The National Hockey League (NHL) on Saturday, May 4 made some announcements for finalists for individual trophies. One of them that has Carolina Hurricanes fans talking is the Lady Byng Trophy, which is rewarded annually to the player who best combines sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct with a high standard of playing ability. What makes this special for the Hurricanes and the fans is that defenseman Jaccob Slavin was named one of the three finalists who could win the 2023-24 season award.
Always a Gentleman, Mr. Slavin
Slavin was named a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy for the third time in the last four seasons of his career. He previously won the award during the 2020-21 season when he only had two penalty minutes in 52 games (a shortened season due to Covid). The penalty was a delay of game infraction – a puck over the glass. Slavin was especially a puck flip away from going through a 52-game season with zero penalty minutes. Two minutes on its own is unheard of in the NHL, but that is the type of player he is. The 30-year-old Denver, CO native has always played a game where his stick work is otherworldly and hardly takes penalties. He is constantly someone who people think of as the quintessential defensive defenseman.
Related: Jaccob Slavin Breaks Hurricanes’ Points Record for Defenseman
In his ninth season in the league, he has never had more than 18 penalty minutes in a season (2018-19). Slavin has had three – 10 penalty minute seasons, his last one coming during the 2021-22 season. Furthermore, to prove even more how disciplined he is, Slavin has had eight penalty-minute seasons three times. The first one came during his rookie season in 2015-16. The other two seasons with only eight penalty minutes? The last two seasons. The former Lady Byng Winner has gone back-to-back seasons with eight penalty minutes while playing in 76 games (2022-23) and 81 games (2023-24), respectively.
Slavin was the runner-up for the Lady Byng back in 2021-22 when Winnipeg Jets Kyle Connor won the award. If he won it instead, he would have been the first defenseman to win the award back-to-back seasons. In NHL history, he is only the fourth defenseman ever to win the award. In terms of the Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history, he joined Ron Francis (2001-02) as the only other player to win the trophy. Furthermore, he is the only skater in franchise history to get nominated multiple times. If Slavin wins, he could join a more elite company as the second blueliner to win the award multiple times. The player that he would be joining is Red Kelly, who won the Lady Byng four times (1950-51, 1952-54, 1960-61) in his career.
Related: Matthews, Pettersson & Slavin Named 2024 Lady Byng Trophy Finalists
When asked about Slavin’s play and being named a finalist, head coach Rod Brind’Amour stated, “You’re not just giving it to somebody who doesn’t take penalties. It’s elite players who are able to play within the confines of the rules, is the way I look at it. Any of these awards that you get nominated for are special, and the way he does it, it’s special.” Brind’Amour said it best: to give it to a guy like Slavin is what the Lady Byng Trophy is all about. He plays within the confines of the rules and is someone who rarely gets called. Furthermore, that helps keep the Hurricanes in games because he is one of their most elite penalty killers so keeping him out of the box goes a long way.
When asked about how he plays the game, Slavin stated, “The game’s a hard game. I think you can still play the game hard but you do it in the right way and treat people with respect out there.” He does it the right way and that is why he has been named a finalist again for the third time in four years.
Award Finalists Announced Through May 8
The NHL will keep announcing the finalists for individual awards going through May 8 after starting the announcements back on April 29. The last two awards that will be announced will be when the final two sets of finalists for the Hart Trophy, given to the most valuable player in the NHL, and the Ted Lindsay Award, which goes to the most outstanding player as selected by the NHL Players’ Association, will be May 7 and 8. After that, the winners will be announced at the 2024 NHL Awards, where, hopefully, Slavin will win the Lady Byng for the second time in his career.