Hurricanes D Jaccob Slavin leads Lady Byng finalists
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin looks to become the first repeat winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in more than a decade.
Slavin, Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor and Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon were named the three finalists Wednesday for the 2021-22 award.
The Lady Byng is presented annually to the player who combines sportsmanship and fair play in conjunction with a high skill level. Ballots are submitted by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St. Louis was the last player to claim the Lady Byng in back-to-back seasons in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
The winners of the 2022 NHL Awards will be revealed during the Stanley Cup semifinals and Stanley Cup Final, with exact dates and times to be announced.
Slavin, 28, averaged a teamhigh 23:32 in ice time for a Carolina defense that surrendered a league-low 202 goals en route to the franchise’s first William M. Jennings Trophy. Slavin set career highs in assists (38) and points (42) and was assessed only five minor penalties in 79 games.
Connor, 25, is a first-time Lady Byng finalist who established career highs in goals (47), assists (46) and points (93) in 79 games. He finished fourth among NHL forwards in average time on ice (21:47) but received only four penalty minutes — fewest among the league’s top 100 scorers.
Spurgeon, 32, was runnerup for the award last season. The Wild captain had 40 points (10 goals, 30 assists) in 65 games and led Minnesota to the best record in franchise history (53-22-7, 113 points). He received just five minor penalties, his seventh time in 12 seasons with 10 or fewer PIM.
(Field Level Media)