The remainder of the National Hockey League Awards were handed out on Thursday at a ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada and two Canadians were honoured. Colorado Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon of Halifax, Nova Scotia won the Hart Trophy (which is presented to the NHL’s most valuable player) and the Ted Lindsay Award (which is presented to the best player as voted by players within the NHL Players’ Association). Meanwhile, Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard of North Vancouver, British Columbia won the Calder Trophy presented to the NHL’s top rookie.
MacKinnon led the NHL with a career-high 405 shots on goal. He also had 51 goals and 89 assists for 140 points in 82 games. MacKinnon was a +35, with 42 penalty minutes, 48 power-play points, nine game-winning goals, 607 faceoff wins, 69 blocked shots, 55 hits, 42 takeaways, and 82 giveaways. MacKinnon also had career highs in goals, assists, points, plus/minus, power-play points, and blocked shots.
In the history of the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche organization, two other Avalanche players have won the Hart Trophy. MacKinnon follows Canadian Olympic gold medalist Joe Sakic of Burnaby, British Columbia and Peter Forsberg. Sakic, who won the gold medal for Canada at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, was honoured in 2000-01, and Forsberg was honoured in 2002-03. Sakic, meanwhile, is the only other Avalanche player to win the Ted Lindsay Award as he was honoured in 2000-01.
Bedard had 22 goals and 39 assists for 61 points in 68 games. He was a -44 with 28 penalty minutes, 21 power-play points, two game-winning goals, 206 shots on goal, 207 faceoff wins, 27 blocked shots, 54 hits, 47 takeaways, and 57 giveaways.
Bedard’s first NHL game-winning goal came on November 9, 2023 in a 5-3 Blackhawks win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bedard scored from Nick Foligno and Philipp Kurashev with eight seconds left in the first period. At the time, the Blackhawks were up 4-2.
Bedard’s second NHL game-winning goal came on December 27, 2023 in a 2-1 Blackhawks win over the Winnipeg Jets. Bedard scored his first career NHL overtime winner at 2:15 of the extra frame from Anthony Beauvillier of Sorel-Tracy, Quebec and Alex Vlasic.
Bedard becomes the 10th Blackhawks player to win the Calder Trophy. He follows goaltender Mike Karakas (1935-36), centre Cully Dahlstrom (1937-38), right winger Ed Litzenberger of Neudorf, Saskatchewan (1954-55), centre Bill Hay of Lumsden, Saskatchewan (1959-60), goaltender Tony Esposito of Sault. Ste. Marie, Ontario (1969-70), Steve Larmer of Peterborough, Ontario (1982-83), goaltender Ed Belfour of Carman, Manitoba (1990-91), Patrick Kane (2007-08), and Artemi Panarin (2015-16).
