It's hard to believe that the 2011 NHL season is only 7 days away from ending and after every season awards are handed out to the players who had an extraordinary year. I have decided to make my own picks for who should win some of the biggest awards, picks you can see below. I will list who I think should be nominated and from there select my winners. Feel free to offer your own opinion in the comments below.
Vezina Trophy- The Top Goaltender
Nominees
Carry Price, Tim Thomas, Henrik Lundqvist
The winner- Tim Thomas
Thomas leads the NHL in both goals against average and save percentage and is second to Lundqvist in shutouts. He won the trophy 2 seasons ago but spent most of last season as a backup to Tukka Rask. It will be nice to see him cap off a comeback season with another Vezina win.
Norris Trophy- Top Defenceman
Nominees
Zdeno Chara, Nick Lidstrom, Kris Letang
The Winner- Nick Lidstrom
Lidstrom is 40 years old, but that hasn't stopped him this season. He still faces the leagues top players and gets an incredible amount of ice time. He already has won the award 6 times, and the 7th doesn't seem far away.
Adams Trophy- Top Coach
Dan Bylsma, Alain Vigneault, Jacques Lemaire
The Winner- Dan Bylsma
Bylsma who coaches the Pittsburgh Penguins is very deserving of this award because of the way his team reacted when their 2 biggest stars, Sid Crosby and Evgeni Malkin went down with serious injuries half way through the season. Instead of completly falling apart, the Penguns stayed the course and never lost their spot as one of the top teams in the Eastern conference, all thanks to Bylsma's coaching.
Calder Trophy- Top Rookie
Nominees
Jeff Skinner, Michael Grabner, Taylor Hall
The Winner- Jeff Skinner
The reason Skinner beats the other 18 year old Hall is the fact that Skinner caught a lot of people by surprise when he made the Carolina Hurricanes roster opening day. Since then he has been near the top in all rookie categories. He is quickly becoming a superstar in Carolina and a Calder win will only propel him higher.
Hart Trophy- Most Valuable Player
Nominees
Corey Perry, Steven Stampkos, Daniel Sedin
The Winner- Corey Perry
At the start of the season, many people picked the Anahiem Ducks to have a bad season, partially due to their thin offense in forward. Instead Perry filled in the void by scoring a ton of goals p, currently 46 and dominating the ice the entire time he is on. The ducks now find themselves almost in the playoffs and they have their MVP Perry to thank for that.
These are the major awards thought their are others. Here are my picks for the remaining awards.
Selke Trophy- Top defensive forward
Winner- Manny Malholtra
Lady Bing Trophy- Most Sportsman like player
Winner- Martin St. Louis
Ted Lindsay Award- Top Player voted by Players
Winner- Daniel Sedin
Bill Masteron Trophy- Dedication to hockey
Winner- Nick Lidstrom
Messier Leadership Award- Best Team Leader
Winner- Jarome Iginla
So there you have it folks. My award picks are now written down and are there for you to pick apart with your own opinions and thoughts. Comment your picks below and we will find out June 22 2011 who wins and who doesn't. Next week the season ends and the playoff match ups will be set. On Monday and Tuesday, the 11th and 12th I will make my first round winners selections and then we will be able to watch the race to the Stanly Cup unfold. Until then, keep your stick on the ice.
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