The Toronto Star awards the Lou Marsh Award annually to Canada’s outstanding athlete and this year’s winner is none other than Sidney Crosby. The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar was voted on by a panel of sports editors, reporters and broadcasters.

At 22 years of age, it’s no secret that Crosby is fast becoming one of Canada’s most popular athletes. He already has a Stanley Cup on his resume and currently sits fourth in NHL scoring with 38 points this season.

Crosby’s been down this road before, too, winning the Lou Marsh Award in 2007.

The panel features representatives from the Star, CBC, The Fan 590, Globe and Mail, National Post, Sportsnet, TSN, Toronto Sun and The Canadian Press.

Also in the running for this year’s Lou Marsh Award were downhill world champion John Kucera, NBA star Steve Nash, doubles tennis pro Daniel Nestor, speedskater Christine Nesbitt and mixed martial arts fighter Georges St-Pierre.

Obviously the Lou Marsh Award is a nice thing for Crosby here, giving him even the slightest boost going into the 2010 Olympics where much is expected of the young star forward. While piling up accolades from the press is one thing, I’m sure Sid’s real focus is on nothing less than a golden performance in Vancouver.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Tonight was a special night as the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted a star-studded Class of 2009 into the record books. Forwards Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and defenceman Brian Leetch were inducted as Honoured Members on Monday in the players category, while New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello was enshrined as a builder.

Yzerman, Hull and Robitaille accounted for 2,101 goals over the course of their careers. They all won a Stanley Cup together, too, in Detroit in 2002. And Leetch was certainly no slouch, helping lift the Rangers to their own Cup in 1994.

There’s really no questioning any of these selections for the Hall of Fame, as each has left an indelible mark on the game of hockey.

Yzerman helped transform the Red Wings franchise into a modern juggernaut, joining the team as Detroit’s fourth overall selection in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft and never looking back. After scoring 87 points in his rookie campaign, Stevie Y spent his entire 22-year career with the Wings. During his tenure, the Red Wings won three Stanley Cups, with Yzerman winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1998.

Brett Hull ranks third on the all-time list with 741 goals over his 19-year career. He first got his break with the Calgary Flames in the 1986 playoffs and has since been known as one of the league’s most potent offensive threats. Hull was one of the most consistent players in the league, usually good for over 30 goals a season. He laid out three consecutive 70-goal seasons with the St. Louis Blues and won Stanley Cups with Dallas and Detroit.

“Lucky” Luc Robitaille retired as the highest scoring player at his position in league history, ranking 10th on the all-time list with 668 goals. Not drafted until the ninth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, Robitaille won the Calder Trophy in his debut season with the Los Angeles Kings and followed that up with seven straight seasons of 44 goals or more. His career best season came in the 1992-1993 season where he posted a total of 63 goals.

Brian Leetch was drafted ninth overall by the New York Rangers in the 1986 Entry Draft and would go on to become one of the club’s most popular players in its storied history. He enjoyed his career best season in 1991-1992 when he potted 100 points and won the first of two Norris trophies for his career. Leetch also won the Conn Smythe Trophy with the Rangers after helping them end a 54-year Stanley Cup drought in ‘94.

As for Lou Lamoriello, his contributions to the game of hockey over 40 years go without saying. He is one of the icons of organization, setting up the New Jersey Devils for three Stanley Cup victories during his time with the club and making an impact at the professional and collegiate levels of hockey.

It’s hard to argue with this list of inductees for 2009, as each has made an impact and impression on the game that will be felt for countless generations.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

As of October 28th, there have been 4 confirmed cases of H1N1 in the NHL. The Washington Capitals confirmed Wednesday that forward Quintin Laing is being treated for H1N1. Edmonton Oilers defenceman Ladislav Smid, Colorado Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj and New York Islanders forward Doug Weight have all been previously diagnosed as well.

