NHL

What’s at stake during the NHL Awards at Fontainebleau?

The Hart Memorial Trophy, left center, is one the 18 NHL trophies on display as the awards event is tomorrow night at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Fans are able to view 18 of the NHL trophies on display as the awards event is tomorrow night at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov skates in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) misses the save on a goal by Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone, out of frame, during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt

Vancouver Canucks' Quinn Hughes pauses after being checked to the ice during the third period of the team's NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) in the first period during an NHL hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) in the third period of an NHL hockey game on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) celebrates his game winning goal at the end of overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. The Predators won 5-4. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) in the third period during an NHL hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes, Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. Edmonton won 6-3. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (61) chases after Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) as he looks for the puck during a game at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Canucks center Pius Suter (24), defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) and goaltender Thatcher Demko (35) celebrate their win over the Golden Knights in an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) skates on the ice during a time out during the second period of Game 7 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, Monday, June 24, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (43) skates against Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez (23) and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (7) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber (7) in the first period during an NHL hockey game against the Arizona Coyotes, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, center, is one the 18 NHL trophies on display as the awards event is tomorrow night at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

The NHL has 18 trophies on display as the awards event is tomorrow night at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

The Frank J. Selke Trophy is one the 18 NHL trophies on display as the awards event is tomorrow night at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

The Mark Messier Leadership Award is one the 18 NHL trophies on display as the awards event is tomorrow night at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

The Jim Gregory Award is one the 18 NHL trophies on display as the awards event is tomorrow night at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

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By Danny Webster Las Vegas Review-Journal

June 26, 2024 - 7:00 am

Updated June 26, 2024 - 2:43 pm

The most important hardware of the NHL season was given out Monday when the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup.

That won’t stop the league from giving out a few more honors this week in Las Vegas.

The NHL Awards returns to town Thursday for the 11th time since 2009. The league’s yearly gala has cycled through Strip venues over the years, with its next stop the BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau. The event will serve as a precursor to the NHL draft Friday and Saturday at Sphere.

This year’s awards show is going to be different.

The ceremony used to run two hours long, with every award presented in that time frame. This year, the NHL is speeding things up by announcing several honors ahead of time.

Notable awards that have been given out include the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year (Vancouver’s Rick Tocchet), the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward (Florida captain Aleksander Barkov) and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for most gentlemanly player (Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin).

Five have yet to be given out: the Hart Trophy for NHL MVP, the Norris Trophy for best defenseman, the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year, the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender and the Ted Lindsay Award for MVP as voted on by the NHL Players’ Association.

Here’s a look at the finalists for each award:

Hart Trophy

Nikita Kucherov, RW, Tampa Bay Lightning

Kucherov led the league in scoring with 144 points, earning him his second Art Ross Trophy. He won his first Hart Trophy the last time he led the NHL in points in 2019. He would become the first two-time Hart winner in Lightning history.

Nathan MacKinnon, C, Colorado Avalanche

MacKinnon finished second in scoring this season with a career-high 140 points and helped lead the Avalanche to their seventh straight playoff appearance. MacKinnon and Kucherov recorded the fourth and fifth 140-point seasons in the past 30 years.

Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers

The 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy winner for playoff MVP is trying to become the first back-to-back MVP since Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin in 2008 and 2009. A win would give McDavid, who finished with 132 points, his fourth MVP and his third in four years.

Prediction: Kucherov

Norris Trophy

Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks captain led all defensemen in scoring with 92 points. That point total, as well as his 72 assists, set a franchise record. Hughes would become the fourth U.S.-born player to win the award.

Roman Josi, Nashville Predators

The 2020 Norris winner led all defensemen with 23 goals and had his second 80-point season in three years. Josi had 73 points in Nashville’s final 63 games, which included a franchise-record 18-game point streak.

Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche

Makar, the 2022 Norris winner, scored a career-high 90 points this season. He’s recorded at least a point per game in every season except his rookie year in 2019-2020.

Prediction: Hughes

Calder Trophy

Connor Bedard, C, Chicago Blackhawks

Last year’s No. 1 overall pick came as advertised. He led all rookies with 61 points despite missing 14 games with a fractured jaw.

Brock Faber, D, Minnesota Wild

The 45th pick from the 2020 draft was tied for second among rookies in scoring with 47 points. His average ice time of 24:58 ranked sixth in the NHL and first among rookies.

Luke Hughes, D, New Jersey Devils

Quinn’s younger brother — and also the younger brother of New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes — matched Faber by scoring 47 points, the second-most by a rookie defenseman in franchise history.

Prediction: Bedard

Vezina Trophy

Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers

The Stanley Cup-winning goalie is looking for his third Vezina Trophy and first since 2017. Bobrovsky’s 36 wins were the second-most in team history.

Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks

Demko, a first-time finalist, set personal bests in wins (35), save percentage (.918) and shutouts (five) to help the Canucks to their first division title since 2013.

Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Hellebuyck earned the Jennings Trophy as the goalie who allowed the fewest goals this season. He allowed three goals or fewer in 50 of 60 games.

Prediction: Hellebuyck

Ted Lindsay Award

Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

The 2022 recipient posted a career-high 69 goals and was this season’s Rocket Richard winner for the most goals in the NHL.

MacKinnon

MacKinnon is a first-time finalist. He opened the season with a 35-game home point streak, the second-best ever behind Wayne Gretzky’s 40-game mark in 1989.

Kucherov

Kucherov is looking to become a two-time winner after taking home this award in 2019.

Prediction: Matthews

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.