Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl sweeps MVP awards
Leon #Leon
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, the NHL’s lone 100-point scorer in the coronavirus-shortened regular season, won the Hart Trophy Monday as the league’s most valuable player.
He also won the Ted Lindsay Award as the MVP voted by members of the NHL Players’ Association.
Draisaitl recorded his second consecutive 100-point season, picking up 43 goals and a career-best 67 assists and 110 points in 71 games to edge teammate Connor McDavid in the scoring race. He had 10 game-winning goals.
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He became the first German-born player to win the Hart Trophy as he topped Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) and Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers) in voting.
“It’s a big honor,” he told NBCSN. “Our hockey is getting much better and producing more and more players. Hopefully, this will somehow give little kids more joy playing hockey and starting hockey instead of other sports.”
Draisaitl helped his cause by scoring 12 points in the six games that McDavid, the 2016-17 Hart Trophy winner, missed in February with an injury.
Other award winners announced Monday:
Norris Trophy (defenseman): Roman Josi, Nashville Predators. He set a franchise record with 65 points by a defenseman and had a 12-game point streak.
Vezina Trophy (goaltender): Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets. He finished second in the league with 31 wins while recording a .922 save percentage.
Calder Trophy (rookie): Defenseman Cale Makar, Avalanche. He finished second in rookie scoring with 50 points.
First All-Star team: C Draisaitl, LW Panarin, RW David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins), D Josi, D John Carlson (Washington Capitals), G Hellebuyck.
Second All-Star team: C MacKinnon, LW Brad Marchand (Bruins), RW Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay Lightning), D Victor Hedman (Lightning), D Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis Blues), G Tuukka Rask (Bruins).
All-Rookie team: Fs Dominik Kubalik (Chicago Blackhawks), Victor Olofsson (Buffalo Sabres), Nick Suzuki (Montreal Canadiens), D Makar, D Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), G Elvis Merzlikins (Columbus Blue Jackets)
The NHL earlier in the playoffs announced other winners: Jack Adams Award (Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy), Selke Trophy (defensive forward, Philadelphia Flyers’ Sean Couturier); Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly play, MacKinnon), Masterton Trophy (perseverance, Ottawa Senators’ Bobby Ryan), GM of the Year (New York Islanders’ Lou Lamoriello), King Clancy Trophy (humanitarian, Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba), Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award (Calgary Flames’ Mark Giordano) and the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award (Dampy Brar of Apna Hockey).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl sweeps MVP awards
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