The Stanley Cup has been awarded to the Los Angeles Kings, but the NHL isn't done handing out hardware just yet. The 2012 NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas is upon us, where the league's best hope to receive an individual awards to demonstrate their great seasons. Every player in attendance would exchange their scoring title or MVP to be in the Kings' position with Lord Stanley hoisted over his head in a heartbeat, but it still remains a fun event for all. Even though we didn't get a fancy opera hall, pretty girls to present trophies, or Nickelback to perform the whole time (you can thank us for that last one,) The Hart of Hockey is proud to present its first annual HARTY Awards.
What is a HARTY you ask? It's a cheesy, generic name for what we're handing out to some of the NHL's best, awards that are probably more prized than some NHL award. HARTYs are based on the NHL's most prestigious awards, but then we've thrown in a few extra categories as well. The HARTYs are not supposed to reflect any kind of prediction for who will win in Vegas; in fact, you'll even notice some of our nominees are different than those of the NHL. These are just for fun, but rest assured, we will be adding these heralded accomplishments to the winners' Wikipedia pages. Well, even as the host I'm getting the "wrap it up" signal, so let's go on with the HARTY Awards!
BEST COACH
Paul MacLean
Remember when most experts thought Ottawa was destined to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference's standings? Remember when Ottawa was thought to be stuck in a rebuilding mode that wouldn't see any positive results for years? Remember when many people figured the Sens would be crushed beneath the mighty boot of division rivals such as the defending Stanley Cup Champs Boston Bruins, the high-spending Buffalo Sabres, and the seemingly always emerging, "this is the year" Toronto Maple Leafs? Yeah, that seems like a distant memory now. MacLean took a group of young, unproven talent with a few aging veterans sprinkled in and took them to the playoffs. In fact, the Senators led their division at several brief points throughout the year. Has there ever been a team with such low expectations that accomplished so much and pushed elite opponents to the limit on a night-in night-out basis? Probably, but nobody recently has. That's for sure.
Runners-Up:
Ken Hitchcock
Dave Tippett
BEST DEFENSIVE FORWARD a.k.a. THE FANS-DON'T-APPRECIATE-EVERYTHING-I-DO-NO-MATTER-HOW-MUCH-THEY-SAY-THEY-DO AWARD
Patrice Bergeron
One day the NHL might as well rename the Selke Trophy the Pavel Datsyuk Award, but in the 2011-12 season, even Pavel couldn't match the year Patrice Bergeron had with the Boston Bruins. Nearly unbeatable in the face-off circle, Bergeron was always matched up against the opponent's top offensive threats. Every game he would prove why coach Claude Julien had so much confidence in him. It's great to see Patrice finally get some recognition for his play after a career plagued by injury, but when his career is eventually over, few people will truly remember or appreciate what he did for Boston on both sides of the puck the past two seasons.
Runners-Up:
Pavel Datsyuk
David Backes
LADY BYNG (High level of play & gentlemanly conduct)
Brian Campbell
After falling out of favor in Chicago, former Blackhawks' GM Dale Tallon brought Campbell to Florida in a trade, and he looked like a genius for it. Soupy's cap-hit was a burden in Chi-town, but he resurrected a level of play he once had that earned him that contract and a Stanley Cup ring. Best of all, he played the way he did while being a great on-ice ambassador for the game. He played all 82 games for the Panthers, and only racked up six penalty minutes the entire year. Although he did finish a somewhat disappointing -9 on the season, he also posted 53 points, the second highest single-season total of his career, and he led the entire NHL in time on ice per game.
Runners-Up:
Jordan Eberle
Pavel Datsyuk
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Gabriel Landeskog
Although he was taken 2nd overall, Landeskog was considered to be the most NHL-ready out of all the 2011 Draft's prospects. During his first season in the NHL, he constantly proves why. Landeskog is a total package hockey player, who has the skill to generate offense for himself and for his teammates, and he plays a fearless, physical game demonstrated by the fact that he finished 1st on the Colorado Avalanche in hits. He also led the Avs in +/-, shots, and game-winning goals (remember clutch goals such as the flu game that spawned #Landeskoging?) Colorado is far from perfect, and no team can succeed with poor goaltending, but despite what their disappointing record may suggest, Gabe Landeskog made an immediate and consistent impact on the Avalanche this season.
