Draisaitl wins Hart trophy as NHL MVP

Ex-Kelowna Rocket also earned honour from NHL teammates

Edmonton Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl won the NHL’s most valuable player award, while Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck has been named the league’s goalie of the year.

Draisaitl won both the Hart Memorial Trophy, given to the player deemed by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to be the most valuable player to his team, and the Ted Lindsay award, passed out annually to the league’s most-outstanding player, as chosen by fellow members of the NHL Players’ Association.

The 24-year-old German led the league with 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) in the regular season.

Hellebuyck, 27, posted a 31-21-5 record with a 2.57 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in the regular season. He led all goaltenders in games played (58), shots faced (1,796), saves (1,656) and shutouts (6).

Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar was named rookie of the year Monday, and Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators took home defenceman of the year honours.

Makar beat out Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes.

The NHL’s annual awards ceremony is generally a glitzy affair held in Las Vegas, but due to the COVID19 pandemic, this year’s honours were announced at an empty Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Draisaitl played 32 games with the Kelowna Rockets in 2015, scoring 19 goals and 34 assists.

He added 28 points (10G, 18A) in 19 playoff games as the Rockets came within a goal of the Memorial Cup.