Buffalo Area Coach Named Winner Of The 2009 Bridgestone Mark Messier Youth Leadership AwardTom Barnett creates unique partnership with the Buffalo Zoo, teaching young players to be leaders both on and off the ice
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (June 2, 2009) — For his extraordinary commitment to youth hockey and his deep devotion to teaching young players the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship and community service, Tom Barnett, of Amherst, N.Y., has been named winner of the inaugural 2009 Bridgestone Mark Messier Youth Leadership Award. The award, which includes a $5,000 grant from Bridgestone Americas, was presented to Coach Barnett Tuesday in Pittsburgh by hockey legend Mark Messier during the national telecast before Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final.
The Bridgestone Mark Messier Youth Leadership Award was created to reward youth hockey players or mentors for their leadership and contributions to youth sports or education. More than 70 nominations were received for the award from across the United States and Canada.
The 2009 winner, Coach Barnett, founded the Shamrock Hockey Club in Buffalo, N.Y., which focuses on education, teamwork, community service and, just as importantly, having fun. The players are required to keep good grades, play as a team and give back to the community. Through Coach Barnett’s leadership, the Shamrocks created a unique partnership with the Buffalo Zoo where players volunteer to work the zoo garden to produce edible plants, which are fed to the zoo animals. The program beautifies the zoo, feeds the animals and teaches the players valuable life lessons about the importance of giving back.
“I’m surprised, I’m humbled and I’m very honored to be receiving this award,” Barnett said. “I greatly admire the leadership and accomplishments of Mark Messier, so winning this award is especially gratifying. It’s really a testament to all of the volunteers and parents who have worked together to make the Shamrock Hockey Club a great experience for the kids — that’s what it’s all about.”
“This award was created to reward people like Tom, whose leadership has enriched the lives of hundreds of young athletes and improved the quality of life in his hometown,” said Phil Pacsi, Vice President, North American Consumer Tire Marketing, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, (BATO). “At Bridgestone Americas we have a strong commitment to community service so we’re very pleased to be able to partner with Mark and the NHL to encourage leadership in youth sports with a focus on volunteerism and education.”
The Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award Presented by BridgestoneThe Bridgestone brand is also serving as title sponsor of , which recognizes an NHL player as a superior leader in hockey, and as a contributing member of society. The award honors an individual who leads by positive example through on-ice performance, motivation of team members and a dedication to community activities and charitable causes. Past winners include Chris Chelios and Mats Sundin. This year the award will be presented at the 2009 NHL AwardsÔ in Las Vegas on Thursday, June 18. The three finalists are: Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins; Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; and Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames.
“The NHL is delighted to be associated with both Bridgestone and Mark Messier in recognizing Tom, whose dedication to developing on- and off-ice leaders exemplifies all that is great about our sport,” said Kyle McMann, Director, NHL Integrated Sales and Partnership Marketing.
PHOTOS:
Photos from this event will be available to the media on-line for free through www.Image.net. Media who do not already have access to Image.net should complete the registration form and use the referral code “8881” for immediate approval. The 2009 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award presented by Bridgestone /Bridgestone Youth Leadership Award section can be found on the NHL page which is under the ‘sports’ tab on the Image.net web site.
About Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations:
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO) is a business unit of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., whose parent company, Bridgestone Corporation, is the world's largest tire and rubber company. Reporting into the BATO business unit are the company's Latin American tire operations, the U.S. and Canadian consumer tire businesses and the U.S. and Canadian commercial tire businesses. BATO develops, manufactures and markets Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires. The business unit is focused on retail, wholesale and original equipment markets, supplying passenger, light truck, commercial vehicle, off road, motorcycle, agricultural and other tires to its customers in the Americas. In addition, through its Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions unit, retreading customers have access to industry-leading research and development, manufacturing, marketing and sales expertise, providing them with a total tire solution.
About the National Hockey League:
The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the four major professional team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League’s international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters. According to a Simmons Market Research study, NHL fans are younger, more educated, more affluent, and access content through digital means more than any other sport. The NHL entertains more than 100 million fans each season in-arena and through its partners in national television (VERSUS, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS, ESPN America, ASN and NHL Network™) and radio (NHL Radio™, Sirius XM Radio and XM Canada). Through the NHL Foundation, the League’s charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer and NHL Youth Development, and supports the charitable efforts of NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log on to NHL.com.
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