Admired for his extraordinary commitment to youth hockey and his deep devotion to teaching young players the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship and community service, Tom Barnett of Amherst, N.Y. has won the debut 2009 Bridgestone Mark Messier Youth Leadership Award.

Honors including a $5,000 grant from Bridgestone Americas were presented to Barnett June 3 in Pittsburgh by hockey legend Mark Messier during the national telecast before Game 3 of the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup Final.

The award was created to salute youth hockey players or mentors for their leadership and contributions to youth sports or education. More than 70 nominations were received from across the U.S. and Canada.

Barnett is the founder of the Shamrock Hockey Club in Buffalo, N.Y., which focuses on education, teamwork, community service and, just as importantly, having fun. The players are required to keep good grades, play as a team and give back to the community.

Through Barnett’s leadership, the Shamrocks created a unique partnership with the Buffalo Zoo where players volunteer to work the zoo garden to produce edible plants that are fed to the zoo animals, according to Messier. The program beautifies the zoo, feeds the animals and teaches the players valuable life lessons about the importance of giving back, he explains.

“We had so many impressive nominations for the award that it was difficult to choose a winner,” says Messier. “Coach Barnett really embodies the things that youth hockey should be about. He’s really an educator on skates who’s not only teaching young players how to be better players and teammates, he’s teaching them to be leaders both on and off the ice. He’s a very deserving recipient of the award.”

“I’m surprised, I’m humbled and I’m very honored to be receiving this award,” says Barnett. “I greatly admire the leadership and accomplishments of Mark Messier, so winning this award is especially gratifying. It’s really a testament to all of the volunteers and parents who have worked together to make the Shamrock Hockey Club a great experience for the kids — that’s what it’s all about.”

“The NHL is delighted to be associated with both Bridgestone and Mark Messier in recognizing Tom, whose dedication to developing on- and off-ice leaders exemplifies all that is great about our sport,” says Kyle McMann, director of NHL integrated sales and partnership marketing.

“This award was created to reward people like Tom, whose leadership has enriched the lives of hundreds of young athletes and improved the quality of life in his hometown,” says Phil Pacsi, Bridgestone’s vice president of North American consumer tire marketing. “At Bridgestone Americas we have a strong commitment to community service, so we’re very pleased to be able to partner with Mark and the NHL to encourage leadership in youth sports with a focus on volunteerism and education.”

The company is also serving as title sponsor of the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award Presented by Bridgestone, which recognizes an NHL player as a superior leader in hockey and as a contributing member of society. The recipient leads by positive example through on-ice performance, motivation of team members and a dedication to community activities and charitable causes. Past winners include Chris Chelios and Mats Sundin. This year’s honor will be bestowed at the 2009 NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 18. The three finalists are Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames.

For more information, visit www.bridgestone-firestone.com and www.nhl.com.