Rangers Announce Michael Rupp Awarded The Annual Ching Johnson Award For A Career Of Truculence
Madison Square Garden, July 1, 2011

Glen Sather today presented 31-year-old NHL pugilist Michael Rupp with the third annual Ching Johnson Award For A Career Of Truculence. The award, which comes with a multiyear honorarium of more than $1,000,000 per year, is intended to honor players whose career of fighting and agitating is coming to an end. No player who has received the Ching Johnson award has ever played more than 40 for the Rangers games in any subsequent season. Previous recipients include Donald Brashear and Jody Shelley. Said Brashear, "Its sort of like a genius grant -- you get the money, but you're not required to actually play effective hockey for the Rangers. I used my free time to learn Mixed Martial Arts."

Jeff Schultz of the Washington Capitals expressed his appreciation for the Rangers' approach to charity: "Every player in the league appreciates the New York Rangers' efforts, every single year, to raise player salaries. For example, in my own case, it's great security to know that when my career is coming to an end, I am eligible for the Wade Redden Honorarium For Leading The League In Plus/Minus That One Time. And the Gomez/Drury Fund For Paying Second Line Centers Like First Line Centers as well as the Sean Avery Hiring Obnoxious Players Even Admitting Nobody Else Wants'em ("HOPE ANEW") also do amazing work."