This year the NHL Awards Ceremony take place in Las Vegas 20th June so tonight we will know the winners of the all League awards. Let’s take a look at the nominees for the each Trophy and learn a little bit about the trophies itself.

Vezina Trophy

The Vezina Trophy is awarded to the NHL’s best goaltender, selected by voting of all 31 NHL general managers. Former owners of the Montreal Canadiens Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau and Joe Cattarinich presented this award to the NHL in 1926-1927 season, it’s named in memory of an outstanding Canadiens goaltender Georges Vezina. He collapsed during an NHL game in 1925 and and died of tuberculosis next year.

For the first time Vezina was awarded after 1926-1927 NHL season to George Hainsworth, who replaced Vezina in Montreal Canadiens.

Nominees this year:

Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators) is the finalist for the Vezina for the 4th time in his NHL career. This season he helped the Predators to win their first President’s Trophy and beat a couple of franchise records (wins, points and shutouts). Also he made an 11-games winning streak in February-March.


Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) is nominated for the first time. With his help Lightning had the best season in their history and the best record in the Eastern Conference (54-23-5) this year.



Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) is also a first-time nominee for the Vezina Trophy, first in Jets/Thrashers history. He broke a record for most wins by a United States-born goalie with 44 this season and franchise record for the longest winning streak with 9 wins in a row.

Calder Memorial Trophy

The Calder Memorial Trophy is an award given to the most proficient rookie player in the NHL. The winner is determined by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the NHL regular season. This award is named after the first president of the NHL (1917-1943), Frank Calder, and have been awarded since 1936-1937 season.

The oldest player to won the Calder Trophy was Sergei Makarov of the Calgary Flames in 1990, at age 31, and after that season rules were changed: now win the Calder can only players who were younger than 26 years old by September 15 of their rookie season.

Nominees this year:

Mathew Barzal (New York Islanders) was picked 16th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He’s 20 years old and led all rookies this season with 85 points (22+63). It’s seventh time in NHL history a rookie had at least 20 points and 60 assists in one season and the first since Sidney Crosby had 102 points (39+63) in 2005-06. Barzal would be the fifth player in Islanders history to win the Calder.

Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks), 21 years old, also was selected in the 2015 with the No. 23 pick. This season he played 62 games and had 84 points (29+55), missing the final 16 games of the season because of a back injury. Boser became the MVP of the 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game. He would be the second Vancouver player in the franchise history to win the Calder Trophy and first since Pavel Bure in 1992.

Clayton Keller (Arizona Coyotes) was the No. 7 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. This season 19-year-old Keller had 65 points (23+42), first among Coyotes rookies since relocation to Arizona in 1996 and second in the League this season. He’s the third Calder Trophy finalist in Jets/Coyotes history.

Hart Memorial Trophy

The Hart Memorial Trophy is awarded to the most valuable player in the NHL regular season, and the Professional Hockey Writers' Association determine the winner by voting.

The trophy was presented to the League in 1923 by Dr. David Hart, father of Cecil Hart, who coached Montreal Canadiens for almost ten seasons and won Stanley Cup twice (in 1930 and 1931). For the first time the trophy was awarded after 1923-1924 NHL season to Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators.

The original trophy given by Dr. David Hart was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1960 and replaced by the new Hart Memorial Trophy.

Nominees this year:

Taylor Hall (New Jersey Devils), a first-time Hart Trophy finalist, and would be the first Devils player to win the Hart. This season he helped his team the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012 with 93 points (39+54). It’s the sixth result by points in the League. And the second-highest scorer on the Devils Nico Hischier had only 52 points, so the difference between them is 41 point.

Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) helped Colorado to get the second wild card from the Western Conference this season with 97 points (39+58) in 74 games. He was fifth in the NHL by points, and had second to Connor McDavid (1.32) points-per-game average of 1.31.

Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings) is a first-time Hart Trophy finalist, too. He had 92 points (35+57), seventh in the League, and helped the Kings reach the playoffs again (they missed it last season). He’s the first Kings player with 90 points since Wayne Gretzky had 130 in 1993-94.

Kopitar also is a finalist for the Selke Trophy.

Norris Trophy

The James Norris Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the NHL player who was the best defenseman during the regular season. The trophy is named in honour of James E. Norris, owner of the Detroit franchise who purchased it in 1932 and re-named the Detroit Red Wings. The first winner of the Norris Trophy is Red Kelly (Detroit Red Wings), he got it after the 1953–54 NHL season.

The winner is selected by the voting of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association members.

Nominees this year:


Selke Trophy

The Frank J. Selke Trophy is an award given to the NHL’s best defensive forward, which is selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association voting after the regular season. The trophy was created by the Board of Governors of the NHL in 1977 and would honour Frank J. Selke, the former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. The first winner of the Selke Trophy was Bob Gainey (Montreal Canadiens) and he won it first four years.

Nominees this year:


Lady Byng Trophy

The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is awarded to most gentlemanly player selected by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season. The trophy was presented by Lady Byng, wife of Canada's Governor-General in 1925 and awarded for the first time to Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators. But after Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times in eight seasons the first trophy was given him to keep and Lady Byng donated another trophy in 1936. After she died in 1949 the National Hockey League presented a new trophy and its official name was changed to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Nominees this year:


Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player who best exemplifies the dedication to hockey, often to ones who has come back after retirement, serious illness or injury. Every NHL team nominates one player and then the Professional Hockey Writers' Association selects the winner by its member’s voting.

The trophy is named in honor of a Minnesota North Stars player Bill Masterton. On January 13, 1968, he got an injury during a game with Oakland Seals and two days later died.

The first winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is Claude Provost (Montreal Canadiens), he was awarded after 1967–68 NHL season.

Nominees this year:


Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award

The Mark Messier Leadership Award was awarded for the first time in 2006–07 NHL season to Chris Chelios (Detroit Red Wings). The winner is selected by Mark Messier, the member of Hockey Hall of Fame. He played in the NHL for 25 seasons, became the second all-time by regular-season games (1756) and third by regular-season points (1887).

Nominees this year:


Jack Adams Award

The Jack Adams Award is named in honor of Jack Adams, the Hockey Hall of Fame member and long-time coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. The winner of this trophy is selected after the regular season end by a voting of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association. The first winner of Jack Adams Award is Fred Shero with Philadelphia Flyers in 1973–74 NHL season (that year they won the Stanley Cup).

Nominees this year:


Ted Lindsay Award

Formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, this trophy was renamed after Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay (Detroit Red Wings) in 2010. It’s awarded to the "most outstanding player" in the NHL regular season selected by the members of the NHL Players Association.

The Ted Lindsay Award (first as Lester B. Pearson Award) have been awarded since 1970–71 NHL season and Phil Esposito (Boston Bruins) was the first winner.

Nominees this year:


King Clancy Memorial Trophy

The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player “who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community”. The award was established in 1988 and named in honour of Francis M. "King" Clancy, Lanny McDonald (Calgary Flames) was the first to won it.

The winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy is selected by a special panel of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and the NHL Broadcasters' Association members.

Nominees this year:


General Manager of the Year Award 

Suggested by Brian Burke in 1993, General Manager of the Year Award was established in 2010 and next year included in the NHL Awards ceremony. Winner is selected by a voting of a special panel included all 31 general managers, five NHL executives and five media members.

Nominees this year: