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Morning Notes: Cozens, NHL Awards, Gauthier

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Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports that Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens will play for Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championships. The 23-year-old last played for Team Canada two years ago at the World Championship and was second in team scoring with seven goals and six assists in 10 games.

Cozens had a disappointing run during his fourth NHL season as he and the Sabres missed the playoffs once again, extending the second-longest playoff drought in North American pro sports. The Whitehorse, Yukon native saw his point total decrease by 21 as he dropped to just 18 goals and 29 assists in 79 games this year after posting career highs during the 2022-23 season with 31 goals and 37 assists in 81 games. Despite his disappointing campaign, Cozens is still hoping to end the 2023-24 season on a high note with Canada. He cited the chase for a gold medal as his main reason for electing to extend his season and play in the tournament.

In other morning notes:

  • TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting that the NHL does plan to hold an NHL Awards ceremony in the coming months and is currently looking to secure a venue for the show. The league hasn’t finalized any of the details at this time and remains in talks with several locations. Currently, the NHL hopes to hold the show on June 27th in Las Vegas which would be the eve of the NHL Entry Draft.
  • Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier will make his NHL debut tonight in the Ducks season finale against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Hobey Baker finalist signed his three-year entry-level contract earlier in the week and will make his debut in Las Vegas. Gauthier was acquired by the Ducks earlier this season in exchange for Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick and figures to be a massive part of Anaheim’s forward group going forward.  No word yet on where he will play in the Ducks lineup.

2024 King Clancy Trophy Nominees Announced

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Today, the NHL announced the 32 nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

Each team submitted their nominee; they are as follows:

Anaheim Ducks: Cam Fowler
Arizona Coyotes: Nick Bjugstad
Boston Bruins: Linus Ullmark
Buffalo Sabres: Alex Tuch
Calgary Flames: Andrew Mangiapane
Carolina Hurricanes: Jaccob Slavin
Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Murphy
Colorado Avalanche: Cale Makar
Columbus Blue Jackets: Zach Werenski
Dallas Stars: Jake Oettinger
Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin
Edmonton Oilers: Darnell Nurse
Florida Panthers: Aleksander Barkov
Los Angeles Kings: Kevin Fiala
Minnesota Wild: Marc-Andre Fleury
Montreal Canadiens: Nick Suzuki
Nashville Predators: Roman Josi
New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes
New York Islanders: Anders Lee
New York Rangers: Jacob Trouba
Ottawa Senators: Brady Tkachuk
Philadelphia Flyers: Scott Laughton
Pittsburgh Penguins: Bryan Rust
San Jose Sharks: Luke Kunin
Seattle Kraken: Jaden Schwartz
St. Louis Blues: Brayden Schenn
Tampa Bay Lightning: Nick Paul
Toronto Maple Leafs: Auston Matthews
Vancouver Canucks: Quinn Hughes
Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel
Washington Capitals: Tom Wilson
Winnipeg Jets: Josh Morrissey

Unlike most awards which are voted on by the players or media, the winner of this award is selected by a committee consisting of Commissioner Gary Bettman and former winners of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the NHL Foundation Player Award, one that was awarded from 1997-98 through 2016-17.

Last year’s winner was Calgary’s Mikael Backlund.  The winner for this season will be revealed in late June.

2023 NHL Awards Winners

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2023 The NHL Awards were given out tonight in Nashville. The ceremony kicks off what should be a busy week as teams continue to prepare for the NHL Entry Draft and free agency, which begins on July 1st.

Here is the full list of winners, with the top two runners-up in each category:

Calder Trophy – Top Rookie

Winner: Matthew Beniers (Kraken)

Runners-Up: Owen Power (Sabres), Stuart Skinner (Oilers)

Voting Results

Norris Trophy – Top Defenseman

Winner: Erik Karlsson (Sharks)

Runners-Up: Adam Fox (Rangers), Cale Makar (Avalanche)

Voting Results

Ted Lindsay Award – Most Outstanding Player (as voted by the players)

Winner: Connor McDavid (Oilers)

Runners-Up: Erik Karlsson (Sharks), David Pastrnak (Bruins)

Lady Byng Trophy – Most Gentlemanly Player

Winner: Anze Kopitar (Kings)

Runners-Up: Jack Hughes (Devils), Brayden Point (Lightning)

Voting Results

Hart Trophy – Most Valuable Player

Winner: Connor McDavid (Oilers)

Runners-Up: David Pastrnak (Bruins), Matthew Tkachuk (Panthers)

Voting Results

Vezina Trophy – Goaltender Of The Year

Winner: Linus Ullmark (Bruins)

