Zdeno Chára, The Norris Trophy winner was also honoured as Slovak player of the year. Marian Hossa won the award as best forward of the year for the fifth time straight.
There were few surprises in the annual Slovan Golden Puck hockey awards. Zdeno Chara, a strong favourite, was honoured as the Slovak player of the year for the first time in his career. Chara recently also won the Norrris Trophy as the best defenseman of NHL, so no surprises there. Runners up were Marian Hossa and Žigmund Pálffy.
In the best forward of the year category, there was more uncertainty whether Žigmund Pálffy could beat Marian Hossa's four year winning streak. Pálffy was a force in the Extraliga last season racketting up an amazing 99 points in 53 games. He deservedly won the Extraliga awards as best player and best forward awarded earlier this Summer. In the NHL, Marian Hossa produced 71 points in 74 games, a far cry from the nearly 100 points he produced a few years ago. With 40 goals, he was however the best Slovak forward in the NHL, a league which is head and shoulders above the Extraliga. So in the end it was not surprising that the award as best forward once again went to Hossa this year.
Neither was it surprising that Jaroslav Halák won the award as best goaltender, and that Tomáš Tatar honoured as best youth player. The award as best defenseman was as usual a race between Zdeno Chara and Ľubomír Višňovský. Višňovský has won the award eight times while Chára has won it three times.
The first minor surprise happened in the best coach category. It was anticipated that Štefan Mikeš, the coach who surprisingly led the national U20 team to a 4th place in the IHWC U20 World Championships would win it, and if not him, then Miroslav Karafiát. Karafiát equally surprisingly coached the Slovak women team to participation in the Olympics. In the end the award went to Anton Tomko who coach HC Kosice to the Slovak championship for the first time in a decade.
Most controversial was the selection of the goaltender for the Extraliga Allstar team. Július Hudáček made headlines when he stopped Žigmund Pálffy no less than three times in the decisive shootout in Game 6 in the Extraliga finals between HC Kosice and HK36 Skalica. For the most part of the season, however, Hudáček merely played as a backup goaltender, and it was surprising to see him being selected instead of Hkm Zvolen's Ján Laco or HC Banska Bystrica'a Imrich Petrik who both had a breakout season.
Dárius Rusnák inducted in Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame
Meanwhile Dárius Rusnák became the 24th person to be inducted in the Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame. Rusnák has played 436 Czechoslovak league games and scored 186 goals and he´s appeared in 156 games of the Czechoslovakian national team scoring 68 goals. He´s won all gold, silver and bronze in teh IIHF World Championships as well as the silver medal from the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo. Except for the Olympics medal some of his biggest achievements were captaining the Czechoslovak national team to the gold medal win on home soil in Prague in 1985 and winning the Czechoslovak title with Slovan Bratislava as the first Slovak team ever.
To Rusnák´s delight both of his sons followed in his footstepd, the younger one Ondrej has represented Slovakia at the last WJC in Ottawa and is expected to suit up for Slovan this comming seaon after spending two years with the Slovakia U20 development team in Púchov. The older of the two brothers, Dárius Rusnák Jr. is currently with an another Extraliga team, MHK 32 Liptovský Mikuláš after spending last season in the Czech republic.