One could easily make an argument for Edmonton's #1 overall selection, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and I mean easily, but the fact of the matter is, Landeskog plays a more complete game as of right now, and made a greater impact on his team. The grind of an 82-game season and injuries really hurt RNH at times, too.
Runners-Up:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Adam Henrique
BEST GOALIE
Jonathan Quick
At the end of the 2011-12 season, Quick led the NHL in shutouts with 10. If Jonathan Quick has three less shutouts than that, the Los Angeles Kings do not make the playoffs and never capture the franchise's first Stanley Cup. Quick was playing behind an offense so inexplicably inept, they were dead last in the goals for category for a majority of the season despite the weapons they possessed. Jonathan Quick, one of the most technically sound goalies in the league, brought a tremendous compete level between the pipes every game, never quitting on any pucks, and his jaw-dropping athleticism was on display every night. The Hart of Hockey did a more in-depth piece before the playoffs on Quick's spectacular season, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that he won the HARTY in this category.
Runners-Up:
Henrik Lundqvist
Mike Smith
BEST BLUELINER
Shea Weber
Officially solidified as an elite defenseman in the NHL, this year was Shea Weber's year. Not only does he pack that booming shot, his physical presence cannot be ignored, and his size and reach allow him to shut down any team's attack. He logged an average of over 26 minutes of ice time a game, too. Though Erik Karlsson ran away with the most points of all defensemen in 2011-12, his game in his own zone needs to improve before he wins one of these awards. Shea Weber does not have that problem.
Runners-Up:
Erik Karlsson
Zdeno Chara
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Evgeni Malkin
Although he got off to somewhat of a slow start to the 2011-12 campaign, Evgeni Malkin was in beast mode for just about every game from November through March. Geno had one of the most dominant regular seasons in recent history, producing a highlight reel play in just about every other game he was a part of. Malkin made a mockery of opposing defenses and even some of the league's top goalies during the past year. His 109 points makes him the runaway favorite for MVP among skaters, and the only person who even comes close to challenging him for the HARTY for MVP is Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick.
Runners-Up:
Jonathan Quick
Steven Stamkos
SICKEST FLOW AWARD
Erik Karlsson
Karlsson, a recent recipient of a seven-year, $45.5 million contract from his Ottawa Senators, should get a separate deal all together for his hair. The skilled Swede looks like the Nordic God of thunder when skating around with his bucket off and flow loose in warm-ups. Head & Shoulders would have a shoe-in for their next poster boy if the average Joe in the United States had any idea who Erik Karlsson was.
Disqualifying him for this award altogether was considered after Karlsson got a haircut during the 1st round of the playoffs, but an entire regular season of ridiculous flow cannot go without praise. It should also be noted that since he cut his hair, the Senators have not won a game since.
Runners-Up:
Kristopher Letang
Steven Stamkos
RAGU™ SAUCE AWARD
Pavel Datsyuk
The Ragu™ Sauce Award is a HARTY given to the player who dishes out the best sauce in the NHL. And in this category, it's no contest. The Red Wings' magician Pavel Datsyuk throws sauce around like it's nobody's business. Forehand, backhand, it doesn't matter to him. Datsyuk will toss some filthy sauce any way he can. Sometimes you have to wonder if he makes a personal goal for himself to have at least five sick saucer passes throughout the course of a game, because it sure seems like it.
Also, Ragu does not actually sponsor this award. "I just said it because it sounded professional!" - Jackie Moon
Runners-Up:
Nicklas Backstrom
Sidney Crosby
THE "GREAT SEASON FOR NOTHING" AWARD
Carey Price
The "Great Season For Nothing" Award means exactly what its title suggests: You had a great year, man! Too bad it meant absolutely nothing. For the 2011-12 season, no man is more deserving of that award than Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price. Price, always under the soul-sucking scrutiny of the Montreal media, was stellar in net for the Habs this year. One could even argue it was his best overall season as a starter in the NHL, and he was a part of (another) All-Star Game as a result. Problem is, the Canadiens were abysmal in just about every other aspect of the game. Yes, there were a few offensive highlights were and there, but the team was so poor in 2011-12 the Canadiens organization cleaned house, firing their head coach during the regular season, firing the GM in the offseason, and replacing the interim coach who replaced the old one in the summer, too. It's a shame Price's star goaltending was put to waste, but maybe this HARTY Award will make him feel a little better about himself. We've got your back, Carey.
