[Chicago, IL] -- Everything you
wanted to know about the NHL awards at the midway point of the season
and not even Don Cherry could tell you . . .
Adams Trophy: Todd McLellan, San Jose Sharks. Anyone who thinks that a
head coach doesn't make a difference should watch the Sharks play
these nights. Next in line: Claude Julien, Boston Bruins, and Brent Suter, New
Jersey Devils.
Anderson Trophy: Ron Wilson, Toronto Maple Leafs. The Sharks became
the conference favorites without him, while the Maple Leafs became,
well, the Maple Leafs with him. (The award is named after Jim
Anderson, the former Washington Capitals head coach whose 4-45-5
record in the 1974-75 season ranks as the worst ever.) Next in line: Barry Melrose, formerly of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and
Craig Hartsburg, Ottawa Senators.
Calder Trophy: Steve Mason, Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets
were 18-11-2 record with the rookie between the pipes, 5-9-3 with
anyone else. 'Nuff said.
Next in line: Blake Wheeler, Bruins, and Kris Versteeg, Chicago
Blackhawks.
Wickenheiser Trophy: Steven Stamkos, Lightning. Did the 'Ning make a
big mistake at the No. 1 pick? Next in line: Kyle Beach, Blackhawks, and Zach Boychuk, Carolina
Hurricanes.
Hart Trophy: Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings. No player did more at
both ends of the ice for his team. Even his 56 points were split
evenly -- 28 at home, 28 on the road. Next in line: Patrick Marleau, Sharks, and Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals.
Heartless Trophy: Jarkko Ruutu, Ottawa Senators. As Buffalo Sabres
forward Andrew Peters will tell you, reality isn't the only thing that
bites. Next in line: Sean Avery, formerly of the Dallas Stars, and Alexander Semin, Capitals.
Lady Byng Trophy: Martin Skoula, Minnesota Wild. The defenseman was
whistled for one penalty every 440 minutes on the ice, which meant he
either 1) played softer than Bounty; 2) played smarter than Larry
Robinson in his prime; or 3) knew every referee on a first-name basis. Next in line: Brad Richards, Stars, and Kyle Wellwood, Vancouver
Canucks.
Attilla the Hun Axe: Riley Cote, Philadelphia Flyers. The latest in
the endless line of great Flyers goons, he had a league-high 15 major
penalties to his credit. Next in line: Jared Boll, Blue Jackets, Eric Godard, Pittsburgh
Penguins.
Norris Trophy: Zdeno Chara, Bruins. He was the only defenseman among
the league leaders in points (30), hits (107) and plus-minus rating
(plus 32). Next in line: Duncan Keith, Blackhawks, and Andrei Markov, Montreal Canadiens.
Mikkelson Trophy: Brendan Witt, New York Islanders. At 27 below, worst
among d-men, his plus-minus rating was a better fit for Barrow,
Alaska. (Relax, ex-Capitals defenseman Bill Mikkelson, your minus 82
rating in the 1974-75 season appears to be safe for now.) Next in line: Freddy Meyer, Islanders, and Chris Phillips, Senators.
President's Trophy: Bruins. There wasn't much to choose from between
the Bruins and Sharks, who would be on collision course to meet in the
playoffs if this were any other league. The B's get the call on the
basis their better road record. Next in line: Sharks and Red Wings.
President Bush Trophy: Senators. Their $59.2-million payroll was among
the highest in the league, while their 16-22-7 record was one of the
worst. Yep, leave it to Senators to set the standard for lousy
economics. Next in line: Lightning and Edmonton Oilers.
Selke Trophy: Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild. The best defensive forward
on one of the best defensive teams in the league. And he won 54
percent of his draws. Next in line: Radek Dvorak, Florida Panthers, and Mike Richards,
Flyers.
Marson Trophy: Rod Brind'Amour, Hurricanes. His league-worst minus-29?
Why, that's Brind'Amour. Former Capitals forward Mike Marson (minus-65
in 1974-75) has been there. Next in line: Brad Boyes, Blues, and Mark Recchi, Lightning.
Vezina Trophy: Tim Thomas, Bruins. True, he had plenty of support in
front of him, but his 2.08 goals-against average and .934 save
percentage were too good to be overlooked. Next in line: Mason and Niklas Backstrom, Wild.
Stewart Trophy: Johan Hedberg, Atlanta Thrashers. Last in
goals-against average (3.73), next to last in save percentage (.883).
(The award is named after ex-Bruin Jim Stewart, who was torched for
five goals in one period and never played again.) Next in line: Vesa Toskala, Maple Leafs, and Dan Ellis, Predators.
Based in
Chicago,
Paul
Ladewski is
a Columnist with TheFourthPeriod.com, covering the NHL.