SLOVAK GOLDEN STICK AWARDS - PREVIOUS WINNERS (MAIN CATEGORIES)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2009: Zdeno Chára, Boston Bruins (NHL)
2008, Marian Hossa, Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
2007: Marian Hossa, Atlanta Thrashers (NHL)
2006: Marian Hossa, Atlanta Thrashers (NHL)
2005: Ľubomír Višňovský, HC Slovan Bratislava
2004: Miroslav Šatan , Buffalo Sabres (NHL)/HC Slovan Bratislava
2003: Peter Bondra, Washington Capitals (NHL)
2002: Peter Bondra, Washington Capitals (NHL)
2001: Miroslav Šatan , Buffalo Sabres (NHL)
2000: Miroslav Šatan , Buffalo Sabres (NHL)
1999: Pavol Demitra, St. Louis Blues (NHL)
1998: Peter Bondra, Washington Capitals (NHL)
BEST GOALTENDER
2009: Jaroslav Halák, Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
2008: Peter Budaj, Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
2007: Peter Budaj, Colorado Avalanche (NHL)
2006: Karol Krizan, MODO (SWE)
2005: Ján Lašák, HC Pardubice (CZE)
2004: Ján Lašák, SKA St. Petersburg (RUS)
2003: Ján Lašák, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)
2002: Ján Lašák, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)
2001: Pavol Rybar, HC Slovan Bratislava
2000: Pavol Rybar, HC Znojemsti Orli (CZE)
1999: Pavol Rybar, HK36 Skalica/HK Spisska Nova Ves
BEST DEFENSEMAN
2009: Zdeno Chára, Boston Bruins (NHL)
2008: Ľubomír Višňovský, Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
2007: Ľubomír Višňovský, Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
2006: Zdeno Chára, Ottawa Senators (NHL)
2005: Ľubomír Višňovský, HC Slovan Bratislava
2004: Zdeno Chára, Ottawa Senators (NHL)
2003: Ľubomír Višňovský, Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
2002: Ľubomír Višňovský, Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
2001: Ľubomír Višňovský, Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
2000: Ľubomír Višňovský, HC Slovan Bratislava
1999: Ľubomír Višňovský, HC Slovan Bratislava
1998: Róbert Pukalovič, HC Slovan Bratislava
BEST FORWARD
2009: Marian Hossa, Detroit Red Wings (NHL)
2008, Marian Hossa, Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
2007: Marian Hossa, Atlanta Thrashers (NHL)
2006: Marian Hossa, Atlanta Thrashers (NHL)
2005: Marian Hossa, Dukla Trencin/Mora (SWE)
2004: Michal Handzuš, Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
2003: Žigmund Pálffy, Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
2002: Žigmund Pálffy, Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
2001: Richard Šechný, HKm Zvolen
2000: Miroslav Šatan , Buffalo Sabres (NHL)
1999: Zdeno Ciger, HC Slovan Bratislava
1998: Zdeno Ciger, HC Slovan Bratislava
COACH OF THE YEAR
2009: Anton Tomko
2008: Peter Oremus
2007: Peter Oremus
2006: Jan Sterbak
2005: Milos Riha
2004: Dusan Gregor
2003: Frantisek Hossa
2002: Jan Filc
2001: Julis Supler
2000: Jan Filc
1999: Jan Filc
1998: Ernest Bokros
SLOVAK EXTRALIGA ALLSTAR TEAM
2009: Hudáček; Hranáč, Tabaček - Pálffy, Mikúš, Huna
2008 Hovi - Sersen, Kováčik - Pálffy, Kollár, Gron
2007 Hovi - Babka, Šterbák - Uram, Melichárek, Kukumberg
2006 Lipovský - Milo, Podhradský - Kroták, Kollár, Kováčik
2005 Križan - Višňovský, Vydarený - Šatan, Handzuš, Demitra
2004 Križan – Pavlas, Meszároš – Bartek, Kukumberg, Fabuš
2003 Rybár – V. Vlk, Kledrowetz – Kroták, Cíger, Kapuš
2002 Šimonovič – Milo, Hecl – Török, Šechný, Halaj
2001 Rybár – Pukalovič, Hlavačka – Šechný, Cíger, Fabuš
2000 Biegl – Ľ. Višňovský, Pukalovič – Kapuš, Cíger, Plavucha
GOLDEN PUCK AWARDS 2009
Player of the Year
1. Zdeno Chára, BOS (NHL)
2. Marian Hossa, DET (NHL)
3. Žigmund Pálffy, Skalica
Best Goaltender
1. Jaroslav Halák, MON (NHL)
2. Peter Budaj, COL (NHL)
3. Jaroslav Janus, Erie (OHL)
Best Defenseman
1. Zdeno Chára
2. Ľubomír Višňovský, EDM (NHL)
3. Andrej Sekera, BUF (NHL)
Best Forward
1. Marián Hossa
2. Žigmund Pálffy
3. Miroslav Šatan, PIT (NHL)
Best U20 Player
1. Tomáš Tatar, HKm Zvolen
2. Jaroslav Janus, Erie (OHL)
3. Richard Pánik, Trinec (CZE)
Best Coach
1. Anton Tomko, HC Kosice
2. Štefan Mikeš, SR20
3. Miroslav Karafiát, SR Women
Best Referee
Peter Ország
Best Female Player
Zuzana Tomčíková
Extraliga All Star Team
GK: Julius Hudacek, HC Kosice
LD: Jan Hranac, HK36 Skalica
RD: Jan Tabacek, HC Kosice
LW: Zigmund Palffy, HK36 Skalica
C: Juraj Mikus, HK36 Skalica
RW: Rudolf Huna, HC Kosice
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