We are here for the 2019 NHL Awards. Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone is a finalist for the Selke. It’s a steep dropoff from four award winners a year ago. It’s still expected to be a jam-packed night. Follow along.
4:03 p.m. PT — We are here (featuring SinBin and LVSportsBiz.com)
#NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/JOPHDMMVyQ
— Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) June 19, 2019
5:08 p.m. PT — Kenan Thompson needs to be the host forever.
The great comedian from SNL and “All That’ fame said his favorite players were Ryan Reaves and Malcolm Subban. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. We’re all trying to figure out why as well.
And with the burn of the night to the Tampa Bay Lightning: “Congrats for a record-setting 62 wins. And congratulations for setting the record for fewest wins in playoff history.”
Good lord.
Kenan Thompson with the early Tampa Bay chirps 😭😂 pic.twitter.com/3jM5pw2FxZ
— Hockey Central (@HockeyCentraI) June 20, 2019
5:11 p.m. PT — Elias Pettersson wins the Calder.
As a shock to absolutely no one, the Vancouver Canucks forward wins the award for the rookie of the year, beating out St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington and last year’s No. 1 pick Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres.
Pettersson obtained 151 first-place votes. Binnington came in second, while Dahlin finished third. Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen finished fourth.
5:26 p.m. PT — Sasha Barkov wins the Lady Byng
The Florida Panthers captain ran away with the voting with 128 first-place votes. He also came out with the zingers.
Ya burnt! pic.twitter.com/0P0H1EryCt
— Yahoo Sports NHL (@YahooSportsNHL) June 20, 2019
And here’s what he had to say afterwards, a rather tame Barkov.
5:30 p.m. PT — Boston’s Don Sweeney wins the GM of the Year
The two Cup finalists, Sweeney and St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong, finished 1-2. Sweeney finished with 80 points, 13 ahead of Armstrong.
How about George McPhee getting one second-place vote?
5:42 p.m. PT — Las Vegas native Jason Zucker wins King Clancy
The Minnesota Wild forward wins the award that best exemplifies work in their community. Zucker and his wife Carly have raised $1.2 million through their GIVE16 campaign benefiting the Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital.
5:58 p.m. PT — Mark Giordano wins the Norris Trophy
Not even close by being the best defenseman all year long.
6:03 p.m. PT — Auston Matthews named NHL 20 cover athlete
Well, that’s a thing. Please be better, game.
6:13 p.m. PT — Robin Lehner wins Masterton Trophy
Well deserved for a wonderful human being.
6:17 p.m. PT — Tony Babcock is some weird human
I’ve had to run in-between interviews and back here to catch up on this blog. I’d like to thank Tony Babcock for being one hell of a distraction in helps of getting caught up. I’d also like to think the special Russian sauce they’re talking about, or whatever, is some damn weird shit.
6:23 p.m. PT — Ryan O’Reilly wins Selke Award
The St. Louis center caps off a wild month for him with winning the award that goes to the best defensive forward in the game. Vegas forward Mark Stone finished second, receiving 42 first-place votes to O’Reilly’s 48. Stone was 120 points behind O’Reilly in the voting, while Boston center Patrice Bergeron finished in third. Golden Knights center William Karlsson received a third- and fourth-place vote.
6:31 p.m. PT — KENAN AND KEL TAKE THE STAGE
OH MY GOD OH MY GOD I NEED A DAMN ORANGE SODA
OH MY GOD IT IS HAPPENING. pic.twitter.com/Qc0u5bsA6X
— Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) June 20, 2019
Meanwhile, Barry Trotz just won the Jack Adams. He is holding a burger and talking with Kenan and Kel, and this is everything one could’ve ever imagined. Holy hell.
6:39 p.m. PT — Awesome moment with Carey Price
If you haven’t read the story of Anderson Whitehead and Carey Price, get on that.
6:49 p.m. PT — Andrei Vasilevskiy wins the Vezina
Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury finished fourth, his highest ever finish for the award. He was six points behind Lehner from being named a finalist. One of these days, Flower will get the nod. At least it needs to happen while he’s still in Vegas.
6:58 p.m. PT — I heard LaVar Ball’s name and damn-near died.
But it was just Kenan Thompson making fun of him and saying Lonzo Ball has been traded to the Penguins for Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and 20 first-round picks. I would pay for that, actually.
7:07 p.m. PT — Wayne Simmonds wins the Messier Leadership Award
Very deserving for his work in the community while he was in Philadelphia. The power forward was traded to Nashville at the trade deadline. Also, this is for the Flyers fans that write for this site because they pestered me into doing it.
7:19 p.m. PT — Nikita Kucherov wins the Hart Trophy
The NHL’s version of Dirk Nowitzki, and that’s so painful for me to type.