2019 NHL Awards winners

Welcome to the 2019 NHL Awards presented by Bridgestone. A total of 13 awards were handed out at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, including the Hart Trophy for NHL MVP, Vezina Trophy for the top goaltender, and the Norris Trophy for the top defenseman.

Complete Results

Hart Trophy: Nikita Kucherov

Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award: Rico Phillips

Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award: Wayne Simmonds

Vezina Trophy: Andrei Vasilevskiy

Jack Adams Award: Barry Trotz

Frank J. Selke Trophy: Ryan O'Reilly

Bill Masterton Trophy: Robin Lehner

James Norris Trophy: Mark Giordano

Ted Lindsay Award: Nikita Kucherov

King Clancy Trophy: Jason Zucker

General Manager of the Year: Don Sweeney

Lady Byng Trophy: Aleksander Barkov

Calder Trophy: Elias Pettersson

Kucherov wins Hart Trophy

Well, that's it from Las Vegas. The last award has been handed out.

Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Hart Trophy as NHL most valuable player.

Kucherov became the second Lightning player to win the Hart Trophy, joining forward Martin St. Louis in 2003-04. The 25-year-old right wing also won the Art Ross Trophy by leading the NHL with 128 points (41 goals, 87 assists), breaking Alexander Mogilny's single-season record of 127 set with the Buffalo Sabres in 1992-93 for most by a Russia-born player. It was also the most by any NHL player since 1995-96, when Pittsburgh Penguins center Mario Lemieux had 161 and teammate Jaromir Jagr had 149.

Kucherov dominated the voting, receiving 164 of 171 first-place votes in amassing 1,677 points. Two-time Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins finished in second place with 739 points, followed by 2017 Hart Trophy recipient Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (465 points).

Kucherov played all 82 games and had a point in 62, including 38 games with at least two points. The Lightning went 54-5-3 when he had a point and 8-11-1 when he didn't. They tied the NHL record for wins in a season with 62, equaling the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, and finished with the fourth-most points in NHL history (128) to win the Presidents' Trophy, but were swept by the Columbus Blues Jackets in the Eastern Conference First Round.

The award was announced by "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek.

Before the Hart was handed out, super Blues fan actor Jon Hamm introduced Ryan O'Reilly, Jordan Binnington, coach Craig Berube, GM Doug Armstrong and owner Tom Stillman, who brought out the Stanley Cup while "Gloria" played.

Phillips wins O'Ree Award

Rico Phillips was named the winner of this year's Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award during the 2019 NHL Awards presented by Bridgestone at the sports and entertainment complex, Mandalay Bay Events Center.

The award, named after the first black player in NHL history, recognizes an individual, who like O'Ree, has worked to make a positive impact on his or her community, culture or society to make people better through hockey.

O'Ree helped present the award with NBC's Kathryn Tappen, Jackie Redmond of NHL Network and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Phillips grew up in the city of Flint, Michigan and has always desired to make his community a better place. His impact on the community has been made through his two passions in life, firefighting and hockey. Phillips' greatest community impact was founding the Flint Inner City Youth Hockey program and serving as the program director. For the past six years, this program has provided the children of Flint, MI, the opportunity to play hockey for free.

Throughout the nine-week program, high school hockey teams and parents provide mentorship and assistance on and off the ice. This grass roots effort supports local businesses and gathers hundreds of volunteers. Through this program, Rico has been able to promote cultural diversity within our community while adhering to a strong set of values. The program builds character by promoting commitment, hard work, belief and openness. The impact is felt by the participants, their families and our volunteers.

Simmonds wins Messier Leadership Award

Wayne Simmonds of the Nashville Predators won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award, presented to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities on and off the ice and who plays a leading role in his community growing the game of hockey.

Simmonds, 30, who was a finalist for the award last season, had 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) in 79 games with the Predators and Philadelphia Flyers. But the veteran forward was a fixture in Philadelphia, where he was an alternate captain and served as a board member for the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation for the sixth consecutive year, visiting community rinks and engaging students.

Simmonds also served as the honorary chairman of the foundation's annual golf tournament for the fourth straight year and worked with the planning committee to host the Willie O'Ree Skills Weekend, including writing welcome letters to each participant.

Simmonds did not attend the Awards.

The other finalists were Mark Giordano of the Calgary Flames and Justin Williams of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Vasilveskiy wins Vezina Trophy

Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie.

