NHL Fan, Anthony Cruz, will Present Award in Las Vegas at 2009
    NHL Awards(TM)TORONTO, May 31 /CNW/ - The stars aligned for Anthony Cruz of Vancouver,
British Columbia, the lucky Canadian fan who has won a trip for two to the
2009 NHL Awards(TM) in Las Vegas where he will present the Scotiabank/NHL FAN
FAV(TM) Award at the 2009 NHL Awards. The opportunity from the National Hockey
League (NHL), the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and
Scotiabank is the first-ever fan-driven NHL Award.
    Over a million votes were cast in the year long program, with NHL fans
selecting their choice for the best overall regular season performer. Cruz,
who cheers for his hometown Canucks and loves the game for its pace, skill and
physical nature, will be on stage as the winner is revealed live from the
Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Hotel Las Vegas on June 18, 2009.
    "On behalf of Scotiabank we would like to thank the fans who took the
time to vote for their Scotiabank/NHL Fan Fav," said John Doig, Scotiabank
Senior Vice-President, Canadian Marketing. "Congratulations to Anthony Cruz
who has won the opportunity of a lifetime for a hockey fan. As Canada's Hockey
Bank, we continue to look for new and innovative ways for people to enjoy the
great game of hockey, and are very proud to have been a part of the
Scotiabank/NHL Fan Fav."
    Throughout the season, NHL fans had the opportunity to vote for the
player who demonstrated the best skills and strongest overall performance
during that week. All of the weekly Scotiabank/NHL FAN FAV Award nominees from
the regular season were evaluated by a panel of NHL experts to narrow the
list.
    The 10 finalists eligible for the Scotiabank/NHL FAN FAV(TM) Award were:
Calgary Flames' forward Jarome Iginla and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff,
Carolina Hurricanes' center Eric Staal, Columbus Blue Jackets' goaltender
Steve Mason, New Jersey Devils' goaltender Martin Brodeur, Pittsburgh
Penguins' center Sidney Crosby, San Jose Sharks' goaltender Evgeni Nabokov,
Vancouver Canucks' goaltender Roberto Luongo and Washington Capitals'
defenseman Mike Green and forward Alex Ovechkin.
    Tune in to CBC in Canada and VERSUS in the United States to see the fans'
selection as the League's best players, celebrities and other NHL VIPs gather
in celebration of this season's brightest stars.

    About Scotiabank:

    As the Official Bank of the NHL, NHLPA, NHL Alumni and the CWHL,
Scotiabank is very proud to be Canada's Hockey Bank. Scotiabank has a long
tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey
associations to professional players and leagues. Through its partnerships,
Scotiabank's hockey programs enrich the communities where Canadians live and
work by engaging fans and players in new ways to celebrate our game.
Scotiabank supports the passion and pride Canadians feel for hockey and
believes it is fundamental to helping young people learn about teamwork,
camaraderie and the spirit of competition. Scotiabank also has partnerships
with the Calgary Flames and the Ottawa Senators whose home arena is Scotiabank
Place. For more information on Scotiabank's hockey programs visit
www.scotiahockey.com

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Association. All Rights Reserved.

    NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks and NHL FAN FAV, NHL
Awards and the word mark Stanley Cup are trademarks of the National Hockey
League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. All
Rights Reserved.