Congratulations, Dave

Dave Fay, who has covered the Washington Capitals for more than 20 years, was recognized yesterday by the Hockey Hall of Fame as this year's recipient of the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for his outstanding work as a beat writer covering the Washington Capitals.

The Peerless thinks this award is well-deserved. Too often, it is tempting to dwell on the particulars of this story or that at the expense of an entire body of work. That Fay has devoted decades to chronicling the exploits of the Caps, while imprinting his own uniquely acerbic style to the product, commands respect.

The Ferguson award citation reads:

"In recognition of distinguished members of the newspaper profession whose words have brought honour to journalism and to hockey."

For Fay, whose dedication to the sport over the years has been amply demonstrated, whose devotion to his profession and determination in the face of health problems is without question, this honor is richly deserved.

Congratulations, Dave.