Crosby Wins Hart/Pearson; Malkin Wins Calder

[83-Steelers-43]

Crosby wins Lester B. Pearson Award; Malkin receives Calder Trophy
Thursday, June 14, 2007

By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

TORONTO -- Penguins center Sidney Crosby tonight became the youngest player to win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Lester B. Pearson Award, given to the NHL's outstanding player as voted by his peers, and teammate Evgeni Malkin won the Calder Trophy as the league's best rookie at the league's annual awards show.

It was something of a clean sweep for Crosby, who already won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer with 120 points and earlier yesterday was named to the first team on the NHL postseason All-Star team.

In the Hart voting, Crosby led the way with 1,225 points, including 91 of 143 first-place votes. Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo was second with 801 points, New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur third with 763.

Teammates Malkin and Jordan Staal were named to the All-Rookie team.

Malkin, 20, was the second overall pick in the 2004 draft and joined the Penguins last summer after a tense separation from his Russian team. Despite that and a language barrier, he led all rookies and was 18th in the NHL with 85 points.

He received 120 of 143 first-place Calder votes and 1,357 points. Colorado's Paul Stastny was second with 965 points, Staal third with 565.

Staal, 18, scored 29 goals, including a rookie-record and league-best seven shorthanded.

The Penguins' Michel Therrien was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given to the Coach of the Year, but that went to Alain Vigneault of Vancouver. Therrien, in his first full season with the Penguins, guided the team to 105 points, 47 better than a year ago, and to the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

Also on the first All-Star team are right winger Dany Heatley of Ottawa, left winger Alex Ovechkin of Washington, defensemen Niklas Lidstrom of Detroit and Scott Niedermayer of Anaheim and goaltender Martin Brodeur of New Jersey.

The All-Rookie team also includes defensemen Matt Carle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic, both of San Jose, Stastny and goaltender Mike Smith of Dallas.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07165/794186-61.stm

[83-Steelers-43]

The Penguins' Michel Therrien was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given to the Coach of the Year, but that went to Alain Vigneault of Vancouver.

Let me get this straight. We have a guy who completely turned this hockey team around taking it from one of the worst in the league to one of the premier teams in the league in a one year span while having the second youngest team in the league and they give the Jack Adams Award to Vigneault?

I call B.S.

On that note, congratulations to Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. You deserve the accolades.

[X-Terminator]

Congratulations Sid and Evgeni on your very well-deserved awards! I'm a little miffed that Vigneault won the Jack Adams Trophy over Michel Therrien, but I'd rather him win than Lindy Ruff, who had talent out the ass to choose from every night. Vigneault should personally thank Roberto Luongo for his winning the award though, because without him, the Canucks would have been battling the Avs and Flames for the 8th seed in the West.

[83-Steelers-43]

BTW, for those who are interested, they are showing the awards at 11:00 tonight on Versus. They were supposed to show them at 7:00 but Versus screwed up the coverage. Bob Pompeani on "The Nightly Sports Call" called it a "glitch".

Then the NHL wonders why the game doesn't pick up here in the states. The Versus coverage and marketing in general is a disgrace. It's a damn shame for such a great game.

[83-Steelers-43]

And now they have a boxing match cutting into the 11:00 coverage. Earlier they were showing some type of cheesy IFC or mixed martial arts reality show and now this. Wow did Versus drop the ball tonight. What a mess. I would be highly pissed if I were Mr. Bettman. Definately would be making some phone calls to Versus HQ.

[vader29]

Originally Posted by 83-Steelers-43

And now they have a boxing match cutting into the 11:00 coverage. Earlier they were showing some type of cheesy IFC or mixed martial arts reality show and now this. Wow did Versus drop the ball tonight. What a mess. I would be highly pissed if I were Mr. Bettman. Definately would be making some phone calls to Versus HQ.

The NHL needs to go begging and crawling back to ESPN.

[X-Terminator]

Get used to it, Crosby haters.

[Edman]

Coming Soon: A Stanley Cup...I hope...

I agree with Therrien getting the shaft on that one award. If taking a losing Pens team and turning it into a contender with tons of young players in one year doesn't win you an award, I don't know what does.

Oh well, congrats to Sid the Kid. He is as great as advertised.

[HometownGal]

Congrats to both Sid and Evgeni - much deserved accolades!

I am utterly shocked that Therrien didn't get the Jack Adams. What a bunch of manure. I don't think there is an NHL coach out there who deserved that trophy more than he did. Sounds like a little NHL politics to me.

[X-Terminator]

Apparently, it was not Versus' fault the live broadcast was canceled - blame Canada instead...

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/s...ry/GlobeSports

A CBC broadcast truck almost caught fire during the network's telecast of the NHL Awards show from the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto.

Technical problems resulted, the worst of which affected Versus in the United States. The overheated CBC truck caused transmission difficulties forcing the U.S. cable channel to cancel its live telecast. Instead, it aired a World Combat League show and carried a tape delay of the NHL show at 11 p.m. EDT.