NHLPA MEMBERS SELECT ALEXANDER OVECHKIN AS THE
2008-09 LESTER B. PEARSON AWARD RECIPIENT
…receives the honour for the second straight year

LAS VEGAS (June 18, 2009) – The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) tonight announced Alexander Ovechkin as the recipient of the 2008-09 Lester B. Pearson Award, which is presented annually to the “most outstanding player” in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA. Russian hockey legends Vladimir Konstantinov and Igor Larionov, both former NHLPA members, fittingly presented the award to Ovechkin as part of the NHL Awards Show, held at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas. Both of the Lester B. Pearson Award finalists, Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings and Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, were also in attendance.

Ovechkin, a native of Moscow, Russia, appeared in 79 games for the Washington Capitals in 2008-09, finishing second in league points (110) and leading the NHL with 56 goals to win his second Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy. He also led the Capitals to their second-consecutive Southeast Division title in 2008-09. Ovechkin has quickly gained the admiration of his fellow players and is regarded as one of the most exciting athletes in all of professional sports. Ovechkin becomes just the sixth player to win the Lester B. Pearson Award in consecutive seasons after also receiving the award in 2007-08. The Capitals star was also a finalist for the Pearson Award in 2005-06. Sergei Fedorov (1993-94) is the only other Russian born player to receive the Lester B. Pearson Award.

The Lester B. Pearson Award, named after the 14th Prime Minister of Canada, has been voted on by the players since the 1970-71 season, when Phil Esposito was the inaugural recipient.

In recognition of being named the 2008-09 Lester B. Pearson Award winner, Ovechkin was presented with an elegant men’s watch from Breitling.

In honour of the Lester B. Pearson nominees’ outstanding seasons, the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund will be allocating a total of $20,000 to the grassroots hockey programs of the Pearson Finalists’ choice. Ovechkin will designate a youth hockey program as the beneficiary of the $10,000 that accompanies the Pearson Award, while Datsyuk and Malkin will each allocate $5,000 to their selected grassroots hockey programs.

In 1999, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) launched the Goals & Dreams fund as a way for the players to give something back to the game they love. The players’ program has donated full sets of hockey equipment to more than 13,000 economically disadvantaged children in 17 countries and assisted with upgrades and the building of hundreds of arenas world-wide. To date, Goals & Dreams has donated more than $17-million to grassroots hockey programs around the world making it the largest program of its kind.

Lester B. Pearson Award Recipients: