Tag Archives: National Hockey League

General

NHL Awards 2012/13

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The NHL Awards were announced over two nights on Friday 14th June and Saturday 15th June 2013.

The winners are identified in bold, with finalists/minor placings stated below.

 

NIGHT ONE

FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY

Awarded to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game

Jonathan Toews – Chicago Blackhawks
Patrice Bergeron – Boston Bruins
Pavel Datsyuk – Detroit Red Wings

JACK ADAMS AWARD

Awarded to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success

Paul MacLean – Ottawa Senators
Bruce Boudreau – Anaheim Ducks
Joel Quenneville – Chicago Blackhawks

GM OF THE YEAR

Awarded to the top National Hockey League General Manager

Ray Shero – Pittsburgh Penguins
Marc Bergevin – Montreal Canadiens
Bob Murray – Anaheim Ducks

LADY BYNG MEMORIAL TROPHY

Awarded to the player who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability

Martin St. Louis – Tampa Bay Lightning
Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
Matt Moulson – New York Islanders

NHL FOUNDATION PLAYER AWARD

Awarded to the player who applies the core values of hockey to enrich the lives of people in his community

Henrik Zetterberg – Detroit Red Wings

KING CLANCY MEMORIAL TROPHY

Awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community

Patrice Bergeron – Boston Bruins

BILL MASTERTON MEMORIAL TROPHY

Awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey

Josh Harding – Minnesota Wild
Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
Adam McQuaid – Boston Bruins

BRIDGESTONE MESSIER LEADERSHIP AWARD

Awarded to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season

Daniel Alfredsson – Ottawa Senators
Dustin Brown – Los Angeles Kings
Jonathan Toews – Chicago Blackhawks

MAURICE RICHARD TROPHY

Awarded to the top goalscorer in the regular season

Alexander Ovechkin – Washington Capitals – 32gls
Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning – 29gls
John Tavares – New York Islanders – 28gls

ART ROSS TROPHY

Awarded to the player with the most points at the end of the regular season

Martin St. Louis – Tampa Bay Lightning – 60pts
Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning – 57pts
Alexander Ovechkin – Washington Capitals – 56pts

WILLIAM M. JENNINGS TROPHY

Awarded to the goalkeeper(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it in the regular season

Corey Crawford/Ray Emery – Chicago Blackhawks

 

NIGHT TWO

CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY

Awarded to the NHL’s Most Outstanding Rookie

Jonathan Huberdeau – Florida Panthers
Brendan Gallagher – Montreal Canadiens
Brandon Saad – Chicago Blackhawks

TED LINDSAY AWARD

Awarded to the NHL’s outstanding player as selected by the members of the NHL Players Association

Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
Alexander Ovechkin – Washington Capitals
Martin St. Louis – Tampa Bay Lightning

VEZINA TROPHY

Awarded to the NHL’s top goaltender

Sergei Bobrovsky – Columbus Blue Jackets
Henrik Lundqvist – New York Rangers
Antti Niemi – San Jose Sharks

JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY

Awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position

P.K. Subban – Montreal Canadiens
Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins
Ryan Suter – Minnesota Wild

HART MEMORIAL TROPHY

Awarded to the NHL’s Most Valuable Player

Alexander Ovechkin – Washington Capitals
Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
John Tavares – New York Islanders

 

New Jersey Devils

Martin Brodeur scores 3rd career goal

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GIF by G

Only twelve times prior to this evening in the long, illustrious history of the National Hockey League has a goaltender been credited with a goal.  Ron Hextall and Martin Brodeur were the only goaltenders with multiple goals through their career, tied at two each.  The thirteenth goalie goal in NHL history has broken the tie – Martin Brodeur stands alone as the only goaltender to score three goals in his career.  What’s more, the goal this evening was a Power Play Goal.

The Hurricane’s Patrick Dwyer was hooked as he was heading in to the New Jersey zone, and on the delayed call, Carolina goaltender Dan Ellis headed toward the bench in favor of an extra skater.  As he was skating off, Jordan Staal attempted to pass the puck to defenseman Tim Gleason, who missed the pass, which then careened off of the boards and into the empty Carolina net.  Having been the last Devil to touch the puck, the goal was credited to Brodeur.

No, it’s certainly not often that you see a goalie credited with a goal in a game, but more often than not, it’s number 30 for the New Jersey Devils.  Congrats, Marty!

General

Why The Lockout Was A Good Thing

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It was. I assure you. I know it may not seem like it, and that people predict it will kill hockey in the United States. But, the lockout may not have benefited the NHL as much as a full season may have, the lockout allowed players to play elsewhere. Where else would Joe Thornton, Patrick Kane and Loui Eriksson play in the same team, if it wasn’t for the lockout? Speaking of which, here is just a small example of where the lockout was actually beneficial.