Runners-Up:
Vaclav Propsal
Max Pacioretty
MATTHEW WITTMAN MEMORIAL AWARD (Class clown)
Kevin Bieksa
The Matthew Wittman Memorial Award is a HARTY proudly given to the player who basically earned the right to be the "class clown" of the NHL during the last season based on one or a series of actions. Kevin Bieksa may be a strictly business-looking individual based on his angry facial impressions he displays on the bench every game, and he may seem like a bizarre pick for this award... that is, unless you are familiar with the infamous "Guzzler" incident.
Bieksa is not only a popular guy in the locker room, but also with the Vancouver media because he has a reputation for giving entertaining interviews. But nothing matches what he pulled off during the playoffs in L.A. Long story short, a moronic, ill-informed, and unfortunate member of the Los Angeles media went into the Canucks' locker room looking to score an interview with Ryan Kesler. Clearly a hockey expert, this reporter approached Bieksa for the interview, thinking that he was actually Ryan Kesler. Completely taking advantage of this poor guy's debacle, Bieksa obliges, and gives this member of the L.A. media the interview of a lifetime while pretending to be Ryan Kesler. Hilarity ensues, and the reporter is completely clueless to the fact that he has the wrong guy even though "Kesler" makes a series of ridiculous comments such as saying American fans in Southern California are better than Canadian fans in Vancouver.
Get the full story and audio of the interview here: http://vansunsportsblogs.com/2012/04/21/kevin-bieksa-does-an-entire-interview-pretending-to-be-ryan-kesler/. It does not disappoint.
Runners-Up:
Paul Bissonnette
Scott Hartnell
Dustin Penner
SAVE OF THE YEAR
Mike Smith
Mike Smith could never win another hockey game in his career. Heck, he could never stop a puck in a beer league for all I care; this save will forever be the legend of Mike Smith: The only man to ever stop the Datsyukian deke...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlJwRFsF_7U
PLAY OF THE YEAR
Jason Spezza
There is no reason this should happen in the NHL. Not unless you are an extremely gifted human being like Jason Spezza. The Senators' forward makes his way around all five Winnipeg players, making them look like PeeWees instead of pro hockey players, and then he dumps the sick dish off to a teammate for the easy tap-in goal. Filthiness at its finest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo79rpfiD_Q
What is a HARTY you ask? It's a cheesy, generic name for what we're handing out to some of the NHL's best, awards that are probably more prized than some NHL award. HARTYs are based on the NHL's most prestigious awards, but then we've thrown in a few extra categories as well. The HARTYs are not supposed to reflect any kind of prediction for who will win in Vegas; in fact, you'll even notice some of our nominees are different than those of the NHL. These are just for fun, but rest assured, we will be adding these heralded accomplishments to the winners' Wikipedia pages. Well, even as the host I'm getting the "wrap it up" signal, so let's go on with the HARTY Awards!
BEST COACHPaul MacLean
Remember when most experts thought Ottawa was destined to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference's standings? Remember when Ottawa was thought to be stuck in a rebuilding mode that wouldn't see any positive results for years? Remember when many people figured the Sens would be crushed beneath the mighty boot of division rivals such as the defending Stanley Cup Champs Boston Bruins, the high-spending Buffalo Sabres, and the seemingly always emerging, "this is the year" Toronto Maple Leafs? Yeah, that seems like a distant memory now. MacLean took a group of young, unproven talent with a few aging veterans sprinkled in and took them to the playoffs. In fact, the Senators led their division at several brief points throughout the year. Has there ever been a team with such low expectations that accomplished so much and pushed elite opponents to the limit on a night-in night-out basis? Probably, but nobody recently has. That's for sure.
Runners-Up:
Ken Hitchcock
Dave Tippett
BEST DEFENSIVE FORWARD a.k.a. THE FANS-DON'T-APPRECIATE-EVERYTHING-I-DO-NO-MATTER-HOW-MUCH-THEY-SAY-THEY-DO AWARD
Patrice BergeronOne day the NHL might as well rename the Selke Trophy the Pavel Datsyuk Award, but in the 2011-12 season, even Pavel couldn't match the year Patrice Bergeron had with the Boston Bruins. Nearly unbeatable in the face-off circle, Bergeron was always matched up against the opponent's top offensive threats. Every game he would prove why coach Claude Julien had so much confidence in him. It's great to see Patrice finally get some recognition for his play after a career plagued by injury, but when his career is eventually over, few people will truly remember or appreciate what he did for Boston on both sides of the puck the past two seasons.