Over the course of the last century, the NHL has had its share of battles with different ailments. Infections, Cancer (affecting some of the biggest names) and yes…you guessed it…the flu. The story of the flu and its impact on the NHL’s second year is actually quite interesting and tragic at the same time.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1919 that ended up in the cancellation of the Stanley Cup Final…I’ll give you the short version;

Americans and Canadians were celebrating the end of World War I, but were growing more apprehensive about the influenza epidemic that had already ravaged Europe and seemed to be making its way to Canada. The Montreal Canadiens were taking the transcontinental train to the west coast to take on the Seattle Metropolitans for the Stanley Cup.

Upon arriving, there were some questions raised about having so many people in such a confined hockey arena. Large public gatherings were the breeding ground for the flu.

Game one went to Seattle, as they destroyed the Canadiens (feels good to write that!) by a score of 7-2. The Habs rebounded back in game 2 taking Seattle 4-2. The series was tied at one game each.

Game three was yet another pounding by Seattle as they beat Hall of Fame goalie, Georges Vezina 7 times for the second time in the series. It looked like the Metropolitans had Vezina figured out.

Game 4 was described by NHL historian Charles Coleman as “the greatest match ever played on the Pacific Coast”. The Canadiens “Bad” Joe Hall and Seattle’s tough guy Cully Wilson highlighted the night as the game ended in a 0-0 tie and 20 minutes of overtime settled nothing…a scoreless tie in the Stanley Cup final!!

In game 5, the Habs game back from a 3 goal deficit to tie the game. Two goals came courtesy of Newsy Lalonde and another by Jack McDonald. The game was sent to overtime where Montreal’s Odie Cleghorn beat Seattle’s net minder at 15:57 into the extra period to tie the series yet again.

Unfortunately, before the 5th game had ended, Montreal’s Joe Hall was rushed to the hospital with the flu. It hit the series hard with 4 additional players and Montreal manager George Kennedy all being bed-ridden by Spanish flu. Kennedy wanted to continue the series with substitute players from the Victoria team, as Montreal was unable to compete. Seattle opposed the suggestion.

Kennedy forfeited the Cup to Seattle coach Pete Muldoon, but he refused to accept it. The Stanley Cup was never awarded that year, but it will always be remembered for the spirited play and overwhelming sportsmanship of both teams. The Stanley Cup engraving reads as follows;
“1919: Montreal Canadiens, Seattle Metropolitans. Series Not Completed.”

Hall would never see his home arena again as he would die in hospital less than a week after being taken out of the game.

Joseph Henry Hall won two Stanley Cups in his career and was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1961.

Posted By Pat Lynch

The NHL added four new members to the Hall of Fame, selecting Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Brian Leetch, and Luc Robitaille for the 2009 class. The induction ceremony will take place on November 9 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Also, Lou Lamoriello was named to the Hall of Fame as a builder.

According to the CBC, “there were five forwards in their first year of eligibility who combined for more than 3,200 regular-season goals in their illustrious careers: Yzerman, Hull, Robitaille, Dave Andreychuk and Alexander Mogilny.”

It’s great to see Yzerman get into the Hall. He’s always been one of my favourite players and continues to be the epitome of class as the next stages of his career unfold. No other player was more revered in Hockeytown, with the exception of Gordie Howe, than Stevie Y. Drafted by Detroit in 1983, Yzerman ranks sixth in NHL scoring with an impressive total of 682 goals, 1,063 assists and 1,745 points through 22 seasons with the Red Wings.

The Golden Brett also more than deserves his spot this year. With 741 career goals, behind only Wayne Gretzky (894) and Gordie Howe (801), Hull was a dynamic forward with a deadly scoring touch. He once scored 86 goals in a National Hockey League season, a feat bested only by Gretzky’s 92 goal season. Hull will always be remembered for his incredible release and ability to one-time a sharp pass across the ice.

Brian Leetch, the first American-born MVP in the NHL, boasted skating skills and a combination of passing and scoring ability that few defencemen would be able to match. As one of the best defenders of the 90s, Leetch ranks fifth in scoring amongst defencemen with 247 goals and 781 assists for 1,028 points. While Yzerman will forever be identified with the Red Wings, Leetch will forever be a Blueshirt. He spent the majority of his 18-year career with the New York Rangers, helping them win a Cup in 1994.

