The NHL announced the remainder of its awards for the season, with one forward from the Edmonton Oilers having quite the evening.
Reaction: The Avalanche defenseman led all rookies at his position in goals (12) and power-play goals (four) and was second among rookies in assists (38) and points (50).
« I’m extremely honored and humbled to accept this Calder Trophy, » Makar said, per David Satriano of NHL.com. « I can’t give enough thanks to each and every one of my Avalanche teammates. Honestly, I owe them a ton of credit for my success this season and it’s a pleasure to compete with those guys. »
Cale Makar is only the second player to win both the Hobey Baker Award and Calder Trophy. Chris Drury is the other. Decent.
He was a key figure in the team’s run to the NHL postseason this year and will be a pillar for the franchise going forward.
Reaction: Draisaitl led the NHL with 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) this season, so it wasn’t much of a shock to see him win the Hart.
« It’s just very special to get that recognition by your peers and by the guys that you play against all year, battle against, » he said, per Satriano. « It means a lot.
Who better to present the Hart Trophy to Leon Draisaitl than the Great One, @WayneGretzky! #NHLAwards https://t.co/rHJNSzD6y2
Leon Draisaitl wins the Hart Memorial Trophy.
He becomes the 4th @EdmontonOilers to have won the Award joining Wayne Gretzky (8 times as an Oiler!) Mark Messier and Connor McDavid.
The duo of Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are going to be torturing opposing blue-liners for many years to come.
Reaction: Josi’s 65 points ranked second amongst all defensemen this season, making him the first Predators blue-liner to ever win this award.
« Hockey is the ultimate team sport, » Josi said, per Satriano. « I want to thank my teammates. Can’t do anything without a great team. This award belongs to you guys as much as it belongs to me. »
Reaction: It’s the clean sweep for Draisaitl, who also took home the Hart. No surprise that the players agreed in this case with the PHWA.
Reaction: The first-time Vezina winner finished second in the NHL in wins (31), first in shutouts (six), seventh in save percentage (.922) and held a 31-21-5 record with a 2.57 goals-against average.
VEZINA TROPHY WINNER, CONNOR HELLEBUYCK! 🏆
Sounds good, doesn’t it? 😃
Congrats to Connor Hellebuyck on winning the Vezina Trophy at the 2020 #NHLAwards! https://t.co/FVJ5xOYe4E
Connor Hellebuyck has won the 2019-2020 Vezina Trophy.
The Vezina is a first for Hellebuyck, who was also nominated in 2017-18, and is the first individual end of season award won by Winnipeg in the Jets 2.0 era.
It is also really freaking deserved.
« This is a huge moment in my life. I’d like to congratulate my teammates. Without a good team, none of this is possible. I’d also like to congratulate my coach (Paul Maurice) and the organization for believing in me the entire way.
« And most importantly, I’d like to thank my family and my mom and dad for helping me through the years and taking me to all the countless practices, waking up early and really believing in my and putting the time into my game. »
