Lou Marsh Trophy

The Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy [cite web|url=http://www.cshof.ca/accessible/collection_trophies_detail.php?i=1|title=Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy|publisher=Canada's Sports Hall of Fame|accessdate=2007-12-11] and Lou Marsh Award [cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2007/12/11/crosby-loumarshaward.html?ref=rss|title=Sidney Crosby wins Lou Marsh Award|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=December 11, 2007|accessdate=2007-12-11] is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936. It is named in honour of Lou Marsh, a prominent Canadian athlete, referee, and former sports editor of the "Toronto Star". Marsh died in 1936 and the trophy was named in his honour. The trophy is made of black marble and stands around 75 centimetres high. The words "With Pick and Shovel" appear above the engraved names of the winners.

The voting panel consists of eleven registered voters [cite web|url=http://emailreg.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?GXHC_gx_session_id_=ea55e2e3fe3ca472&pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_PrintFriendly&c=Article&cid=1165877416160|title=Turin queen reigns in 2006 |author=Dave Perkins|publisher=Toronto Star|date=December 12, 2006|accessdate=2007-12-12] including representatives from the "Toronto Star", the Canadian Press, FAN590, the "Globe and Mail", CBC, Rogers Sportsnet, CTV/TSN, " La Presse" and the "National Post".

The Trophy has been awarded 68 times and won by 58 individual athletes and three pairs. Wayne Gretzky has won the trophy four times, more than any other athlete, while Barbara Ann Scott has won the trophy three times, more than any other woman. It was not awarded from 1942 to 1944 due to World War II. There were ties between different athletes in 1978 and 1983. The most recent winner is Sidney Crosby, a hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins who is the first hockey player to win the trophy since Mario Lemieux in 1993.

Criticism

The Lou Marsh Trophy voting committee has been accused of having an anti-hockey bias because in many years, Canadians will be among the top athletes in the National Hockey League yet rarely contend for the Marsh.cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Simmons/2007/12/09/4715624-sun.html|title=Hockey player should be named Canada's top athlete|author=Steve Simmons|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|date=December 9, 2007|accessdate=2007-12-12] Alternatively, the committee rarely awards the trophy to a professional athlete in a league other than the NHL. [cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/Canada/2005/06/15/1089539-sun.html|title=B.C. natives stick together|author=Steve Buffery|publisher=Toronto Sun|date=June 15, 2005|accessdate=2007-12-12] It has been noted the trophy tends to be awarded to amateur rather than professional athletes on years that the Olympics are held.cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam021222/col_simmons-sun.html|title=The Last Word |author=Steve Simmons|publisher=Canadian Online Explorer|date=December 22, 2002|accessdate=2007-12-12] For example, in 1981, Susan Nattrass, an amateur trapshooter, beat Wayne Gretzky, who had scored 164 points in his sophomore season in the National Hockey League. Similarly, in 2002, Olympic gold medallist speedskater Catriona LeMay Doan beat Steve Nash, who had been one of the top players in the National Basketball Association.

The voting panel itself has been described as a "small, elite group" and the Canadian Press's annual awards—the Lionel Conacher Award (male athlete of the year) and Bobbie Rosenfeld Award (female athlete of the year)—have been said to be more valuable because they are voted on by editors and columnists from across Canada. [cite web|url=http://weather.canoe.ca/Slam031223/col_hunt-sun.html|title=Habs, Leafs joy to watch |author=Jim Hunt|publisher=Toronto Sun|date=December 23, 2003|accessdate=2007-12-12]

Winners

;Key
** = Also won the Lionel Conacher Award as Canadian male athlete of the year
*^ = Also won the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canadian female athlete of the year

Winners by sport

Terry Fox, who was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy for the "Marathon of Hope" rather than participation in a sport in general, is not included in this table.

See also

*Lionel Conacher Award
*Bobbie Rosenfeld Award
*Velma Springstead Trophy
*Sports in Canada

References

;General
* Bob Ferguson, "Who's Who in Canadian Sport", Fitzhenry and Whiteside Ltd., 2005, p. 532 (through 2004).
*cite web|url=http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061211.wsptmarshlist11/BNStory/GlobeSportsOther|title=Winners of the Lou Marsh Trophy|publisher=Globe and Mail|date=December 11, 2006|accessdate=2007-12-11
*cite web|url=http://www.cshof.ca/accessible/collection_trophies_detail.php?i=1|title=Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy|publisher=Canada's Sports Hall of Fame|accessdate=2007-12-11;Specific