Runner-Ups: Connor Hellebuyck (Jets), Ilya Sorokin (Islanders)

Voting Results

Selke Trophy – Best Defensive Forward

Winner: Patrice Bergeron (Bruins)

Runners-Up: Mitchell Marner (Maple Leafs), Nico Hischier (Devils)

Voting Results

Jack Adams Award – Coach Of The Year

Winner: Jim Montgomery (Bruins)

Runners-Up: Dave Hakstol (Kraken), Lindy Ruff (Devils)

Voting Results

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy – Perseverance, Sportsmanship, and Dedication

Winner: Kris Letang (Penguins)

Runners-Up: Clayton Keller (Coyotes), Alex Stalock (Blackhawks)

King Clancy Memorial Trophy – Humanitarian

Winner: Mikael Backlund (Flames)

Runners-Up: Anders Lee (Islanders), Darnell Nurse (Oilers)

Mark Messier Leadership Award

Winner: Steven Stamkos (Lightning)

E.J. McGuire Award – Prospect Commitment to Excellence

Winner: Connor Bedard (Regina Pats, WHL)

 

Congratulations to all the winners and the nominees.

NHL Announces 2023 King Clancy Trophy Finalists

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In just under three weeks from today, the 2023 NHL Awards show will take place at Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators. Most of the award finalists have been announced up to this point, however; there are still some to get through.

This afternoon, the NHL announced the three finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually awarded to the player that “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community“. This season, the three finalists will be Mikael Backlund (Calgary Flames), Anders Lee (New York Islanders), and Darnell Nurse (Edmonton Oilers).

As in the description, this award is heavily weighted in humanitarian work off the ice, and these three players have no shortage of that. In Backlund’s case, he and his wife have raised over $400K for the ALS Society of Alberta, a disease that his wife’s mother passed away from. Aside from that, Backlund has also been heavily involved with The Kids Cancer Care, Special Olympics Calgary, and Parachutes for Pets.

For Lee, the current captain of the Islanders, the veteran forward has become involved with a non-profit called “Jam Kancer in the Kan”, which is dedicated to helping families and children dealing with cancer. Since Lee’s involvement, the company has raised well over $2MM for families dealing with the disease. Additionally, Lee has been helping college students with academic scholarships over the last several years.

Nurse’s involvement with the community has been primarily focused on diversity and inclusion in athletics. Working for “Free Play for Kids”, Nurse has helped underprivileged communities in Canada gain access to sports in a safe and accessible way. Nurse also has a scholarship of his own, setting up the Excellence Scholarship in 2021, which is given to two students pursuing post-secondary education, annually.

Regardless of who wins this award, these three players, among others, have helped their communities in pretty incredible ways. The winner will receive a $25K donation to a charity of their choice, while the other two finalists will receive a $5K donation each.

NHL Announces 2023 Hart Trophy Finalists

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The time has finally come for the NHL to announce the finalists for the league’s most prestigious individual award, as they have announced Connor McDavid (Edmonton), David Pastrnak (Boston), and Matthew Tkachuk (Florida) will be the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy. The NHL’s version of the MVP award that is handed out in most leagues, the award is given out annually to the player “adjudged to be the most valuable to his team”.

As he continues to become better each year, McDavid took things to a different level during the 2022-23 season. After topping out with 123 points last year, McDavid finished up this season with 64 goals and 89 assists, leading the league in both categories. Not only was this the best season of his career, but also 15th best all-time in terms of points scored, joining the likes of Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux, and Wayne Gretzky.

In what would have been his free agency year, Pastrnak also managed the best individual season of his career as well. Playing for the regular season powerhouse, Boston Bruins, Pastrnak scored 61 goals and 52 assists, finishing first in Eastern Conference total scoring. There were also several categories that Pastrnak led the league in, including even-strength goals (43), game-winning goals (13), and total shots on goal (407). His incredible season led the Bruins to sign him to an 8-year, $90 million contract extension that came at this year’s trade deadline.

Finishing off the finalists has been the inspiring performance from Tkachuk playing on the Florida Panthers. Acquired from the Calgary Flames last offseason, although not leading the league in any offensive categories, the tough forward put together an exceptional season, scoring 40 goals and 69 assists. Although playoff performance is not taken into consideration for this award, Tkachuk essentially willed the Panthers to this year’s playoffs and continues to be their emotional leader as they are on the cusp of the Eastern Conference Final.

The 2023 NHL Awards will take place at the home of the Nashville Predators, Bridgestone Arena, on Monday, June 26th at 8:00 PM ET.

