Tag: Dillman

Capitals, Oilers selected as 2025 Dick Dillman Award winners for PR excellence

Posted on | by Willie Ramirez

The Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) is pleased to announce that the Washington Capitals and Edmonton Oilers are the 2025 recipients of the Dick Dillman Award, presented annually to honor the excellence of NHL public relations staff in the Eastern and Western Conferences.

The Capitals shone during Alex Ovechkin’s successful pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record late in the regular season and into the playoffs, making their longtime captain available to local and national reporters every time he scored up until No. 895 and beyond.

“We are honored to accept the prestigious Dick Dillman Award,” senior vice president of communications and broadcasting Sergey Kocharov said. “While this recognition shines a light on our department, it is truly a direct reflection of the professionalism and cooperation of our players and coaching staff. Their consistent availability, unwavering professionalism and engagement with the media are what make strong media relationships possible. We also want to extend our appreciation to our ownership and management teams for fostering a culture of transparency, trust and accessibility, which facilitates effective storytelling.”

Edmonton Oilers director of hockey communications Jamie Cartmell

Washington’s communications department, led by Kocharov, also includes manager of media relations Chase Pyke, assistant manager of media relations Alex D’Agostino and director of corporate communications and publicity Megan Eichenberg. This is the Capitals’ fifth Dillman win after four in a row from 2007-10.

The Oilers won for a second time since 2021, thanks to exceptional access on another run to the Stanley Cup Final, courtesy of director of hockey communications Jamie Cartmell, manager of hockey communications Andrew Peard, and executive VP of communications and gaming Tim Shipton.

Edmonton Oilers manager of
hockey communications Andrew Peard

“We are honored and delighted to be recognized as the Western Conference winner of the Dick Dillman Award winner by the PHWA,” Cartmell said. “Acknowledgement of our efforts this past season by this prestigious association reflects our strong desire to work in partnership with those who cover the great sport of hockey. We’re also tremendously grateful for the cooperation and professionalism of our players, coaches, management and media partners.”

The Dillman Award is presented in honor of the late Minnesota North Stars public relations guru Dick Dillman. The Dillman committee features a voting panel of senior PHWA members.

Previous Dillman Award winners:
2023-24: Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars
2022-23: Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers
2021-22: Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota Wild
2020-21: Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins
2019-20: Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild
2018-19: Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames
2017-18: Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars
2016-17: Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild
2015-16: Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames
2014-15: Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars
2013-14: Boston Bruins, Anaheim Ducks
2012-13: Boston Bruins, Anaheim Ducks
2011-12: Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators
2010-11: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks
2009-10: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2008-09: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2007-08: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2006-07: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2005-06: Minnesota Wild

Panthers, Stars selected as 2024 Dick Dillman Award winners for PR excellence

Posted on | by Frank Seravalli

SUNRISE, Fla. — The Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) is pleased to announce that the Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars are the 2024 recipients of the Dick Dillman Award, presented annually to honor the excellence of NHL public relations staffs in each conference.
Both the Stars and Panthers have continued their run of distinction in recent years. This marks Florida’s second Dillman Award, and first since 2016, while Dallas receives the recognition for the third time in the last 11 seasons.

Florida PR staff (L-R): Thomas Harding, Julie David, Veronica Lempicki, Adelyn Biedenbach, Chrissy Parente

“Team communication staffs are not just one of the linchpins to storytelling for hockey journalists, but they’re the gateway to earn trust and build relationships within a dressing room. The staffs in Florida and Dallas have shown themselves to be among the class of the league time and again,” PHWA president Frank Seravalli said. “Without their trust and support, it would be near impossible to tell hockey’s stories on a daily basis, and to serve as the conduit between fans and the players and executives they’re hungry to learn more about. Thank you to Adelyn Biedenbach and Joe Calvillo and their teams for setting the bar on how to develop rapport and relationships with the media in 2024.”

The Panthers’ public relations department is led by Adelyn Biedenbach, vice-president of communications, along with director of corporate communications Chrissy Parente, hockey communications manager Thomas Harding, media relations coordinator Veronica Lempicki and communications coordinator Julie David.

“We are honored to receive this recognition from our friends at the PHWA,” Biedenbach said. “Every day, we are grateful to be able to connect our players, staff and executives to the local and national media to tell exciting Panthers stories. We’d like to thank our president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito, head coach Paul Maurice and their respective staffs, as well as our players for their incredible cooperation in continuing to grow the game we all love.”

Dallas PR staff (L-R): Emily Schumacher, Joe Calvillo, Dan Stuchal, Kyle Shohara, Rina Zell.

In Dallas, the Stars’ public relations staff is headed by chief communications officer Dan Stuchal and Joe Calvillo, director of communications, along with communications manager Kyle Shohara, communications manager. communications coordinator Rina Zell and communications assistant Emily Schumacher.

“It is an honor to be selected by the PHWA for this award as we recognize the historical significance Dick Dillman had not just on our franchise, but the entire league,” Calvillo said. “We strive to support local and national media members by providing timely access and the best available resources to tell the stories of our team, none of which we could accomplish without the support and collaboration of our players, coaches, hockey operations and executive staff.”

The Dillman Award is presented in honor of the late Minnesota North Stars public relations guru Dick Dillman. The Dillman committee is chaired by PHWA executive vice president Chris Johnston and features a voting panel of senior PHWA members.

Previous Dillman Award winners:
2022-23: Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers
2021-22: Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota Wild
2020-21: Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins
2019-20: Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild
2018-19: Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames
2017-18: Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars
2016-17: Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild
2015-16: Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames
2014-15: Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars
2013-14: Boston Bruins, Anaheim Ducks
2012-13: Boston Bruins, Anaheim Ducks
2011-12: Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators
2010-11: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks
2009-10: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2008-09: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2007-08: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2006-07: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2005-06: Minnesota Wild

Flyers, Wild win 2022 Dillman Award

Posted on | by Willie Ramirez

The Professional Hockey Writers Association is pleased to announce the Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota Wild are 2022 winners of the Dick Dillman Award, presented annually to honor the work of outstanding NHL public relations staffs.

Traditionally, the award recognizes the excellence of one winner in each the Eastern and Western conferences. As the sports world attempted to return to a sense of normalcy while still enduring the unusual circumstances presented by the global pandemic, the selection committee once again took in great consideration all that was involved.

The Wild (Western Conference) were the committee’s choice for a third consecutive season, while 2022 marks the first Flyers win since 2018. This year marks the fourth time both the Wild and Flyers have been honored.

“We’re once again pleased to recognize members of communication staffs and recognize them for what they do best, including building relationships between members of the media and teams, so that we can write stories effectively while efficiently report on oft-times difficult situations outside of daily activity,” PHWA president Frank Seravalli said. “These two staffs stood out among their peers, with Minnesota continuing to set a standard that made it an easy choice for a third straight season. We commend both the Wild and Flyers for a job well done.

In Minnesota, the communications department is led by Aaron Sickman, director of media relations, along with media relations specialist Megan Kogut.

“We are incredibly honored and grateful to be named a recipient of the Dick Dillman Award,” Sickman said. “We want to recognize and thank everyone in our organization, including Bill Guerin, our coaches and players for their willingness to share their stories with the media and our fans. We are also very thankful for the great coverage the Wild received this past year from our writers and broadcasters.”

The Philadelphia Flyers’ PR staff is headed by Zack Hill, senior director of communications, under the direction of vice president of communications Sean Coit. The director of public relations is Joe Siville and Brian Smith is the manager of broadcasting and media services. Allie Samuelsson is the game operations coordinator, Meghan Flanagan is director of corporate communications, and Kate Kizitaff is the communications coordinator.

The Professional Hockey Writers Association wishes to congratulate Hill for 29 years of meritorious service to hockey media and offer best wishes in retirement. Under Hill, the Flyers have been named a finalist for the Dillman Award an incredible 12 times.

“We are honored, thrilled and humbled to win the Dillman Award,” said Hill.. “Our goal has always been and will continue to be to help the media in any way we can. We strive to be as accommodating as possible in aiding both the local and national media in their coverage of the team.”

The Dillman Award is presented in honor of the late, great Minnesota North Stars public relations guru Dick Dillman. The Dillman committee is chaired by Dillman’s daughter, Lisa Dillman, and features a voting panel of senior PHWA members.

Previous Dillman Award winners:

2020-21: Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins
2019-20: Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild
2018-19: Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames
2017-18: Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars
2016-17: Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild
2015-16: Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames
2014-15 Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars
2013-14 Boston Bruins, Anaheim Ducks
2012-13: Boston Bruins, Anaheim Ducks
2011-12: Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators
2010-11: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks
2009-10: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2008-09: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2007-08: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks
2006-07: Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks