The 2016-17 NHL season was officially closed at the NHL Awards ceremony at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Wednesday night.
In addition to the awards, the much-anticipated announcement of the Vegas Golden Knights’ expansion roster was announced throughout the show.
The awards were voted on at the end of the regular season, so the playoffs did not factor in. Voting was conducted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association (Hart, Norris, Selke, Masterton, Lady Byng, first-team all-star, all-rookie). The broadcasters voted for the Jack Adams Trophy for coach of the year. Team executives voted for the Vezina Trophy and GM of the year.
Hart Trophy: Most Valuable Player
The Finalists:
Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
The Winner:
McDavid led an up-and-coming Oilers franchise with an eye-popping 100 points. He had an incredible 30 multi-point games this season (more than a third of a season) and scored three points or more in 11 games. There’s no way the Oilers make the postseason without McDavid.
Ted Lindsay Award – Most Outstanding Player
The Finalists:
Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
The Winner:
McDavid’s accomplishments are listed above. He joins fellow Oiler greats Wayne Gretzky (a five-time winner) and Mark Messier as the only Oilers to take home this hardware.
Norris Trophy – Best Defenseman
The Finalists:
Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks
Victor Hedman Tampa Bay Lightning
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
The Winner:
Burns led all NHL defensemen with 29 goals and 76 points. He also led the NHL with 320 shots on goal, the first time a defenseman has led the league in shots since Ray Bourque in 1994-95. The bearded wonder was a finalist last year.
Vezina Trophy – Best Goaltender
The Finalists:
Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets
Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
The Winner:
Bobrovsky was the backbone of the Blue Jackets this year, backstopping them to a franchise record 41 wins and was among the league leaders in every major statistical category, with a 2.06 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. He also had seven shutouts–the third most in the league. He also won the award in 2013.
Calder Trophy – Best Rookie
The Finalists:
Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
The Winner:
Matthews lived up to the hype as the top pick in the 2016 draft. The 19-year-old finished second in the league with 40 goals, led rookies in goals, points (69) and shots on goal (279), and became the first player in the modern era of the NHL (starting in 1943-44) to score four goals in his first NHL game. He single-handedly led the Leafs’ turnaround, leading them to the postseason and pushing the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals to a sixth game in their first-round series.
Selke Trophy – Best Defensive Forward
The Finalists:
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Ryan Kesler, Anaheim Ducks
Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild
The Winner:
A master in the faceoff circle, Bergeron won more faceoffs (1,089) than any player in the NHL and was third in faceoff winning percentage (60.1 percent). He also fired 302 shots on goal this year–ranking third in the league–while putting up 53 points. Bergeron has won in 2012, 2014 and 2015, finishing in second place last year.
Lady Byng Trophy – Most Gentlemanly Player
The Finalists:
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild
Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues
The Winner:
Gaudreau’s 61 points led the Flames into the playoffs. The first-time finalist committed just two penalties in 72 games, which included going penalty-free the final 16 games of the season.
Jack Adams Award – Coach of the Year
The Finalists:
Mike Babcock, Toronto Maple Leafs
Todd McLellan, Edmonton Oilers
John Tortorella, Columbus Blue Jackets
The Winner:
Coming off a terrible showing in the World Cup of Hockey, many thought Tortorella could be on the hot seat this season. Instead, with 50 wins and 108 points, he helped Columbus to its best season in franchise history. Their season included a 16-game winning streak, the second-longest in NHL history. His team didn’t have the star power that the Leafs and Oilers did, rather relying on a balanced got-your-back team game at the highest level. Torts also won this award in 2004 with the Lightning.
Masterton Trophy – Perseverance, Sportsmanship and Dedication to Hockey
The Finalists:
Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators
Andrew Cogliano, Anaheim Ducks
Derek Ryan, Carolina Hurricanes
The Winner:
Craig Anderson knows how to persevere. Taking several leaves of absence to be with his wife who was battling a rare form of throat cancer, Anderson played only 40 games this season. He posted a 25-11-4 record. In one of the most heartfelt moments of the season, Anderson rejoined his team at his wife’s request and posted a 37-save shutout over the Oilers.
General Manager of the Year
The Finalists:
Peter Chiarelli, Edmonton Oilers
Pierre Dorion, Ottawa Senators
David Poile, Nashville Predators
The Winner:
Poile shocked the hockey world last year, trading Shea Weber to the Canadiens for P.K. Subban. The charismatic Subban helped the Predators offensively and defensively. Poile also drafted forward Viktor Arvidsson with the 112th pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. The Swede tied for the Predators lead with 31 goals and 61 points during the regular season. A three-time finalist (2010-12), Poile’s Predators reached the postseason for the tenth time in thirteen seasons. After sweeping the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round, they defeated the St. Louis Blues in six games to advance to the Western Conference Final for the first time. They outlasted the Ducks before falling to the Penguins in six games.
Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award
Nick Foligno of the Columbus Blue Jackets won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. Awarded since 2006-07 “to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season.” Suggestions for nominees are solicited from fans, clubs and NHL personnel, but the selection of the three finalists and the ultimate winner is made by Messier.
Foligno and his wife, Janelle, donated $500,000 to Children’s Hospital in Boston in November as a symbol of their gratitude for the life-saving heart surgery their newborn daughter Milana received at the hospital in November 2013. A donation of $500,000 was also made on behalf of Milana to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. The rugged forward captained Columbus to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in the past eight seasons.
King Clancy Memorial Trophy
Foligno also received the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, given to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community. The winner is chosen by select members of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association and the NHL Broadcasters’ Association.
NHL Foundation Player Award
Travis Hamonic of the New York Islanders won the NHL Foundation Player Award, which is presented to “an NHL player who applies the core values of hockey — commitment, perseverance and teamwork — to enrich the lives of people in his community.” Hamonic has used his personal experiences to positively impact the community. Through his D-Partner Program, the 26-year-old has bonded with and directly touched the lives of more than 200 children who, at a young age, have suffered the loss of a parent. He has also served as event ambassador for the Children’s Wish Foundation and participated in numerous community events with the Islanders.
William M. Jennings Trophy
The Capitals won the 2016-17 William M. Jennings Trophy, an annual award given to the goalkeeper(s) for the team with the fewest goals scored against it.
Art Ross Trophy
Connor McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy, an annual award given to the player who leads the National Hockey League in scoring points at the end of the regular season. He tallied 30 goals and 70 assists. He’s the third-youngest player to win the Art Ross Trophy (only Sidney Crosby and Wayne Gretzky were younger Art Ross winners).
Crosby wins Rocket Richard Trophy
Sidney Crosby has captured the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer for the second time in his career. He finished with 44 goals, which was four better than his nearest challengers – Auston Matthews and Nikita Kucherov.