On Tuesday, Bill Clement, a broadcaster, and Al Morganti (a hockey writer) were named recipients of the 2022 Hockey Hall of Fame media awards.
Clement will be awarded the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award to recognize his outstanding contributions as a broadcaster of hockey, while Morganti will be presented with the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award to honor excellence in hockey journalism.
Clement, who was a player in the NHL for 11 seasons and won two Stanley Cup Championships with the NHL, is now retired. Philadelphia Flyershe has worked as a broadcaster at ESPN, NBC and ABC. Quebec-born, he broadcast the four Olympics and 20 Stanley Cup Finals.
Chuck Kaiton of the NHL broadcasters’ Association stated that Bill Clement’s consistency, glibness, professionalism and ability to bring hockey fans in the United States, Canada, the nuances of the game, make him highly worthy of this distinction. Bill (1002) is the only color analyst to have done more US National broadcasts. His 21-years of coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs show his dedication and quality.
Morganti started his career at Boston Globe and has worked as a beat writer at the Atlanta Constitution. Calgary Flames Flyers coverage will be provided by the Philadelphia Inquirer as well. He currently co-hosts WIP Sports Radio as well as providing pre and post-game analysis for NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“The Hockey Hall of Fame has a long history of recognising players who have been dominant forces for a prolonged period of time. Think about it Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure Cam Neely. “That is the impact Al Morganti had on hockey writing circles,” Frank Seravalli president of the professional hockey writer’s association. Morganti was an outstanding difference-maker for more than a decade. The Philadelphia Flyers fans had the privilege of reading Morganti’s morning newspaper Inquirer. Jay Greenberg, a fellow Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award recipient, was the afternoon’s paper in the Daily News. They went back and forth, toe-toe for more than ten years. Morganti was a legend, setting stringent deadlines while writing intelligent copy that had enough “bite” to satisfy the hungry city’s hockey-crazed sensibilities.
Clement and Morganti, will receive their awards in Toronto on November 14th at the Hall of Fame’s media awards luncheon. The plaques of their recipients will be displayed at the Hall of Fame’s Esso Great Hall.