Lucky Luc leads all left-wingers in the NHL in goals and points. He ranks 10th overall in goals with 668 and sits 19th in total points with 1,394. With three seasons of over 50 goals and four seasons with over 100 points, Robitaille will probably best be remembered for his years with the Los Angeles Kings but finally won a Stanley Cup alongside Yzerman in Detroit in 2002. Robitaille’s 19 seasons in the NHL included tenures in L.A., Pittsburgh, New York (Rangers) and Detroit. His #20 jersey was ultimately retired in L.A.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Alex Ovechkin snagged the night’s two most impressive awards at this year’s incarnation of the NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Winning the Hart Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award, Ovie was the star of what was a very glitzy and glamorous evening.

Even Ovechkin’s arrival screamed Vegas glitz, arriving on the red carpet with a showgirl on each arm and boasting to have won $500 playing blackjack. He also won yet another Rocket Richard Trophy for leading the league with 56 goals, but noted that he’d trade away all of his hardware for a Stanley Cup.

In terms of the voting, Ovie was a runaway winner for the Hart Trophy. He finished with 115 of 133 first place votes, beating Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin and Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk in the first all-Russian group of Hart finalists.

As the first of three awards shows planned for Las Vegas, the NHL really rolled it out with a glamorous show that featured Chaka Khan and Robin Thicke among other celebrity guests.

The Boston Bruins joined Ovechkin as award-winning regulars, with Zdeno Chara winning the Norris Trophy, Claude Julien winning the Jack Adams Award, and Tim Thomas snagging the Vezina for a stellar season. His emotional acceptance speech was one of the night’s most touching highlights. “I never really allowed myself to believe that I might win,” said Thomas.

Detroit’s Datsyuk didn’t go home empty-handed either, winning the Selke and Lady Byng trophies for the second straight year.

The Calder Trophy for rookie of the year went to Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason, while Steve Sullivan of the Nashville Predators won the Masterton Trophy for perseverance and dedication. Roberto Luongo was voted fan favourite and Jarome Iginla won the Messier Leadership Award.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

The scoring champion of the 2008-2009 NHL season is *drumroll* Evgeni Malkin!

Malkin took the Art Ross Trophy, finishing the year with 113 points. Early favourite Alex Ovechkin was a mere three points behind his “rival” with 110. Malkin’s snagging of the trophy marks the 13th time in 21 seasons that a Penguin has taken the prize. He is also the second Russian in history to take the Art Ross. The first? You bet, it was Ovie.

Ovechkin certainly didn’t close off the regular season empty-handed, though. He finished with the most total goals (56) in the NHL and scooped the Maurice Richard Trophy. Ovechkin’s 528 shots was the second-highest shots total in league history, falling just short of the 550 shots that Phil Esposito had in 1970-1971.

Now it’s time to see what Ovie and Malkin can drum up in the post-season, as both players certainly aren’t content with their recent hardware.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

If this year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony has a theme, it should be “About Time!”

Two players that perhaps should have been inducted long ago will finally have their moment on Monday night in Toronto. Igor Larionov and Glenn Anderson are both set to enter the Hall. Linesman Ray Scapinello and junior hockey builder Ed Chynoweth will also be inducted.

For Anderson, one of the greatest clutch players to ever lace the skates, the wait has made him appreciate the moment more. “It took a little longer, but I think I appreciate it a lot more now,” Anderson told ESPN. “I had a long time to think about it, whether it was going to happen or not. Now, I think I’m more able to take it all in. At this stage of my life, I think I will appreciate it more.”

Anderson was a key component to the success of the Edmonton Oilers, winning five Stanley Cups with the team. He represented Canada at the 1980 Olympic Games, as well as twice at the World Championships and twice at the Canada Cup. Anderson also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. In 1129 career games in the NHL, he finished with 1099 points.