Vasilevskiy won 18 of his final 21 starts and helped the Lightning tie an NHL record for wins in a season (62) and win the Presidents' Trophy with 128 points. He led the NHL with 39 wins, tied for fourth with Robin Lehner of the New York Islanders in shutouts (six), and had a 2.40 goals-against average and .925 save percentage in 53 games.

Vasilevskiy went 30-7-3 after his return from a foot injury Dec. 13, including 10 straight wins from Feb. 9-March 5. He is the first Lightning goalie to win the Vezina.

The Vezina announcement followed the night's most touching moment when Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price came onstage to greet his No. 1 fan, 11-year-old Anderson Whitehead, who lost his mother to cancer in November.

During the season, Price met Whitehead and gave him a hug after a morning skate in Toronto.

At first it appeared Price was not in Vegas, rather appearing on a video, but then he walked on stage. The look on Whitehead's face was incredible. As the young boy got emotional, Price told him everything was Ok. Price then invited him to next year's NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis.

Vasilevskiy was a near-unanimous winner, with 28 first-place votes from the 31 cast by NHL General Managers. His 146 voting points placed him ahead of second-place Ben Bishop of the Dallas Stars (64 points) and third-place Robin Lehner of the New York Islanders (17 points).

Trotz wins Jack Adams Award

Barry Trotz of the New York Islanders won the Jack Adams Award as the best head coach.

Trotz, who joined the Islanders in 2018-19 after leading the Washington Capitals to the Stanley Cup last season, helped his new team post a 23-point improvement over 2017-18 and yield a League-low 196 goals.

It's the second time Trotz won the award. He won in 2016 with the Capitals.

Trotz grabbed a hamburger as he came on stage after host Keenan Thompson did a skit based on his 1997 film "Good Burger."

Trotz was named on 116 of the 127 ballots, including 58 first-place votes, for 430 voting points. Second-place Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning received 48 first-place votes and 350 voting points, while third-place Craig Berube of the St. Louis Blues was the top selection on 10 ballots in collecting 116 points.

The Islanders, who gave up 296 goals in 2017-18, became the first NHL team in a century to allow the fewest goals immediately following the season in which it yielded the most. Trotz, who finished the season fourth on the NHL's all-time coaching wins list (810), has been voted a Jack Adams finalist for the fourth time. Trotz finished second and third, respectively, in consecutive seasons with Nashville in 2009-10 and 2010-11 and captured the award with Washington in 2015-16. He joins legendary Islanders bench boss Al Arbour (1978-79) as the second Jack Adams winner in franchise history.

O'Reilly wins Selke Trophy

What a week it's been for Ryan O'Reilly.

The St. Louis Blues forward, who one week ago Wednesday won the Stanley Cup and was named the Conn Smythe Trophy win as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, won the Selke Trophy as NHL forward voted to best excel in the defensive aspects of the game.

O'Reilly led the NHL in face-off wins for the second straight season (1,086), was fourth in shorthanded face-off wins (121) and eighth in face-off percentage (56.9 percent, minimum 450 face-offs). He had 1,001 voting points, including 48 first-place votes, to defeat Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights (881 voting points). Center Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, a Selke finalist for an unprecedented eighth consecutive year and owner of a record-tying four Selke wins, finished third with 809 points.

The 28-year-old center led the Blues with NHL career-highs in assists (49), points (77) and points per game (0.94) playing in all 82 games; was second with 28 goals; was first among Blues forwards in average ice time (20:46); and was fourth in the NHL with 94 takeaways. His plus-22 rating was tied for seventh among NHL players who finished the season with at least 75 points.

O'Reilly had 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 26 Stanley Cup Playoff games and won the Conn Smythe Trophy to help the Blues win their first Stanley Cup, defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games.

He is the second Blues player to win the Selke, joining Rick Meagher (1989-90).

The other finalists were four-time winner Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins, who was eighth in the NHL this season in face-off percentage (56.6 percent, minimum 750 attempts), and Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights, who led the NHL in takeaways (122 in 77 games).

Lehner wins Masterton Trophy

Robin Lehner of the New York Islanders won the Masterton Trophy as the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Lehner (25-13-5, 2.13 GAA, .930 SV%, 6 SO) and teammate Thomas Greiss won the 2018-19 William M. Jennings Trophy as the goaltenders on the team allowing the fewest regular-season goals, helping the Islanders post their highest regular-season points total (103) since 1983-84. His best NHL season on the ice came on the heels of revealing addiction and mental health issues in a self-penned article for The Athletic during training camp.

