Hockey memories --- My "Thank You" awards for the 2003-2004 season

The NHL hasn't given out their season ending awards yet, but, as usual, it's time for my own "Thank You" awards for this past season.

The first "Thank You" award is given to both the Calgary Flames and the Tampa Bay Lightning for an exciting Stanley Cup Finals series. Congrats to the Lightning for winning the Stanley Cup. (Now we won't have to hear any more hockey writers or sports talk show hosts making remarks like "Lightning strikes.")

"Thank You's" also go to:

* Both teams for giving us one of the most exciting game seven's ever.

* Miika Kiprusoff and Nikolai Khabibulin for showing the hockey world that the best goaltenders in the league aren't from Canada, they come from Finland and Russia.

* John Tortorella for not only being the first American born coach to win the Stanley Cup, but to make it to Game 7. Somewhere in hockey heaven, Herb Brooks is smiling.

* Martin St. Louis for showing us that not all hockey players are big guys.

* Vincent Lecavalier and Jarome Iginla for showing us that not only can they score goals, but they can drop the gloves with the best of the enforcers.

* The "C of red" in Calgary for showing me what passion in hockey is all about.

* Tampa Bay Lightning fans who carried signs that read, "Stanley Needs a Tan," but showed the sports world that fans in Tampa, Florida, aren't just football fans, but true hockey fans as well.

* Dave Andreychuck who, after 22 years, finally got his name on the Stanley Cup.

* Adam Oates for being one of the greatest passers in hockey for all those years. Enjoy your retirement.

* Mike Richter and Brian Leetch for giving New York Rangers fans some of their greatest Stanley Cup memories and for being two of the classiest players in hockey.

* Mark Messier, Scott Stevens and Steve Yzerman for giving all hockey fans some great memories. This may be the last year that we see these three great captains on the ice, but they are the models of how hockey captains should lead their teams.

* The state of Minnesota who first gave us Herb Brooks and the "Miracle on Ice." Then the Minnesota Wild and all those NCAA hockey champions. You showed us why Minnesota is the "state of hockey."

* The Snyder Family who, in the face of tragedy, showed us what it means to show forgiveness.

* Finally, as always, a great big thank you to all those NHL media directors who once again allowed me to do what I love best -- talk to hockey players about "the coolest game on ice." I hope I get the chance to do it all over again for the 2004-2005 hockey season.