The time has come once again to award the individuals of the NHL for outstanding achievement. Now, awarding individuals in a team game is always difficult, add in the fact that many times these awards are based upon reputation, and you have an imperfect system. That said, it's always a talker, and this season is no expectation.
We've seen tremendous seasons by many, including some new benchmarks for performance (Tim Thomas' new record for save percentage), a few new faces and some serious snubs (Pierre-Marc Bouchard for Masterton, Lubomir Visnovsky for Norris to name a few). But we've tried to stay within the nominees unless we dramatically disagree, like for the Hart and Masterton, as examples.
Follow us after the jump for the winners, as decided by the staff of Hockey Wilderness.
The Hart Memorial Trophy - Awarded to the league's most valuable player
Dan - Tim Thomas
JS - Martin St. Louis
Elise - Tim Thomas
Bryan - Tim Thomas
Nathan - Tim Thomas
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy - Awarded to the player who exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability
Dan - Martin St. Louis
JS - Martin St. Louis
Elise - Martin St. Louis
Bryan - Martin St. Louis
Nathan - Martin St. Louis
Vezina Trophy - Awarded to the league's top goaltender
Dan - Pekka Rinne
JS - Tim Thomas
Elise - Pekka Rinne
Bryan - Pekka Rinne
Nathan - Tim Thomas
Calder Memorial Trophy - Awarded to the league's most outstanding rookie player
Dan - Logan Couture
JS - Jeff Skinner
Elise - Logan Couture
Bryan - Logan Couture
Nathan - Jeff Skinner
James Norris Memorial Trophy - Awarded to the defenceman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position
Dan - Shea Weber
JS - Shea Weber
Elise - Shea Weber
Bryan - Shea Weber
Nathan - Shea Weber
Conn Smythe Trophy - Awarded to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs
Dan -Dwayne Roloson
JS - Dwayne Roloson
Elise - Dwayne Roloson
Bryan - Martin St. Louis
Nathan - Dwayne Roloson
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy - Awarded to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey
Dan - Pierre-Marc Bouchard
JS - Pierre-Marc Bouchard
Elise - Pierre-Marc Bouchard
Bryan - Pierre-Marc Bouchard
Nathan - Pierre-Marc Bouchard
Jack Adams Award - Awarded to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success
Dan - Barry Trotz
JS - Barry Trotz
Elise - Barry Trotz
Bryan - Barry Trotz
Nathan - Barry Trotz
Frank J. Selke Trophy - Awarded to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game
Dan - Pavel Datsyuk
JS - Pavel Datsyuk
Elise - Pavel Datsyuk
Bryan - Martin St. Louis
Nathan - Jonathan Toews
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
Dan - Shane Doan
JS - Shane Doan
Elise - Shane Doan
Bryan - Shane Doan
Nathan - Shane Doan
NHL Foundation Player Award - Awarded to the player who applies the core values of hockey to enrich the lives of people in his community
Dan - Dustin Brown
JS - Dustin Brown
Elise - Dustin Brown
Bryan - Brent Burns
Nathan - Brent Burns
Mark Messier Leadership Award - Awarded to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice, during the regular season
Dan - Niklas Lidstrom
JS - Jarome Iginla
Elise - Niklas Lidstrom
Bryan - Niklas Lidstrom
Nathan - Niklas Lidstrom
Ted Lindsay Award - Awarded to the NHL's outstanding player as selected by the members of the NHL Players Association
Dan - no answer
JS - Martin St. Louis
Elise - Steven Stamkos
Bryan - Steven Stamkos
Nathan - Tim Thomas
Ok Wilderness, it's your chance to let us know if we were right on or way off-base. Have at it in the comments.
Tomorrow: The Wild awards, and on Thursday we have the pinnacle of the off-season celebrations, the long-awaited Hockey Wilderness Awards!
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