Runners-Up:
Pavel Datsyuk
David Backes
LADY BYNG (High level of play & gentlemanly conduct)
Brian Campbell
After falling out of favor in Chicago, former Blackhawks' GM Dale Tallon brought Campbell to Florida in a trade, and he looked like a genius for it. Soupy's cap-hit was a burden in Chi-town, but he resurrected a level of play he once had that earned him that contract and a Stanley Cup ring. Best of all, he played the way he did while being a great on-ice ambassador for the game. He played all 82 games for the Panthers, and only racked up six penalty minutes the entire year. Although he did finish a somewhat disappointing -9 on the season, he also posted 53 points, the second highest single-season total of his career, and he led the entire NHL in time on ice per game.Runners-Up:
Jordan Eberle
Pavel Datsyuk
ROOKIE OF THE YEARGabriel Landeskog
Although he was taken 2nd overall, Landeskog was considered to be the most NHL-ready out of all the 2011 Draft's prospects. During his first season in the NHL, he constantly proves why. Landeskog is a total package hockey player, who has the skill to generate offense for himself and for his teammates, and he plays a fearless, physical game demonstrated by the fact that he finished 1st on the Colorado Avalanche in hits. He also led the Avs in +/-, shots, and game-winning goals (remember clutch goals such as the flu game that spawned #Landeskoging?) Colorado is far from perfect, and no team can succeed with poor goaltending, but despite what their disappointing record may suggest, Gabe Landeskog made an immediate and consistent impact on the Avalanche this season.
One could easily make an argument for Edmonton's #1 overall selection, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and I mean easily, but the fact of the matter is, Landeskog plays a more complete game as of right now, and made a greater impact on his team. The grind of an 82-game season and injuries really hurt RNH at times, too.
Runners-Up:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Adam Henrique
BEST GOALIE
Jonathan Quick
At the end of the 2011-12 season, Quick led the NHL in shutouts with 10. If Jonathan Quick has three less shutouts than that, the Los Angeles Kings do not make the playoffs and never capture the franchise's first Stanley Cup. Quick was playing behind an offense so inexplicably inept, they were dead last in the goals for category for a majority of the season despite the weapons they possessed. Jonathan Quick, one of the most technically sound goalies in the league, brought a tremendous compete level between the pipes every game, never quitting on any pucks, and his jaw-dropping athleticism was on display every night. The Hart of Hockey did a more in-depth piece before the playoffs on Quick's spectacular season, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that he won the HARTY in this category.Runners-Up:
Henrik Lundqvist
Mike Smith
BEST BLUELINERShea Weber
Officially solidified as an elite defenseman in the NHL, this year was Shea Weber's year. Not only does he pack that booming shot, his physical presence cannot be ignored, and his size and reach allow him to shut down any team's attack. He logged an average of over 26 minutes of ice time a game, too. Though Erik Karlsson ran away with the most points of all defensemen in 2011-12, his game in his own zone needs to improve before he wins one of these awards. Shea Weber does not have that problem.
Runners-Up:
Erik Karlsson
Zdeno Chara
MOST VALUABLE PLAYEREvgeni Malkin
Although he got off to somewhat of a slow start to the 2011-12 campaign, Evgeni Malkin was in beast mode for just about every game from November through March. Geno had one of the most dominant regular seasons in recent history, producing a highlight reel play in just about every other game he was a part of. Malkin made a mockery of opposing defenses and even some of the league's top goalies during the past year. His 109 points makes him the runaway favorite for MVP among skaters, and the only person who even comes close to challenging him for the HARTY for MVP is Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick.
Runners-Up:
Jonathan Quick
Steven Stamkos
SICKEST FLOW AWARDErik Karlsson
Karlsson, a recent recipient of a seven-year, $45.5 million contract from his Ottawa Senators, should get a separate deal all together for his hair. The skilled Swede looks like the Nordic God of thunder when skating around with his bucket off and flow loose in warm-ups. Head & Shoulders would have a shoe-in for their next poster boy if the average Joe in the United States had any idea who Erik Karlsson was.
