2007-08 Year End Awards

[Merlin401]

hockeyfights.com is proud to roll out the year-end awards for the 2007-08 season. It was a season in which fighting spiked back up to almost pre-lockout levels, giving a lot more fights and moments to choose from for our awards. In the first two post-lockout seasons, no one had reached the 20 fighting major plateau. In 07-08, six players dropped the gloves 20 or more times. For the first time in a while, it was easier to come up with nominees for "best enforcing team" and "most improved fighter" than it was for "worst enforcing team" and "most disappointing." Meanwhile, another impressive and willing crop of rookies were eager to add to the fight parade.

Still, the effects of the expanded instigator rule have loomed large, continuing to cut down on brawls. While there were plenty of rivalries, there were only a handful of games which reminded fans of hockey's glory days when a palpable hatred existed between teams every meeting.

Still the 07-08 campaign had plenty of hockey fight moments to celebrate and we celebrate the cream of the crop with these awards. Please note any comments or suggestions! Visit all 16 awards and remember to check out on the attached videos and vote where applicable

For those new to hockeyfights.com, all the awards threads are in the Year-End Award sub-forum to "Who's the Best Fighter", located here: hockeyfights.com Season Awards

Edit: I should also mention, thanks to Kingdog819 and other forum leaders who helped with the list of nominees, ideas and finding stupid grammar mistakes. And of course VodkaFish for having video of all these events up and running 24/7

[Rugged]

As usual, great job, Merlin. I'm not sure that a lot of posters appreciate the time that you put into those threads. I certainly do.

Let the games begin!

[Smerri1029]

I love the year-end awards. Have been looking forward to them since the season ended.

Another excellent job as always Merlin! Thanks for taking the time to put all these up for us!

[Acar7711]

Originally Posted by Smerri1029

I love the year-end awards. Have been looking forward to them since the season ended.

Another excellent job as always Merlin! Thanks for taking the time to put all these up for us!

DITTO!!!!

[Killah_punk]

Thanks for all the time and work you put into this Merlin.

[BStreetBullies]

Merlin, you're the man. Thanks to you and all the mods for putting this together, I've been waiting for this for a while. Now I feel like I have so much work ahead of me, 16 damn new threads to keep track of.

[knucklesamwitch]

I realize this was the purpose of the "Thank You" button, but all that work deserves a personal thank you.

[RetardedChimp]

I love you Merlin

ps I'm pregnant

[brad houghton]

hey Merlin this is great stuff......i really appreciate the work you and the boys do on this site!!!

[Juha82]

A great job, you are very important here!!!

[marc123]

How come there are no ''Best Middleweight/Light-Heavyweight'' award this year?

[Merlin401]

Originally Posted by marc123

How come there are no ''Best Middleweight/Light-Heavyweight'' award this year?

Its a good question: Basically, the line has become so blurred between heavyweight and light-heavyweight and between light-HWs and middleweights that its really hard to say what is what anymore. Half the "heavyweights" are light-heavyweights now it seems (Barch, Neil, Stortini, Janssen, Walker, even Thornton, Hordichuk etc etc). I dont see any clear divisions between the fighters. I did try to do this award but it just didn't work. If you want to start a year-end topic on it in "Who's the Best Fighter" though, be my guest.

[Blues 34]

I look forward to voting.

[plum29]

got to say, i'm proud to be a member of hockey fights.com

we're quickly becoming a very well known website amongst ENFORCERS...

LET THE VOTING BEGIN!!!!!!!!

Carcillo FIghter of the Year