"I am not sharing this story to make people think differently of Robin Lehner as a professional goalie. I want to help make a difference and help others the way I have been helped," Lehner wrote. "I want people to know that there is hope in desperation, there is healing in facing an ugly past and there is no shame in involving others in your battle."

In a moving speech, Lehner thanked Islanders coach Barry Trotz "for thinking about the human first, his wife, Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello and his teammates.

He also said the world needs to end the stigma associated with mental illness, saying "I'm mentally ill, but not mentally weak."

The local chapters of the Professional Hockey Writers Association (PHWA) submitted nominations for the Masterton Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season and the top three vote-getters - Lehner, Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno and San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton -- were designated as finalists. A $2,500 grant from the PHWA is awarded annually to the Bill Masterton Scholarship Fund, based in Bloomington, Minn., in the name of the Masterton Trophy winner.

The announcement of the award followed a comedy bit between NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and host Keenan Thompson, pretending to NBA star Charles Barkley. Bettman informed "Barkley" he's now the second most popular sports figure in Philadelphia - behind Gritty.

Matthews to appear on cover of EA Sports NHL20

Auston Matthews if officially a cover model. The Toronto Maple Leafs forward was unveiled as the player to grace the cover of EA Sports NHL20.

The honor was announced by Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban, who appeared on the cover last year.

Matthews came out on stage and challenged Subban to a battle between NHL19 and NHL20, which will be released on Sept. 13.

Giordano wins Norris Trophy

Mark Giordano of the Calgary Flames won the Norris Trophy, awarded to the best defenseman in the NHL.

Giordano, 35, became the fourth player age 35 or older to win the Norris Trophy since it was first awarded in 1954; Nicklas Lidstrom did it four times, Doug Harvey three times, and Al MacInnis once. Giordano finished second among defensemen in scoring with 74 points (17 goals, 57 assists), his NHL career high, and led the NHL with a plus-39 rating. He led Calgary in average time on ice (24:14 per game), had 21 power-play points, six shorthanded points (four goals), and was an even or plus-rated player in 58 of 78 games this season.

Giordano is the first player in Atlanta/Calgary Flames history to win the Norris.

Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning were the other finalists.

Kucherov wins Ted Lindsay Award

Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Ted Lindsay Award, given annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by members of the NHL Players' Association, at the 2019 NHL Awards presented by Bridgestone at the Mandalay Bay Events Center sports and entertainment complex in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

The award was presented by Linsday's daughter Lynn. This is the first Awards since the death of Lindsay on March 4.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, 30, and Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid, 22, who had combined to win the award the past three seasons, were the other finalists.

Zucker wins King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Jason Zucker of the Minnesota Wild won the King Clancy Trophy awarded to the player or players who best exemplify leadership qualities on and off the ice and have made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in their community.

It was his first NHL Award and the first player from the Wild to win the King Clancy.

Zucker and his wife, Carly, began a fundraising campaign for the Zucker Family Suite and Broadcast Studio at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital in Minneapolis in 2017. The space, which opened March 25, allows children and their families to watch Wild games in a setting that simulates the experience of being at the game itself. The Zuckers started the project with a $160,000 donation and encouraged others in the community to donate in increments of 16 -- Jason's jersey number -- to the #GIVE16 campaign, which has raised more than $1.2 million in less than 12 months.

Zucker, who was chosen by a committee of senior NHL executives led by Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, received a $40,000 donation from the National Hockey League Foundation to benefit a charity or charities of his choice.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, the two runners-up, each received a $5,000 donation.

Sweeney wins GM of Year

One week after the Bruins lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Don Sweeney was named GM of the Year.

Sweeney, who played 15 of his 16 NHL seasons with the Bruins, spent nine seasons working in the front office before being promoted to GM on May 20, 2015. The Bruins are one of five Eastern Conference teams to reach the playoffs the past three seasons, and Boston's 185 wins under Sweeney are fourth in the NHL, after the Capitals (208), Tampa Bay Lightning (204) and Penguins (189).

"It's incredibly humbling to be here tonight," said Sweeney.

The other finalists were Doug Armstrong of the Blues and Don Waddell of the Carolina Hurricanes. The Blues (45-28-9) climbed from last in the NHL on Jan. 3 to third in the Central Division en route to winning the Cup. The Hurricanes (46-29-7) advanced to the Eastern Conference Final, where they were swept by the Bruins, after reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2009.

