By Hockey Now Staff /
In addition to its Mark Messier Leadership Award that recognizes an individual for superior hockey and community leadership, Bridgestone is now accepting applications for the Mark Messier Youth Leadership Award.
The new honour is meant to encourage leadership and community spirit while rewarding youth hockey players or mentors/coaches for their contributions to youth sports or education.
“I’m very excited about my partnership with Bridgestone,” said Messier. “I’m very gratified Bridgestone will be sponsoring…a Youth Leadership Award in my name to reward an amateur player or coach who represents aspects of youth hockey that really make a difference: courage, leadership and ?community spirit.”
The award is open to Canadian or U.S. residents involved in minor hockey who represent various types of exceptional leadership: overcoming adversity to achieve a goal, promoting community service by promoting youth sports or excellence in academics for athletes, or enabling underprivileged kids to partake in hockey, for example.
The award will also be open to individuals who have served as mentors or coaches and through their involvement over the years in minor hockey, have made a significant difference in the lives of kids in one or several roles: coaching administrating, sponsoring, officiating, timing, scoring, or things of that nature.
“Whether it’s on the road, on the ice or at the rink, leadership can take many forms,” said Phil Pacsi, vice president N.A. consumer tire marketing, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations “Mark Messier…set the standard for leadership on the ice and off.”
Past winners of the original Mark Messier Leadership Award include Vancouver Canuck Mats Sundin and Detroit Red Wing ?Chris Chelios.
The winner of the first-ever Youth Leadership Award will be presented with the honour by Mark Messier at a luncheon during the NHL Stanley Cup finals and will receive $5,000 and a trip for two to Game 3. Messier will pick the winner from a list of three finalists selected by a judging panel.
Applicants are asked to write an essay outlining an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to minor hockey and/or the community.
Deadline for applications is April 17, 2009.
For complete award and nomination guidelines for the award, please visit www.bridgestonetire.com/Messier |