NHL Announces 2023 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Nominees

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Following up on the announcement of the 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy nominees, the NHL also released the list of the 2023 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominees, which will include Clayton Keller (Arizona), Kris Letang (Pittsburgh), and Alex Stalock (Chicago). The award is annually given out to the player that “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey”.

At the end of last season, Keller suffered a broken leg in a game against the San Jose Sharks, an injury that would take six months to fully rehabilitate. He managed to start this season on opening night for the Arizona Coyotes, and played in all 82 games, scoring 37 goals and 49 assists, tying a long-time single-season point record for the Coyotes set by Keith Tkachuk in 1996-97.

In one of the most incredible stories of the 2022-23 season, Letang suffered the second stroke of his life in November of 2022, and also mourned the passing of his father, all within the span of one month. Miraculously, Letang would return in early December, scoring 29 points in 43 games after the fact. One of the long-time leaders for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Letang recovered, and continued to play a high level when many players may have called it a career.

Lastly, after only playing one game since the start of the 2020-21 season, Stalock made his return to professional hockey at 35 years old with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 27 games played in the Windy City, Stalock would produce a record of 9-15-2, carrying a .908 SV% and a 3.01 GAA. Stalock made his return to the NHL after suffering from myocarditis during the 2019-20 season, and although suffering multiple injury setbacks this year, was able to produce a quality season in Chicago.

The 2023 NHL Awards will take place at the home of the Nashville Predators, Bridgestone Arena, on Monday, June 26th at 8:00 PM ET.

2023 Jack Adams Award Finalists Announced

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The 2023 finalists for the Jack Adams Award, presented to the coach who has “contributed the most to his team’s success” and voted on by the NHL Broadcasters Association, were announced tonight.

The finalists are Dave Hakstol of the Seattle Kraken, Lindy Ruff of the New Jersey Devils, and Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins.

Of the three finalists, only Ruff has already won the award earlier in his career. Ruff won it in 2006 on the back of an impressive 52-win campaign. In his third season as the Devils’ bench boss, Ruff has guided a young team out of their rebuilding phase and into Stanley Cup contention. Under his guidance, Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier have emerged as superstar talents and the Devils won their first playoff series since their 2011-12 run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Hakstol, a longtime college hockey coach at the University of North Dakota, is a finalist thanks to a stellar second season behind the bench of the expansion Seattle Kraken.

While Seattle did not enjoy the type of instant success the Vegas Golden Knights had in their first season, 2022-23 has been more kind to Hakstol’s squad.

The former Philadelphia Flyers coach has overseen the rise of one of the NHL’s deepest teams and led them to an upset victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions in their first-ever playoff series.

New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant won the Jack Adams for his work managing the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, and one of the most important factors leading to his win was to just how many players reached new heights in their careers with Gallant as head coach.

Hakstol has overseen similar career elevations in Seattle, with players such as Jared McCann, Vince Dunn, Daniel Sprong, and Eeli Tolvanen authoring career-best years in 2022-23. Now, with a chance to win a Stanley Cup for Seattle, Hakstol has a chance to take home some individual hardware as well.

Although Ruff and Hakstol are both exceptionally qualified candidates for the award, the favorite has to be Montgomery, the Bruins’ head coach. Despite the disappointment of the Bruins’ first-round playoff exit, Montgomery’s work with the Bruins is undeniably worthy of recognition. He managed the veteran team to the winningest regular season in NHL history, breaking numerous records en route to the Presidents’ Trophy.

Making that success even more impressive is the fact that this year was Montgomery’s first behind the bench in Boston. He took on the challenge of filling 2020 Jack Adams Award winner Bruce Cassidy’s shoes and delivered an all-time great regular season.

Although a Stanley Cup would undoubtedly have been the more desirable reward for his efforts this season, Montgomery nonetheless is in a prime position to take home one of the highest individual honors an NHL coach can receive.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

2023 Norris Trophy Finalists Announced

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The National Hockey League is announcing finalists for all of their end of season awards this week. Today, they have revealed the three players that are up for the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman. In the running are Adam Fox of the New York Rangers, Erik Karlsson of the San Jose Sharks and Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche.

Fox has quickly become known as one of the best offensive defensemen in the league, and his 72 points in 82 games are proof of that. He has also become a well-rounded defender and is regularly on the ice for the Rangers against the other team’s top players, and routinely takes over the play when he is on the ice. He also averaged over two minutes of ice time per game while his team was shorthanded, proving he can be counted on in all situations. The 25 year old has already won a Norris Trophy once, in 2021, and is now up for the award for the second time after playing just his fourth NHL season.

