Related news
A year ago, Las Vegas hosted the NHL Awards show on the same night as the expansion draft, when the Golden Knights chose their roster. Wednesday night, the same show returns to Las Vegas, only this time the home team has four members up for awards.
The 2018 NHL Awards show starts at 5 p.m. at the Hard Rock Hotel and will be televised on NBC Sports Network.
Golden Knights General Manager George McPhee, coach Gerard Gallant, forward William Karlsson and defensemen Deryk Engelland are among the award finalists.
Here is a quick look at how I voted on the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) awards, and who I think all the other awards will go to.
Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player)
Finalists: Nathan MacKinnon (COL), Taylor Hall (NJD) and Anze Kopitar (LAK)
My vote: None of the above
The most prestigious award handed out Wednesday is no doubt the Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the league's most valuable player. The winner on my ballot didn’t make the top three, as I voted for last year’s winner — Connor McDavid.
McDavid’s performance was undeniable, leading the NHL with 108 points and finishing with an impressive plus-20 plus-minus despite playing on a team with a minus-29 goal differential overall. Unfortunately for McDavid, the Oilers' team struggles left him off most writer ballots. Of the finalists, Nathan MacKinnon has to be the favorite. The 22-year-old racked up 97 points and helped lift the Avalanche from last place in 2016-17 to a playoff appearance this season with a league-leading 12 game-winning goals.
Frank J. Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)
Finalists: Patrice Bergeron (BOS), Sean Couturier (PHI) and Anze Kopitar (LAK)
My vote: Patrice Bergeron
Bruins center Bergeron is looking for his fifth Selke Trophy, which would pass Bob Gainey for the most since the award was first presented in 1978. Bergeron had a sky-high CORSI percentage of 57.3 percent, meaning the forward not only helped create shot attempts, but limited the opposing team’s shot attempts while he was on the ice. Bergeron averaged nearly three minutes per game on the power play, and two minutes per game on the penalty kill.
James Norris Memorial Trophy (best defenseman)
Finalists: Drew Doughty (LAK), Victor Hedman (TB) and P.K. Subban (NSH)
My vote: Victor Hedman
Lightning defenseman Hedman finished in the top five in both points by a defenseman with 63 (17 goals and 46 assists) and average ice time per game with 25:51. The 27-year-old’s puck-moving ability allowed Tampa Bay to utilize its up-tempo, offensive-minded attack, and his smooth skating lets him push forward while still being able to get back on defense.
Vezina Trophy (best goaltender)
Finalists: Connor Hellebuyck (WPG), Pekka Rinne (NSH) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB)
My vote: PHWA doesn’t vote on this award
Rinne certainly has all the numbers to justify a Vezina Trophy. The 35-year-old veteran netminder led all goalies with at least 50 games played in save percentage (.927) and goals against average (2.31). He won 42 of his 59 starts to help the Nashville Predators claim the Presidents Trophy with the league’s best record.
The two youngsters Hellebuyck and Vasilevskiy both won two more games than Rinne, arguably without as strong of a defense in front of them.
Jack Adams (coach of the year)
Finalists: Jared Bednar (COL), Bruce Cassidy (BOS) and Gerard Gallant (VGK)
My vote: PHWA doesn’t vote on this award
What Gallant did with an expansion team in Las Vegas will go down as one of the greatest accomplishments in all of sports. There is no award with a more certain winner than the Jack Adams, which will almost certainly be given to Gallant and his Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights.
Lady Byng (most gentlemanly player in the NHL)
Finalists: Aleksander Barkov (FLA), William Karlsson (VGK) and Ryan O’Reilly (BUF)
My vote: William Karlsson
Karlsson shocked the hockey world with his breakout 43-goal regular season but was equally impressive on the defensive end, and did it without committing penalties. The 25-year-old center played 1,535 minutes on the ice this season and had 78 takeaways, but spent only 12 minutes in the penalty box.
Despite finishing third in the NHL in goals, Karlsson was a quiet leader in the locker room, and was visited by dozens of his fellow countrymen who made the trek from Sweden to see him play simply because “he’s such a good person.”
Calder Memorial Trophy (rookie of the year)
Finalists: Mathew Barzal (NYI), Brock Boeser (VAN) and Clayton Keller (ARI)
My vote: Mathew Barzal
Barzal ran away with this award late in the season by racking up 85 points, which is 20 more than the next closest rookie. The 21-year-old center scored 23 goals and pitched in 63 assists in his first year in the NHL. Boeser was neck-and-neck with Barzal for most of the season before his rookie campaign was cut short due to an injury.
Mark Messier Leadership Award (best leader and contributing member of society)
Finalists: Deryk Engelland (VGK), Wayne Simmons (PHI) and Blake Wheeler (WPG)
My vote: PHWA doesn’t vote on this award
If Engelland wins the Messier Leadership Award, it will be mostly for his work before the season started. The veteran defender was instantly a leader in the Golden Knights locker room due to his longtime residency in Las Vegas — helping teammates choose residential neighborhoods and familiarizing them with the newest NHL city.
His signature moment came in the days after the Oct. 1 mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip when he and teammates went into the community, visited blood banks and first responders to help the city heal. Engelland then delivered a heartfelt speech prior to the home opener on Oct. 10, ending with “We are Vegas strong!”
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey)
Finalists: Brian Boyle (NJD), Roberto Luongo (FLA) and Jordan Staal (CAR)
My vote: Brian Boyle
Devils forward Brian Boyle was one of the best stories in the NHL. He was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a type of bone marrow cancer, prior to training camp. Upon returning to the lineup on Nov. 1 he scored 10 goals over the first 25 games, including his most memorable moment — scoring a goal on Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Nov. 24.
Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player as judged by the NHL Players Association)
Finalists: Connor McDavid (EDM), Taylor Hall (NJD) and Nathan MacKinnon (COL)
My vote: PHWA doesn’t vote on this award
While some counted the Oilers’ team failures against McDavid in the Hart Trophy voting, it’s hard to deny his unbelievable talent when it comes to the most outstanding player award. McDavid was sixth in goals (41) and third in assists (67) to lead the NHL in total points despite playing on a floundering Edmonton squad.
King Clancy Memorial Trophy (player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community)
Finalists: Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin (VAN), P.K. Subban (NSH) and Jason Zucker (MIN)
My vote: PHWA doesn’t vote on this award
This award is strikingly similar to the Mark Messier Leadership Award, with the difference being who decides the winner. The King Clancy winner is selected by a committee of senior NHL executives led by Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly.
The Sedin twins retired from hockey after this season but left a major mark on the Vancouver community in their 17 seasons with the Canucks. The two made a $1.5 million donation to the British Columbia Children's Hospital Foundation in 2010, and helped lead the Canucks for Kids Fund, which has raised $42 million since 2000-01.
General Manager of the Year
Finalists: Kevin Cheveldayoff (WPG), George McPhee (VGK) and Steve Yzerman (TBL)
My vote: PHWA doesn’t vote on this award
During last year’s award show, Golden Knights General Manager McPhee chose 30 players for the NHL’s newest franchise. Months later, the Golden Knights shocked the NHL on their way to a Stanley Cup Final appearance. Vegas was eventually bested by the Capitals — who McPhee also built the core of.
Really the only argument against McPhee winning the award is that he played by different rules, building a team from scratch while other general managers didn’t have that opportunity. Cheveldayoff built a great, young team in the Jets that finally took the next step and won the first playoff series in franchise history.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy