Alright, the NHL Awards ceremony airs tonight at 4:30 PM pst. Here are the nominees, and my picks for the winners. Who are your picks?I will update this as the Awards show goes on.
HART TROPHY
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Roberto Luongo
3. Martin Brodeur
My pick: Crosby by a landslide. Settle down, Luongo-lovers!
Actual: CROSBY. Youngest player to win it since Gretzky.
LESTER B PEARSON AWARD(Most outstanding player as voted by the NHLPA)
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Vincent Lecavalier
3. Roberto Luongo
My pick: Crosby of course.
Actual: CROSBY
CALDER TROPHY
1. Evgeni Malkin
2. Jordan Staal
3. Paul Stastny
My pick: Malkin. If Stastny would have come alive earlier in the year....
Actual: MALKIN
FRANK J SELKE TROPHY (Top defensive forward)
1. Rod Brind'Amour
2. Sammy Pahlsson
3. Jay Pandolfo
My pick: tough one. I'll say Brind'Amour.
Actual: BRIND'AMOUR
JACK ADAMS TROPHY
1. Lindy Ruff
2. Michel Therrien
3. Alain Vigneault
My pick: I'm not sure how much fits the criteria here, but Alain Vigneault took a mediocre, half-assed Canucks team from 2 seasons ago, and made the current team believe in his system. It paid off huge. For pulling off a Christ-like miracle, I'd say Vigneault gets it.
Actual: VIGNEAULT
JAMES NORRIS TROPHY
1. Niklas Lidstrom
2. Scott Niedermayer
3. Chris Pronger
My pick: Given Detroit's success this season (in a shitty division even), and Lidstrom's ability to rack up the points like he still can and play superb in his own zone, he is my pick.
Actual: LIDSTROM
LADY BYNG TROPHY
1. Pavel Datsyuk
2. Joe Sakic
3. Martin St. Louis
My pick: I haven't been able to see St. Louis a lot this year. So who is the bigger gentleman? Who is the nice guy? I'll take Sakic.
Actual: DATSYUK
VEZINA TROPHY
1. Martin Brodeur
2. Roberto Luongo
3. Miikka Kiprusoff
4. Henrik Lundqvist
My pick: A tough call between Brodeur and Luongo. I have to go with Brodeur here. His stats this season are sick. 12 shutouts to Luongo's 6??? Yowza.
Actual: BRODEUR