Barkov wins Lady Byng

The second award of the evening went to Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers. It was the third time in four seasons Barkov had been a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy, awarded annually to the player voted to best combine sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability, but the first time he's won.

The 23-year-old center set a Panthers record with 96 points (35 goals, 61 assists), passing Pavel Bure (94, 1999-00). He was second in the NHL in takeaways (100) and was tied for fifth in minor penalties drawn (34). Barkov is the fourth Finland-born NHL player with at least 90 points in a season, joining Olli Jokinen, Teemu Selanne and Jari Kurri.

Barkov congratulated the other Finalists -- Sean Monahan of the Calgary Flames and Ryan O'Reilly of the St. Louis Blues.

"Tony Babcock," a legendary minor league hockey reporter (it's actually actor Thomas Middleditch), is here to interview all the Hart Trophy finalists. The first was Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, who didn't have much to say. Jillian Fisher is also helping out to introduce the finalists for MPV.

Pettersson wins Calder

The first award of the night went to Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks. He was awarded the Calder Trophy as the top rookie in the NHL.

Pettersson, a 20-year-old center, finished his first NHL season with a Canucks rookie-record 66 points (28 goals, 38 assists) in 71 games, passing Pavel Bure (1991-92) and Ivan Hlinka (1981-82), who each had 60 points.

The other finalists were Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues and Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres. Binnington, 25, made his first NHL start Jan. 7 and went 24-5-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage and five shutouts in 32 games to help the Blues return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs following a one-season absence. Dahlin, 19, led rookie defensemen in points (44), assists (35) and power-play points (20), and finished second in goals (nine) and average ice time (21:09) behind Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars, who had 12 goals and averaged 23:07 of ice time.

The award was presented by Trevor Gretzky, Alexa Lemieux and Jesserae Robitaille, the sons and daughter of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Luc Robitaille.

It followed a great opening by host Keenan Thompson and friends.

You knew we couldn't have an NHL Awards show without Gritty, who appeared in the intro of the show with Thompson, who found himself in a Stanley Cup Final-themed Facetime session with peanut-butter eating/broken-hearted Bruins fan John Krasinski, super pumped-up Blues fan Jenna Fischer and Blues superfan Laila Anderson.

Thompson had a good line in his monologue, telling the crowd "I'm not one of the Subbans," and got some laughs with some shots at Sidney Crosby, John Tavares, Brent Burns and Joe Thornoton. He even questioned why the Blues used "Gloria" as their theme song, instead of, well, you know, the Blues.
It was a great start to what looks like is going to be a fun night in Vegas.

7:50 p.m. ET

We are about 10 minutes away from getting started and the excitement is building here at Mandalay Bay.

The Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues and Presidents' Trophy winning Tampa Bay Lightning are well represented as far as the finalists are concerned.

Blues forward Ryan O'Reilly is up for the Selke Trophy, which is awarded to the League's best defensive forward, and the Lady Byng Trophy, which goes to the League's most gentlemanly player. Goalie Jordan Binnington is a finalist for the Calder Trophy, which is awarded to the best rookie in the NHL, Craig Berube is a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, which is for the top coach in the League, and Doug Armstrong is up for GM of the Year.

For Tampa Bay, forward Nikita Kucherov is a finalist for the Hart Trophy, which honors the League's most valuable player, and the Ted Lindsay Award, which is presented to the most outstanding player as voted by NHLPA members. Andrei Vasilevskiy if a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the top goalie in the League, Victor Hedman is a finalist for the Norris Trophy, which honors the top defenseman in the League, and Jon Cooper is up for coach of the year.

The Calder is first, with Binnington up against Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks and Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres.

7:15 p.m. ET

We are about 45 minutes from showtime, but the action on the red carpet is in full swing. In addition to a majority of the finalists walking through the media gauntlet, "Saturday Night Live" star and host of this year's Awards Keenan Thompson was making the rounds. Right behind him were The Jacks, a band from Southern California that will be performing throughout the ceremony.

We also spotted 32-time "Jeopardy!" champion James Holzhauer, who will present one of the awards on Wednesday, and actor Kel Mitchell. "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek is also scheduled to present an award tonight, so we wonder if there will be any "Jeopardy!" shtick tonight.

For those of you who have any fashion sense, it was quite a scene on the red carpet with everyone dressed to the nines. We particularly liked the look NHL Network's Kevin Weekes was sporting. Be sure to check it out.

We are about an hour from getting this thing started.