94 WIP teased a big announcement in the 9 o’clock hour Tuesday morning and I had no clue what to expect. Angelo not retiring? Joe “The Hammer” DeCamara getting the morning show? Mike Sielski officially replacing Ray Diddy on Saturdays?

Nope.

The announcement was hockey writer Frank Seravalli informing Al Morganti that he won an award:



Hey that’s cool. Good for Al Morganti. Imagine telling your kids/grandkids/etc that you’ve got a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame (which is, by the way, really cool, you should go check it out if you’re up in Toronto).

Now according to Wikipedia, which can ALWAYS be trusted and is never wrong, “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.” I don’t know too much about hockey journalism, but there are some great names on the Ferguson list, like Bob McKenzie, Jay Greenberg, and Jim Matheson, who asked Leon Draisaitl why he was being “pissy.”

At the PHWA (Professional Hockey Writers Association) website, it’s noted that:

“The inaugural Elmer Ferguson Award class was selected in 1984 when 17 titans of the industry were inducted, including the award’s legendary namesake, who covered the Canadiens for the Montréal Herald and Montréal Star from 1910 until his death in 1972. The process continues each spring when a panel of Professional Hockey Writers Association members select that year’s winner.

Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award media honorees are separate from honored members, but have their plaque displayed alongside them in the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Great Hall.”

From Frank:

Oh shit, Bill Clement is being honored, too?

Apparently the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award goes to members of the radio and television community who exhibit excellence over the years. Maybe now someone at NBCSP will call Clement back. Bazinga!

Congrats to Al and Bill. Good shit! The 2022 induction weekend will be on Friday, November 11, 2022

EDIT 1 –

Here’s a statement from Comcast:

“On behalf of the Flyers organization, I congratulate Al Morganti and Bill Clement on this tremendous, well-deserved honor,” said Dave Scott, Chairman and CEO of Comcast Spectacor and Governor of the Philadelphia Flyers. “Al and Bill are legends on and off the ice here in Philly and all around the hockey world. They’ve made amazing contributions to the game, and we are so proud to call them members of the Flyers Family.”