The Chicago Blackhawks forward was given the Art Ross Trophy as the National Hockey League scoring leader and the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player to his team at the annual National Hockey League awards ceremony Wednesday at the Hard Rock Hotel. The Chicago Blackhawks forward won the Hart Trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player. He even accepted the Art Ross Trophy in recognition of leading the league with his 106-point season – another first for an American player.
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Kane received 121 first-place votes and appeared on each of the 150 ballots cast for 1,395 points. Both awards are well deserved, as Kane was fantastic this season, setting career highs in goals (46), assists (60) and shots on goal (287). He notched at least one point in 64 of his 82 contests, highlighted by a franchise-record, 26-game point streak from October 17 to December 13.
The NHL Awards show is underway in Las Vegas, where the city is still buzzing about getting an expansion franchise just a few hours ago. He is still the only Stars player in franchise history to receive first-team honors; Sergei Zubov, Marty Turco, Derian Hatcher, Mike Modano and Brian Bellows all had second-team spots in their careers.
Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar took home the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward, denying the Boston Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron a third straight Selke and fourth overall. I don’t know if I was lucky or fortunate to be in that position, but it’s pretty fantastic to say some American records you hold now, whether it’s the MVP, scoring title, point streak. “Yeah, it’s really special to me”.
Washington’s Braden Holtby captured his first Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in the National Hockey League, beating out Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Jonathan Quick of Los Angeles.
Kopitar’s teammate, Drew Doughty, won his first Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman, beating out Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson and San Jose’s Brent Burns. Three of the six players named to the NHL’s All-Rookie team were American-born, including Calder Trophy finalist Shayne Gostisbehere. Bergeron was second in the voting.
The NHL also named its 2015-16 all-rookie team on Wednesday, with Calder Trophy victor Artemi Panarin of Chicago earning a spot.
The Bill Masterton Trophy was won by the ageless wonder, Czech Republic’s Jaromir Jagr, who at age 44 became the oldest recipient of any major National Hockey League individual trophy.
The ceremony was in Las Vegas for the seventh year in a row, but the location took on a special significance Wednesday after the National Hockey League announced it will expand with a new franchise in the city.
Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn was named the best left wing in the 2015-16 NHL regular season at the conclusion of the 2016 NHL Awards on Wednesday, picking up his third consecutive nomination to the post-season NHL All-Star team.
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Panarin, who signed with the Blackhawks in May 2015, led all rookies in goals (30), assists (47), points (77), power-play goals (eight), power-play points (24) and game-winning goals (7) while skating in 80 games.