Disqualifying him for this award altogether was considered after Karlsson got a haircut during the 1st round of the playoffs, but an entire regular season of ridiculous flow cannot go without praise. It should also be noted that since he cut his hair, the Senators have not won a game since.
Runners-Up:
Kristopher Letang
Steven Stamkos
RAGU™ SAUCE AWARDPavel Datsyuk
The Ragu™ Sauce Award is a HARTY given to the player who dishes out the best sauce in the NHL. And in this category, it's no contest. The Red Wings' magician Pavel Datsyuk throws sauce around like it's nobody's business. Forehand, backhand, it doesn't matter to him. Datsyuk will toss some filthy sauce any way he can. Sometimes you have to wonder if he makes a personal goal for himself to have at least five sick saucer passes throughout the course of a game, because it sure seems like it.
Also, Ragu does not actually sponsor this award. "I just said it because it sounded professional!" - Jackie Moon
Runners-Up:
Nicklas Backstrom
Sidney Crosby
THE "GREAT SEASON FOR NOTHING" AWARD
Carey PriceThe "Great Season For Nothing" Award means exactly what its title suggests: You had a great year, man! Too bad it meant absolutely nothing. For the 2011-12 season, no man is more deserving of that award than Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price. Price, always under the soul-sucking scrutiny of the Montreal media, was stellar in net for the Habs this year. One could even argue it was his best overall season as a starter in the NHL, and he was a part of (another) All-Star Game as a result. Problem is, the Canadiens were abysmal in just about every other aspect of the game. Yes, there were a few offensive highlights were and there, but the team was so poor in 2011-12 the Canadiens organization cleaned house, firing their head coach during the regular season, firing the GM in the offseason, and replacing the interim coach who replaced the old one in the summer, too. It's a shame Price's star goaltending was put to waste, but maybe this HARTY Award will make him feel a little better about himself. We've got your back, Carey.
Runners-Up:
Vaclav Propsal
Max Pacioretty
MATTHEW WITTMAN MEMORIAL AWARD (Class clown)
Kevin Bieksa
The Matthew Wittman Memorial Award is a HARTY proudly given to the player who basically earned the right to be the "class clown" of the NHL during the last season based on one or a series of actions. Kevin Bieksa may be a strictly business-looking individual based on his angry facial impressions he displays on the bench every game, and he may seem like a bizarre pick for this award... that is, unless you are familiar with the infamous "Guzzler" incident.Bieksa is not only a popular guy in the locker room, but also with the Vancouver media because he has a reputation for giving entertaining interviews. But nothing matches what he pulled off during the playoffs in L.A. Long story short, a moronic, ill-informed, and unfortunate member of the Los Angeles media went into the Canucks' locker room looking to score an interview with Ryan Kesler. Clearly a hockey expert, this reporter approached Bieksa for the interview, thinking that he was actually Ryan Kesler. Completely taking advantage of this poor guy's debacle, Bieksa obliges, and gives this member of the L.A. media the interview of a lifetime while pretending to be Ryan Kesler. Hilarity ensues, and the reporter is completely clueless to the fact that he has the wrong guy even though "Kesler" makes a series of ridiculous comments such as saying American fans in Southern California are better than Canadian fans in Vancouver.
Get the full story and audio of the interview here: http://vansunsportsblogs.com/2012/04/21/kevin-bieksa-does-an-entire-interview-pretending-to-be-ryan-kesler/. It does not disappoint.
Runners-Up:
Paul Bissonnette
Scott Hartnell
Dustin Penner
SAVE OF THE YEAR
Mike Smith
Mike Smith could never win another hockey game in his career. Heck, he could never stop a puck in a beer league for all I care; this save will forever be the legend of Mike Smith: The only man to ever stop the Datsyukian deke...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlJwRFsF_7U
PLAY OF THE YEAR
Jason Spezza
There is no reason this should happen in the NHL. Not unless you are an extremely gifted human being like Jason Spezza. The Senators' forward makes his way around all five Winnipeg players, making them look like PeeWees instead of pro hockey players, and then he dumps the sick dish off to a teammate for the easy tap-in goal. Filthiness at its finest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo79rpfiD_Q
