LAS VEGAS (AP) — Colorado Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon had a big win at the NHL awards ceremony on Thursday, receiving the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP and the Ted Lindsay Award as the league's best player as determined by the NHL Players Association.
Three other major awards were also presented early Thursday.
Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard was named the league's rookie of the year and won the Calder Memorial Trophy, Winnipeg Jets' Connor Hellebuyck won the Vezina Memorial Trophy as the league's best goaltender and Vancouver Canucks' Quinn Hughes won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defenceman.
MacKinnon won both awards for the first time this season, scoring a career-high 140 points and opening the season with a 35-game home point streak, second all-time behind Wayne Gretzky.
MacKinnon finished the season with 54 goals and 89 assists.
He won the Hart Trophy beating out Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, and he won the Lindsay Trophy beating out Kucherov and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
One of the most promising prospects in recent memory, Bedard was the No. 1 overall pick by the Blackhawks in last year's draft and led all rookies in scoring with 61 points. He also led the team in goals with 22 and was tied for first in assists with 39.
Other candidates include Brock Faber of the Minnesota Wild and Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils.
Hellebuk, who also won the Vezina Trophy in 2020, allowed a 2.39 goals per game, had a .921 save percentage and recorded five shutouts. Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers and Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks were also finalists.
Hughes, who won his first Norris Trophy, led defensemen with 92 points and 75 assists and also scored 17 goals. Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators and Cale Makar of the Avalanche were also nominated.
The previously announced awards are:
— Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov won his second Selke Trophy in four years as the best defensive forward.
— Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jacob Slavin won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, awarded for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct. He also won the trophy in 2021.
— Rick Tocquet won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Coach of the Year after leading the Vancouver Canucks to the Pacific Division title.
— Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill won the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.
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