champions in 1987, wooden spoon in 2010).
 The Providence Doves are the only team to have both a Double and a wooden spoon.