NHL Awards to be co-hosted by finalists for top regular-season honors

NEW YORK / TORONTO -- The finalists for the top awards will act as co-hosts for this year's
2018 NHL Awards™ presented by Hulu
at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, the National Hockey League (NHL®) announced today. NBCSN and Sportsnet will broadcast the two-hour television event on Wednesday, June 20, live in the United States and Canada, respectively, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
This year, NHL players, coaches and general managers will anchor the program, which will feature special commemorations of three tragedies that touched the hockey world and garnered immense support from the entire NHL community. Survivors and first responders from last October's Las Vegas shooting; members of the hockey team from Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.; and surviving members of the Humboldt Broncos junior team will be recognized and honored at the event. In the aftermath of each tragedy, NHL teams, current and former NHL players, coaches and fans rallied to provide emotional and monetary support to survivors and first responders.

The NHL Awards™ in Las Vegas will mark the first time 10 of the surviving members of the Broncos hockey team will reunite since the April 6 crash, due in part to the generous support of Air Canada and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.
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Also presenting this year will be NHL legends Eric Lindros, Mark Messier and Willie O'Ree; 2018 U.S. Women's Hockey Olympic Gold Medalists Meghan Duggan and Amanda Kessel; 2018 Canadian Women's Hockey Olympic Silver Medalists Marie-Philip Poulin and Brianne Jenner; actors Jim Belushi, Lynda Carter, Colin Hanks, Andrew Herr, Dylan Playfair, Jacob Tremblay; entertainer Terry Fator; illusionist Darcy Oake; Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson and his wife Nicholle; NHL broadcasters Anson Carter, Elliotte Friedman, Jamie Hersch, Scott Oake, Kathryn TappenandKevin Weekes; and On the Bench hosts Jacob Ardown and Olly Postanin.
The 2018 NHL Awards™ presented by Hulu will honor the best regular-season performances in a wide range of categories -- including most valuable player (Hart Trophy), outstanding goaltender (Vezina Trophy), outstanding defenseman (Norris Trophy) and outstanding rookie (Calder Trophy). The Ted Lindsay Award, which is presented annually to the "most outstanding player" in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), also will be awarded.
The
Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award
, which recognizes an individual who - through the game of hockey - has positively impacted his or her community, culture or society, will be presented at the 2018 NHL Awards for the first time. The award is named in honor of NHL trailblazer Willie O'Ree, who became the first black player in the NHL in 1958 and has spent the last two decades tirelessly working in grassroots hockey to inspire underserved, marginalized and disadvantaged youth to set goals and follow their dreams.
NHL Network™, NHL.com and NHL Social™ will provide comprehensive coverage of the 2018 NHL Awards™ presented by Hulu and red carpet arrivals. Fans can follow the festivities across the NHL's social media channels via the official hashtag #NHLAwards.