SPENGLER CUP

The Spengler Cup is an invitational tournament played in Davos, Switzerland every year, and normally contains European hockey powerhouses, and Team Canada, which is mostly made up of European-based Canadians. However, this year’s edition of the Spengler Cup was a little different. For starters, Team Canada was stacked this year. The biggest name competing for Team Canada in 2011 was former NHL Goaltender Marty Turco, with only three other players currently playing outside of Europe. However, thanks to the NHL Lockout, Team Canada was able to select from those locked out, then playing for teams in Europe, as well as the four outside Europe selections. It wasn’t just Team Canada that benefited, with other teams competing in the Spengler Cup, being able to include NHL-based stars playing in Europe as well, allowing for stronger lineups, and including names familiar to the viewing public, due to them playing in the National Hockey League pre-lockout.

IIHF WORLD U20 CHAMPIONSHIP

Ah yes, the World Juniors. Where the brightest and best up-and-coming stars of the world of hockey come together to compete for their country, usually made up of the best young prospects that will be the names called out in the next NHL draft. This season was different however, this season, the NHL was locked out. Which meant that the best juniors currently applying their trade for an NHL team could compete for their country if they so chose to, allowing the likes of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to be available for Team Canada, and Nail Yakupov for Team Russia as opposed to being on the ice for the Edmonton Oilers. Every country competing had at least one player currently on an NHL roster, and not having those players, quite possibly would’ve led to a completely different result than what actually happened. Who knows, Canada may have actually won a medal!

THE CASUAL VIEWER

No casual viewer of any sport wants to sit down for an entire 82-game season, as chances are they’ll be bored inside the first 20 games and not watch the season out. But, this season is a shortened season, maybe 50 games maximum, and the casual viewer may tune in for the first 20 or so games, but rather than being 60 left.. there’s only going to be 20 or so left, which could very well mean that the casual viewer may be more intrigued as divisions will be tighter, the playoffs will loom, players will be fresher, and hockey will thrive again. Even ESPN are dragging Barry Melrose out of cotton wool, and called it ‘the top story of the day’. When ESPN start caring about hockey, you know it’s getting serious.

There is just a sample of what having a lockout actually improved. The lockout wasn’t all bad, but now that’s it’s back, don’t ever leave again. Lockouts are bad bad things.

The UHF Tournament

Ultimate Hockey Fighter – The Introduction

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Come one, come all. This is the introduction to Ultimate Hockey Fighter. A 32-man single elimination tournament from players past and present, throughout the entire history of the National Hockey League, come together to compete for the title of Ultimate Hockey Fighter.

Every week, fans and viewers alike, will vote on who progresses, until there is only one man standing. They will then be crowned the Ultimate Hockey Fighter, and walk away with a grand prize of zero dollars and zero cents. Also, probably with a few teeth missing and a nose that points to the right.

Not just any man can participate in this tournament. There are a series of qualifications that are needed in order to qualify for a spot in the draw. These qualifications are as follows:

1) Each participant must have at least 100 NHL fights throughout their careers.
2) They must average at least 15 Fights Per Year (FPY) throughout their careers. FPY is calculated by adding the total number of NHL fights, divided by the number of seasons they played in.
3) Each fighter must have at least one NHL season with at least 20 Fights.
4) Fights recorded during NHL Pre-Season, the NHL Regular Season, and the NHL Post-Season are included in the final fight totals.
5) Fights in the AHL and other leagues besides the NHL are not included.
6) Wildcards were decided by those who had over 200 NHL Fights in their careers, but did not meet the 15 FPY criteria. Each wildcard entrant was then eliminated based on their FPY totals, with the lowest totals being eliminated until the wildcard spots were filled. Wildcards were only entered if there are not enough participants that meet all criteria.

The following is a list of websites and other tools required in finding the 32 participants:
www.hockeyfights.com for stats and details on the participants.
www.youtube.com for footage. All rights reserved to the NHL yada yada yada Don’t take me down for copyright infringement.
www.wikipedia.org for details on the participants.
A calculator (in yellow) for assistance with stats.

Finally, a disclaimer. If your favourite fighter didn’t make the final list of 32, or if you listened to thinksojoe’s interview with Buffalo Sabres TV host, play-by-play announcer, and host of “Hockey Hotline” on WGR AM in Buffalo (PLUG: Link to said interview) and the person you chose as the Ultimate Hockey Fighter did not make the cut, then I apologize. I apologize also if I missed someone who has the numbers and fits the qualifications, but did not make the tournament. The final 32 is complete, and is all ready to go. Speaking of which.. the revealing of the participants, and the draw.. is coming very, very soon.

 

 

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Hockey Media

Bad Hockey Media Episode 1

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The year is 1998. Before EA Sports bought the rights to everything and nobody could make any sports games. Acclaim tried their hand at a hockey game, to compete in the competitive hockey video game market. It’s poster boy was Phoenix Coyotes Captain, Keith Tkachuk. The game was NHL Breakaway ’98

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzC-tDEdfDo[/youtube]

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