Rawk the Puck! We are the Champions ...

TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

The Champ.

Yep, that loathsome ubiquitous Queen chant -- No. 1 in the world, apparently - is playing over the speakers and on all the cellphones, the crowd is on their feet and brandishing their lighters. That's the New Jersey Devils representers taking the victory lap, grizzled Bruce Springsteen hoisting Lord Stanley's hallowed old gee-tar trailed around by the Stones, Moz and Marr, and the ghost of Johnny Cash -- Ladies and Gentlemen, your Rawk the Puck! Most Valuable Player, and so much for all that talk about the 'new rules' -- after a narrow win over sludge-rockin' Soundgarden.

And so the first (and last, I reckon) Rawk the Puck! is in the books. To recap in agate type, the official results:

RAWK the PUCK! CUP FINAL

ATLANTIC CITY (Live), Bruce Springsteen (Classic Rawk Conference Champion *New Jersey Devils* b-w Sympathy for the DEVIL, Rolling Stones; Handsome DEVIL, the Smiths; and DEVIL to Pay, Johnny Cash) 7

vs.

TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO

The MVP.

Black Hole SUN, Soundgarden (Indie Rawk Conference Champion *Dallas Stars* b-w Black STAR, Radiohead; STARman, David Bowie; and STAR Sign, Teenage Fanclub) 5

Thanks to the judges, and to the voters. One last bobblehead goes out to regular visitor and long-distance specialist JLo (who will have to contact me with a mailing address or await his next escape from Montreal for the dropoff). CD to Pipe Smoker, whose vote came via email but that's okay -- I'm quite far behind on getting these CDs out to all the earlier winners, but it will happen. Soon. Promise.

Earlier rounds and related:

Conference finals and the judges' votes.

First-round results and Conference semifinals and the judges' votes.

First-round pairings, Classic Rawk Conference and Indie Rawk Conference, and first-round judges' votes.