Local Sports

Tampa's Kucherov Wins NHL MVP; Blues' Binnington Rookie of the Year Runner-Up

The NHL's award show was held in Las Vegas with a large collection of the game's top players past and present on hand for the festivities.

 

The big winner at this year's event was Nikita Kucherov, who took home three awards (the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award and the Art Ross Trophy) after a spectacular season for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

 

Elias Pettersson took home the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie. The Vancouver Canucks winger was nearly a slam dunk to take home the award, leading all rookies with 28 goals and 66 points despite playing in 71 games. He only scored two goals in the final two months of the season but he was electric enough in the first half to essentially lock up the honor before the All-Star break.

 

Pettersson beat out Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington and Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin for ROY honors.

 

Aleksander Barkov took home the Lady Byng, which is awarded to "the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability." The Panthers captain led the club with a franchise-record 96 points (35-61-96) while only picking up eight penalty minutes over 82 games.

 

Barkov edged out Calgary Flames forward Sean Monahan and St. Louis Blues forward Ryan O'Reilly for the award.

 

O'Reilly did secure his first Frank J. Selke as the league's best defensive forward. He led all Blues forwards in goal share (59 percent), plus-minus (+22) and average ice time per game (20:46). He also led the NHL in faceoff wins (1,086) for the second straight season, joining Boston's Patrice Bergeron as the only player to win more than 1,000 faceoffs in four straight seasons since the stat was introduced in 1997.

 

The New York Islanders goalie took home the Masterton Trophy as the "player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey." It was almost a no-brainer.

 

After signing a one-year deal with the New York Islanders last offseason, Lehner revealed an intense battle with substance abuse and bipolar disorder that almost derailed his life and career. He got help, opened up about his fight, and then all he did was submit the best season of his career, winning 25 games with a .930 save percentage and 2.13 goals-against average. It was enough to earn him a Vezina nomination as well.

 

Barry Trotz earns the Jack Adams as the league's top coach in his first season with the Islanders. Trotz led a stunning turnaround on Long Island that saw the Islanders make a 23-point improvement from last season, going from the league's worst defensive team to the best in terms of goals allowed. 

 

The award also comes a year after Trotz led the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.

 

Vezina Vasilevskiy secures his first Vezina as the league's top goaltender following the best season of his three-year run as starter in Tampa. The 24-year-old Russian netminder won 39 games with the Bolts, posting a save percentage of .925 with a goals-against average of 2.40. The win comes after Vasilevskiy finished third in Vezina voting last season.

 

Nashville Predators forward Wayne Simmonds received the Messier Award, which is presented "to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey."

Townhall Top of the Hour News

Local Weather - Sponsored By:

CLINTON WEATHER

Local News

DeWittDN on Facebook