Karlsson had an incredible bounceback season for the Sharks. After scoring 97 points in 158 games combined over the previous three seasons, the 32-year-old defenseman had his best season yet by scoring 25 goals and 101 points. This was the first time a defenseman reached 100 points since Brian Leetch did so with the New York Rangers 31 years ago. Karlsson’s game is geared heavily towards offense and not as much towards defense, which could cost him in his quest for a third Norris Trophy after winning the award in 2012 and 2015. However, it is hard to argue the value of a defenseman that can score 101 points.

Makar has stormed onto the NHL scene much like Fox. Once they arrived, they immediately became stars. The 24-year-old defender won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2020, the Conn Smythe in 2022 as Playoffs MVP and he also took home the Norris Trophy last season. He was limited to 60 games this season, but made his mark by scoring 17 goals and 66 points while being a tremendous defensive presence as well. No one in the entire NHL averaged more time on ice per game than Makar’s 26:23 per contest and he is among the league’s best in all situations.

The Norris Trophy will be handed out on June 26th at the NHL Awards ceremony.

2023 Calder Trophy Finalists Announced

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This week, the NHL is revealing the finalists for its end-of-season awards.  On Wednesday, the Calder Trophy was front and center.  The league revealed that the finalists for its top rookie are Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, Sabres defenseman Owen Power, and Kraken center Matthew Beniers.  The award is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Skinner came into this season as the presumptive backup behind Jack Campbell, Edmonton’s big summer signing to help shore up their goaltending.  However, it didn’t take long for him to start pushing for playing time, eventually taking over as the starter.  That helped him earn an All-Star nod midseason.  Skinner led all rookie netminders in victories with 29 and games played with 50 while ranking second among qualifying rookies (who had at least 25 GP) with a 2.75 and a .914 SV%.  While his playoff performance doesn’t count in voting which is done at the end of the season, he has started all six games for the Oilers who kick off their second-round series tonight against Vegas.  He’s looking to become the first goalie to win the award since Steve Mason did so in 2008-09.

Power, the first-overall selection in 2021, got his feet wet in the NHL down the stretch last season but 2022-23 was his first full NHL campaign.  It was an impressive one for the 20-year-old as he led all freshman rearguards in scoring with 35 points in 79 games.  Power also logged nearly 24 minutes a night, ranking him second on the team behind Rasmus Dahlin and inside the top 20 league-wide among all players, not just rookies.  Buffalo’s last winner of the Calder Trophy was defenseman Tyler Myers back in 2009-10.

As for Beniers, he was the second-overall pick in 2022 and followed the same path as Power, playing late last season but seeing his first full NHL campaign in 2022-23.  The 20-year-old led all rookies in scoring with 24 goals and 33 assists in 80 games while ranking fourth among first-year forwards in ATOI at just over 17 minutes a night.  Beniers only recorded one penalty all season, making him just the fourth player in NHL history to play in at least 80 games and have two penalty minutes or fewer.  He’ll be looking to become the first player from an expansion franchise to win the Calder Trophy within his team’s first two seasons since Peter Stastny (Quebec) won back in 1980-81.

The winner of the award will be revealed at the NHL Awards ceremony on June 26th.  Meanwhile, the finalists for the Norris Trophy are up next to be announced on Thursday.

NHL Announces Frank J. Selke Trophy Finalists

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The NHL is announcing finalists for the annual NHL Awards this week, though they will not be handed out until late June between the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency. The finalists for the Hart Trophy will not be named until Friday, May 12, but the Frank J. Selke Trophy finalists have been announced already. This award goes to the league’s best defensive forward.

To no one’s surprise, Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was one of the finalists. This marks the 12th consecutive season that Bergeron is a finalist for the Selke Trophy, as he will go down as perhaps the best defensive forward in hockey history. He has already won the award a record five times and is looking to add to that total with a sixth win. At age 37, Bergeron still remains one of the best penalty killing forwards and faceoff guys in the entire league.

Nico Hischier is also a finalist for the award, and this is his first time as a nominee. The New Jersey Devils center really broke through offensively this season with 31 goals and 80 points, but his defensive game is just as good, if not better, than what he does in the offensive zone. He wins over 53% of his draws, blocks shots, is the Devils top penalty killing forward and limits scoring chances against.

Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs is also up for the award. Known mostly for his offensive wizardry, the Leafs continue to lean on Marner in defensive situations as well and he has risen to the occasion. Though it is rare for a winger to win the award, the Maple Leafs always limit chances against when Marner is on the ice, and he is among the best forwards in the league at taking the puck away from opponents while he has also become one of the most used penalty killers among forwards in the league.

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