2022 NHL Awards – Page 4

NEW YORK (May 19, 2022) – Andrew Brunette of the Florida Panthers, Gerard Gallant of the New York Rangers and Darryl Sutter of the Calgary Flames are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Jack Adams Award, presented to the head coach who has “contributed the most to his team’s success,” the National Hockey League announced today.

Members of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association submitted ballots for the Jack Adams Award after the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winners of the 2022 NHL Awards will be revealed during the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final, with exact dates, format and times to be announced.

Following are the finalists for the Jack Adams Award, in alphabetical order:

Andrew Brunette, Florida Panthers

Brunette, who joined the Panthers coaching staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2019-20 season, was elevated to interim head coach on Oct. 29, 2021, and led the Panthers to the first Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history as the NHL’s top regular-season team. Florida (58-18-6) set a slew of team records, including total wins (58), home wins (34), road wins (24), points (122), goals for (340), points percentage (.744) and shots per game (37.3). The catalyst to their Presidents’ Trophy run was a franchise-record 13-game win streak from March 29 – April 23, outscoring opponents by nearly two-to-one (64-33) in that span. Brunette is the third Panthers coach voted a Jack Adams finalist in the past seven years and is aiming to become the team’s first-ever winner, following second-place finishes by Doug MacLean in 1995-96 and Gallant in 2015-16, plus Joel Quenneville’s third-place ranking last season.

Gerard Gallant, New York Rangers

Gallant became just the second head coach in franchise history to win 50+ games in his first season. guiding the Rangers (52-24-6, 110 points) to their best record since capturing the Presidents’ Trophy in 2014-15. The team’s overall League position (7th overall) represented its third-best finish in the past 25 seasons. The Blueshirts’ team defense ranked second in the League at 2.49 goals-against per game, holding the opposition to two goals or fewer in 45 games including nine shutouts. The Rangers power play ranked fourth in the NHL at 25.2%, their best success rate with the man advantage in 42 years. Gallant has been voted a Jack Adams finalist for the third time, with his third different club. He finished second with Florida in 2015-16 and captured the award with Vegas in 2017-18. He looks to become the first Rangers coach in franchise history to receive Jack Adams honors.

Darryl Sutter, Calgary Flames

Sutter returned to Calgary in 2021-22 for his second stint behind the bench and oversaw the biggest season-over-season improvement by any team in the League. The Flames, who missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2020-21 (26-27-3, .491), stormed to the Pacific Division title with the NHL’s sixth-best record (50-21-11, .677). They climbed from 19th to 6th in goals-per-game (2.77 to 3.55) and improved from 16th to 3rd in goals-against per contest (2.86 to 2.51). Sutter is a Jack Adams Award finalist for the second time, coming 18 years after his third-place finish in 2003-04 during his first coaching tenure in Calgary. He aims to become the second winner in franchise history, following Bob Hartley’s victory in 2014-15, and would match the feat of his brother Brian Sutter, who won the award with the St. Louis Blues in 1990-91.

History

The award was presented by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association in 1974 in honor of the late Jack Adams, longtime coach and general manager of the Detroit Red Wings.

Announcement Schedule

The series of announcements unveiling finalists for the 2022 NHL Awards concludes Friday, May 20, with the three finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

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Attachments:

JackAdamsFinalists051922.pdf

NEW YORK (May 18, 2022) – Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin and Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon are the three finalists for the 2021-22 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability,” the National Hockey League announced today.

Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Lady Byng Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winners of the 2022 NHL Awards will be revealed during the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final, with exact dates, format and times to be announced.

Following are the finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy, in alphabetical order:

Kyle Connor, LW, Winnipeg Jets

Connor produced the best offensive season of his six-year NHL career, setting personal highs and ranking among the League leaders in shots on goal (4th; 317), goals (t-5th; 47), game-winning goals (t-6th; 9) and points (13th; 93). Connor – who also established career highs in assists (46), power-play assists (20), power-play points (28) and shorthanded goals/points (3) – finished fourth among NHL forwards in average time on ice (21:47) and 12th among all skaters in takeaways (66). He did so while receiving only four penalty minutes during his 79 appearances – the fewest among the League’s top 100 scorers in 2021-22 (minimum: 50 GP). Connor, a first-time finalist, also is the first Lady Byng Trophy finalist in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history and is seeking to become the first Winnipeg player (from the current or original Jets) to capture the award.

Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina Hurricanes

Slavin, the reigning Lady Byng Trophy winner, logged the most total (1,858:52) and average (23:32) minutes for a Carolina defense that allowed a League-low 202 goals en route to claiming its first William M. Jennings Trophy in franchise history and second straight division title. Slavin – who offensively produced career highs in assists (38) and points (42) across 79 games – was assessed only five minor penalties while ranking among the 2021-22 leaders in shorthanded time on ice (2nd; 255:00), average shorthanded time on ice (3rd; 3:14), takeaways (t-4th; 74) and plus/minus (t-12th; +35). He is vying to become the first player (at any position) to win consecutive Lady Byng Trophies since Martin St. Louis in 2009-10 and 2010-11 (w/ TBL) and just the second defenseman to achieve the feat, following Red Kelly in 1952-53 and 1953-54 (w/ DET).

Jared Spurgeon, D, Minnesota Wild

Spurgeon, last season’s runner-up, topped Wild defensemen in goals (10), assists (30) and points (40) to help Minnesota (53-22-7, 113 points) post its best campaign in franchise history. Spurgeon, who is seeking to become the first Wild player to capture the Lady Byng Trophy, established career highs in assists, points per game (0.62) and power-play assists/points (14) while playing just 65 contests in 2021-22. He did so while also receiving only five minor penalties – the seventh time in his 12 NHL seasons he has been assessed 10 or fewer penalty minutes – and playing an average of 21:09. Only two other players, Spurgeon’s Lady Byng Trophy competition, averaged as much time on ice in 2021-22 while being assessed 10 or fewer penalty minutes (minimum: 10 GP): Slavin (23:32 TOI/GP, 10 PIM) and Connor (21:47 TOI/GP, 4 PIM).

History

Lady Byng, wife of Canada’s Governor General at the time, presented the Lady Byng Trophy during the 1924-25 season. After Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times in eight seasons, he was given the trophy to keep and Lady Byng donated another trophy in 1936. After Lady Byng’s death in 1949, the NHL presented a new trophy, changing the name to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Announcement Schedule

The three finalists for the 2022 NHL Awards are being announced through Friday, May 20. The series of announcements continues Thursday, May 19, when the three finalists for the Jack Adams Award will be unveiled.

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