The top player at the annual World Juniors will now skate away with an award named after Timmins' Murray Costello.
On the day of the IIHF World Junior Championship game in Ottawa on Sunday (Jan. 5), the International Ice Hockey Federation announced that the most valuable player of the tournament will now receive the Murray Costello Award.
Born in South Porcupine and raised in Schumacher, Costello was 90 when he died in July 2024. While it was his older brother Father Les who was often in the headlines, Costello enjoyed a long and very successful hockey career behind the scenes.
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It's fitting that he's being honoured at the World Juniors.
Costello was the first full-time president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, which later became Hockey Canada. Until his arrival on the scene, Canada sent the Memorial Cup champion to represent the country at the World Juniors. Under Costello's leadership, the Program of Excellence became what it is today, with the best junior hockey players across the country being scouted for a true Team Canada.
“As an IIHF Lifetime Member and an inductee of the IIHF Hall of Fame, Murray had such a significant impact on hockey in Canada and around the world throughout his career,” said Luc Tardif, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, in a news release. “We thank his family for their support of this recognition and look forward to them handing out the Murray Costello Award to the tournament MVP tonight in Ottawa, where Murray lived for most of his life.”
Costello was Hockey Canada president for two decades. He was also instrumental in organizing the first IIHF World Women's Hockey Championship. He was an IIHF Council member from 1998 to 2012 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2005.
“We are grateful to the IIHF for renaming the World Juniors MVP award in Murray’s honour and extending the connection between him and this tournament that meant so much to him,” said Katherine Henderson, Hockey Canada president and chief executive officer. “Hockey continues to benefit from Murray’s tremendous contributions to the game, and we cannot think of a more deserving tribute to one of our sport’s greatest leaders.”
