NHL 2006 Awards Preview

Catch the NHL awards Thursday June 22nd, 2006
(CBC/OLN 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific)

Joe Thornton will receive his first Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading point scorer. Thornton finished with 125 points.

Jonathan Cheechoo will receive his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer. Cheechoo finished with 56 goals.

Mikka Kiprusoff will receive his first William M. Jennings Trophy. The Calgary Flames finished with a league low, 200 goals for this season.

Two other trophies will be presented. The Bill Masteron Memorial Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY (outstanding rookie):

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins:
-Became the youngest player in the NHL to score 100 points in a single season
-Led all rookies in assists with 63, and ranked second in goals with 39 and points with 102

Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
-Led all rookies in scoring and goals (106 points, 52 goals)
-Led NHL in shots with 425

Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames
-Led all rookie defencemen in points with 49
-Became the 3rd defencemen in NHL history to have 20 goals as a rookie

Prediction: Alexander Ovechkin: One of the most exciting players to watch this season, Alexander Ovechkin amazed everybody, with his quick shots, and end-to-end plays, and tricky dekes. His stick work just dazzled everyone, and he dangled by a lot of defenders to score his 52 goals. An emotional player after, every goal. Fans love it.

FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY (outstanding defensive forward):

Rod Brind’Amour, Carolina Hurricanes
-Led all forwards in ice time with 24:17 per game
-Led all players in face offs taken and a face off winning percentage of 59.1

Mike Fisher, Ottawa Senators
-Recorded single-season career highs in plus-minus (+23) and shorthanded goals (4)

Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars
-Sixth nomination for a Selke Trophy
-Three-time winner of the Selke Trophy

Prediction: Mike Fisher: A proficient player in his own right, Mike Fisher dominated teams on the penalty kill, and always chipped in goals whenever called upon late in games. Four short-handed goals and three short-handed assists, he was deadly at both ends of the ice.

HART MEMORIAL TROPHY (most valuable player to his team):

Jaromir Jagr, New York Rangers
-Sixth nomination for Hart Trophy
-Set New York Rangers franchise record in goals and points in a season (123, 54) and was second in scoring in the NHL

Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames
-Won first William M. Jennings this year
-Led all goalies in GAA (2.03) and shutouts (10)

Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
-Led NHL in points with 125; 92 points tallied in 58 games with the San Jose Sharks
-Won his first Art Ross Trophy this year

Prediction: Joe Thornton: Joe Thornton was off to a slow start in Boston, but when Mike O’ Connell wanted to trade Joe Thornton to the West Coast in San Jose, Joe Thornton never looked back. With 92 points in 58 games with the Sharks, San Jose made the playoffs in fifth place. After being down and out, with a 10 game losing streak, Joe Thornton elevated the play of teammates Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo, setting career-highs for each other.

JACK ADAMS AWARD (outstanding coach):

Peter Laviolette, Carolina Hurricanes
-Recorded a winning season, 52-22-8, 112 points
-Improved the Carolina Hurricanes by 36 points since the 2003-04 season

Tom Renney, New York Rangers
-Recorded a 44-26-12 season for 100 points; A 31 point improvement from last season
-Led the Rangers to the first playoff berth since 1997

Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres
-Recorded a 52-24-6 for 110 points
-25 points improvement, and set franchise record for wins in a season

Prediction: Tom Renney: Tom Renney made Jaromir Jagr play like Jaromir Jagr. He excited fans again, he got them to stand up after going wide on the wing, and fighting off defenders, and then scoring, top left corner. Tom Renney made this squad into playoff contenders. Key players like Martin Straka, Martin Rucinsky, and last acquisition Petr Skyora; Tom Renney pulled this team together to play like a winning franchise.

JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY (outstanding defenseman):

Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
-Led all defencemen in scoring with a career-high 80 points (16 goals, 64 assists)
-Seventh nomination for the Norris Trophy

Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Mighty Ducks
-Won Norris Trophy last season in 04 with the New Jersey Devils
-Played in all 82 games and led in Ducks ice time with 25:30

Sergei Zubov, Dallas Stars
-Second in defencmen scoring with 71 points
-First time Norris Trophy finalist

Prediction: Nicklas Lidstrom: His hard shot from the blue line makes him a threat each time he’s on the ice. A three-timer Norris Trophy winner will win his fourth. Lidstrom led all defencemen in points, assists with a very respectable +21 and leading the Red Wings in ice time (over 28 minutes).

LADY BYNG MEMORIAL TROPHY (sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct):

Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
-Led the Red Wings in scoring with a career-high 87 points
-75 games and 22 penalty minutes

Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
-First time Lady Byng Trophy Finalist
-82 games and 26 penalty minutes

Brad Richards, Tampa Bay Lightning
-Led Lightning in scoring with a career-high 91 points
-82 games and 32 penalty minutes

Prediction: Patrick Marleau: Although Pavel Datsyk had less penalty minutes, Patrick Marleau played each game for the San Jose Sharks and only amassed 4 more than Datsyuk. Rarely shying away from physical play, but always cool and calm under all circumstances, Patrick Marleau will add a piece of NHL’s hardware.

LESTER B. PEARSON AWARD (most outstanding player as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA):

Jaromir Jagr, New York Rangers\
-24 power-play goals was a career best
-Winner of Lester B. Pearson Award in the 98-99 and 99-00 seasons

Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
-Third in points with 106
-Scored 23% of Washington Capital goals in this season

Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
-96 assists, 25 assists ahead of second place
-96 assists highest total in 12 seasons

Prediction: Joe Thornton: Joe Thornton does not have a bad reputation among players. His expectation by Boston Bruins owner was much too high. Higher than Bobby Orr, and his “bad reputation” was built on that. Joe Thornton is a very deserving player for this award, as he has shown poise and heart throughout the 2005-06 campaign, and throughout his Boston Bruins career.

VEZINA TROPHY (outstanding goaltender):

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils
-Led all goalies in wins (43)
-NHL record fifth 40-win season and tenth consecutive 30-win season

Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames
-Won first William M. Jennings Trophy (club allowing only 200 goals)
-First time Vezina Trophy winner

Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
-First rookie goalie to be nominated since Jim Carey in 94-95
-Posted a 30-12-9 record

Prediction: Mikka Kiprusoff: Kiprusoff is a shoe-in for this award. Going 42-20-11, with a 2.07 GAA and a .923 save percentage, and 10 shutouts. Kiprusoff finished in the top three for all of those stats.