NHL awards: Kane wins Hart Trophy; Sharks’ Burns falls short in Norris vote
Burns edged out for Norris Trophy; League to expand to Las Vegas
After Patrick Kane added three more awards to his overflowing trophy case, he took a moment to appreciate his new place in American hockey history.
The Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL scoring champion won the Hart Trophy on Wednesday night, becoming the first player born and trained in the U.S. to be named the league’s most valuable player.
Kane also claimed the Ted Lindsay Award after his fellow players recognized him as the game’s most outstanding player at the league’s annual postseason awards show in Las Vegas. He even accepted the Art Ross Trophy in recognition of leading the league with his 106-point season — another first for an American player.
“I definitely feel very fortunate,” Kane said. “It’s amazing to me that there’s no American that’s ever won the scoring title or the MVP award, because there’s been so many great American players. Guys like (Chris) Chelios, Brian Leetch, Mike Modano, Joe Mullen, Jeremy Roenick. Guys that have had great careers. I don’t know if I was lucky or fortunate to be in that position, but it’s pretty amazing to see some American record you hold now. It’s pretty exciting.”
Kane began his remarkable season under the cloud of a sexual assault allegation made against him in his native Buffalo area last summer. The Erie County District Attorney’s office eventually declined to move forward on the case in November, saying it was rife with reasonable doubt.
After running away with the scoring title in a season that included a 26-game scoring streak, Kane was the runaway winner of the Hart, getting 121 of the 150 firstplace votes. Sidney Crosby finished second with 11 firstplace votes, while Dallas’ Jamie Benn was third. After several years in which repeat winners dominated the league honors, every major trophy went to a first-time winner at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Braden Holtby of Washington finished fourth in the Hart voting, but won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie after tying Martin Brodeur’s league record with 48 victories.
Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar won the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward and the Lady Byng Trophy for his gentlemanly play. His teammate, Drew Doughty, took home his first Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman.
Kane’s linemate in Chicago, Artemi Panarin, won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie after scoring 77 points in 80 games.
In perhaps the most intriguing race, Doughty beat out Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson and San Jose’s Brent Burns for the Norris, which went to Karlsson for the second time last year. The lively debate forced voters to decide between pure offensive production and analytical superiority.
While Doughty didn’t match his competitors’ offensive production, voters recognized his two-way prowess for the defenseminded Kings. Karlsson scored a whopping 82 points for the Senators, the most by an NHL defenseman in 20 years. Burns nearly matched Karlsson with 75 points, including 27 goals for the Western Conference champion Sharks.
Pittsburgh’s Jim Rutherford was named the NHL’s general manager of the year after building the Stanley Cup champions.
Expansion: The NHL is making a big bet on Las Vegas. The league will expand to Las Vegas for the 2017-18 season after awarding its 31st franchise to billionaire businessman Bill Foley. Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the decision after the league’s board of governors met on a 109-degree day and unanimously voted to put an ice hockey team in the Mojave Desert’s gambling mecca.