Befitting of the country’s top-ranked team, the traveling trophy traveled back to Denver after the Pioneers pounded Colorado College 7-3 to win the season series with a 2-1-1 record. A sellout World Arena crowd of 7,746 witnessed DU at its best.

“We were really good,” Denver coach George Gwozdecky said. “Our puck possession, especially in the offensive zone, and our transition game — the guys were very sharp. I think maybe we wanted it a little more.”

In producing its NCAA-high 25th win, DU scored three times within the first 12 minutes and built a 6-0 lead midway through the game.

“When I came to Denver, I never thought it would come down to the last game of the regular season, and at CC, to get the Gold Pan back for us, but it says a lot about our team,” DU senior Tyler Ruegsegger of Lakewood said. “We wanted it bad. I’m so proud of how we came out tonight. We worked hard and deserve that trophy.”

The Pioneers (25-7-4), who previously won the Denver Cup and MacNaughton Cup as Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season champions, took ownership of the Gold Pan for the first time since 2006. They swept the three trophies for the first time since 2005.

“The frustrations that our seniors went through the last three years (with CC) have been enormous,” DU captain Rhett Rakhshani said. “They’d beat us and rub it in our face. We had enough, and we stood our ground. We had the last laugh. You never know what’s going to happen the rest of the season, but as far as the Gold Pan is concerned, we have it.”

DU junior wing Kyle Ostrow had a team-high three points, including the first and fifth goals. Rakhshani, junior center Jesse Martin and sophomore wing Joe Colborne each had a goal and an assist, and Ruegsegger had two helpers.

CC captain Mike Testwuide, who had the game-winning assist in Friday’s 2-1 upset win at Magness Arena, scored his 19th and 20th goals after the game was out of reach.

“They were good,” CC coach Scott Owens said of the WCHA top-seeded Pioneers, who host 10th-seeded Michigan Tech on Friday to begin a three-game league playoff series. “They’re deep. They played hard. They were hungry. We never got our legs going. . . . It was a reversal from (Friday) night, no doubt.”

The Tigers (18-15-3) finish sixth in the WCHA and open the postseason Friday at fifth- seeded Minnesota-Duluth. CC is tied for 21st in the PairWise Rankings and probably has to win the WCHA playoff title to advance to the 16-team NCAA Tournament.

DU is No. 1 in the PairWise and assured of an NCAA berth.

“Now the regular season is over with and the best part of the season is here,” Gwoz- decky said.

Denver 3 3 1 — 7
Colorado College 0 1 2 — 3

First period — 1, Denver, K. Ostrow 14 (Martin, Maiani), 5:50. 2, Denver, Glasser 3 (Dewhurst, Vossberg), 7:00. 3, Denver, Martin 11 (K. Ostrow), 11:53. Penalties — Marciano, CC (hooking), :45; Johnson, CC (tripping), 13:18; Colborne, DU (interference), 13:49; Wiercioch, DU (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:09; Schwartz, CC (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:09.

Second period — 4, Denver, Colborne 20 (Rakhshani, Ruegsegger), 1:19. 5, Denver, K. Ostrow 15 (unassisted), 9:39. 6, Denver, Gifford 2 (Colborne), 9:30. 7, Colorado College, Testwuide 19 (Hamburg), 13:25. Penalties — Wiercioch, DU (tripping), 3:37; Brookwell, DU (tripping), 4:04; Donovan, DU (hooking), 18:32.

Third period — 8, Colorado College, Johnson 13 (McMillin, Marciano), 6:59; 9, Colorado College, Testwuide 20 (Fredheim, Schwartz), 15:33. 10, Denver, Rakhshani 20 (Ruegsegger), 16:07 (pp). Penalties — Prosser, CC (contact to head), 15:45; Dewhurst, DU (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:07; Hall, CC (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:07.

Shots — DU 8-19-8 — 35. CC 12-11-13 — 36. Power plays — DU 1 of 4. CC 0 of 4. Goalies — DU, Cheverie (22-4-3) 36 shots-33 saves. CC, Howe (16-14-3) 8-5, O’Brien 27-23. A — 7,746.

Yes, Sidney Crosby’s overtime goal lifted Canada past the United States in one of the most thrilling hockey games ever played, Olympic or otherwise. It also allowed every Canadian to breathe a sigh of relief, their national pride on the line in a climax of epic proportions.

But Crosby’s goal did something else, something much more than just securing the gold medal for his native country in perhaps the most buzzed about, and compelling, tournament in hockey history. It put an end to one of life’s most gripping questions.

Crosby or Ovechkin?

Much like the Olympic flame that was extinguished soon after this thriller of a gold medal game, so too was the debate between these two hockey greats.

Game, set and match, Crosby.

For nearly five years now, people have been split over one of the biggest debates in all of sports. And for the most part, both sides have had compelling arguments, with Crosby and Ovechkin each supplying their respective sides with plenty of ammunition to make a case for them.

Their rivalry has put hockey back into the public eye, but it’s their play that has made it relevant.

Ovechkin grabbed the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year after the 2005-2006 season, edging out Crosby for the distinction. He’s also got two Maurice Richards Trophies (most goals) to his name, an Art Ross Trophy (most points), and two Hart Memorial Trophies (MVP) on his resume. With three All-Star appearances, and one of the most jaw-dropping personal highlight-reels, it’s easy to see why many give Ovechkin the distinction as the world’s premier player.

Read more…

Frank J. Selke Trophy

The trophy was names after Frank J. Selke, the former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.

A list of the recipients and their teams can be found here on the NHL website.

Norris Hockey Trophy

The trophy is named after James. E. Norris, who was the owner of the Detroit Red Wings from 1932 to 1952.

Some players who have won the award multiple times over the years are Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins, as well as Doug Harvey and Nicklas Lidstrom.

You can find a complete list of all the winners of the James Norris Trophy at http://www.hockey-reference.com/awards/norris.html

Jack Adams Trophy

The finalists this year are Andy Murray of the St. Louis Blues, Todd McLellan from the San Jose Sharks and Claude Julien, Boston Bruins.

All coaches have an outstanding record of leading their teams to numerous game wins. We will find out on Thursday, June 18th who will take the trophy during the 2009 NHL Awards Show, broadcasting from the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas.

The World Junior Championship Trophies will be in the city on Thursday, part of a tour of eastern Ontario cities.

Canada has won the World Junior title the last four years, and the trophies will be making stops at 16 RBC branches during the next three weeks.

While in Cornwall, the trophies will also visit some local schools where students will be provided with free Cornwall Colts tickets courtesy of RBC.

The trophies will also be available for public viewing in the concourse of the Ed Lumley Arena at the Colts game on Thursday evening.

This year’s World Junior Hockey Championship is taking place from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, in Ottawa.

The trophies will be in Cornwall at the RBC main branch (300 Pitt Street) on Thursday, from 9:30 a. m. until noon.

From noon until 1 p. m., the trophies will be at local schools.

The Cornwall Square will have the trophies on display from 1 p. m. to 5 p. m., before the hardware makes it way over to the Ed Lumley Arena, on display in the concourse area from 6:30 p. m. to 8 p. m.

The Colts host the Gloucester Rangers on Thursday.

Originally posted by Standard Freeholder.

Trophies galore at Badgemore