Anderson was eligible to be inducted in the Hall of Fame three years in 1995-1996. Overlooked for more than a decade, many feel that the time has come (and then some!) for Anderson to finally join the greats of the game in the Hall. But perhaps absence makes the heart grow fonder for Glenn Anderson.

Anderson told ESPN that he wasn’t sure what went into deciding on a Hall of Fame candidate. “It’s a difficult question for me to answer because I don’t know [what criteria is used],” he said. “If I was sitting on the committee, I’m sure I’d kind of be able to say, OK, what makes this guy get in. Is it the stats? Is it his championships? You know, what is it exactly? And I really don’t know what the guidelines and the criteria is. It’s not written in stone. So I don’t know the answer.”

Regardless of what the answer actually is, I’m sure few hockey fans and even fewer players would make a case for Glenn Anderson to NOT be admitted in the Hall. He deserves it and it will be wonderful to see the ceremony tomorrow night.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

If you want to amaze your friends or at least amaze those friends of yours who are dreadfully out of touch with reality and current events, tell them Alexander Ovechkin will win the Hart Trophy on June 12 and see what happens.

NHL.com featured the pictured shirt today for a few moments, showing fans that they had the jump on things. The league’s website quickly went into damage mode, however, and tried to deny the notion that the Russian superstar would snag the Hart, downplaying it as a possibility.

A spokesman for the NHL, some clown named Frank Brown, released the following statement:

“In an effort to offer our fans the merchandise they want in a timely manner following an event such as the NHL Awards, our licensees prepare product for all possible outcomes. In this situation, the link for one of the possible products became live early through an error by our e-commerce provider. We regret the error and have since taken steps to amend.”

Um, yeah. Right. And what does the NHL do with the Jarome Iginla or Evgeni Malkin shirts when the obvious is revealed and Ovechkin wins the Hart at the awards ceremony? Alex the Great led the NHL with 65 goals and 112 points. Should be a lock, even without the T-shirt.

One can only hope that NHL.com will release a shirt bearing the Stanley Cup winners for next season. If that happens, I’m going to Vegas!

Winning their first NHL title since 2002, the Detroit Red Wings are the Stanley Cup Champions!

It took until game six, which was coincidentally the prediction I (Jordan) iced here. Don’t worry, though, I won’t gloat……much.

The Wings took their time doing it and struggled right up until the final bell, but they finally pushed aside the young Pittsburgh Penguins to win the silver Holy Chalice. With a final score of 3-2 and with the Penguins dangerously close to tying things up in the final seconds of the game, it was a nailbiter right to the end of the matchup.

Once again, the key player for the Red Wings was centre Henrik Zetterberg. His play at both ends of the ice was crucial for them and he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most-valuable player of the playoffs for his efforts. Zetterberg nailed down the Cup for his team and the MVP trophy for himself at 7:36 of the third period with a goal that put the Wings ahead by two goals.

The Red Wings win caps a great season for the club, but it also puts other teams in the league on notice in regards to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They now boast more experience than before and dominated each round of the playoffs up until the Stanley Cup Finals, showing grit and determination beyond their years. The future in Pittsburgh is indeed very bright and Pens fans have no reason to be disappointed in their club’s performance. They made things interesting for Detroit and took away the pleasure of the home ice win.

As for the Wings, the stories are deep. Zetterberg, of course, pulled in the Conn Smythe and was likely the best player on the team throughout the post-season and the regular season. Chris Osgood was solid but not stellar in goal and Detroit’s defence was as tough as ever. They played as a unit and didn’t give up much, even to the flashy Pens. The Penguins worked hard for every inch they took and the Wings never took a shift off in the series.

So there it is. The 2007-2008 NHL has wrapped. For the next couple of weeks throughout the off-season, we’ll be keeping things hopping here at HockeyDraft.Ca with all sorts of discussion about the season that was and the season that will be. I’ll also take a remarkable stab at OFFENDING Gary Bettman and will generate some controversy when I discuss rule changes I’d like to see. I’ll also be doing a sort of Year in Review feature on the NHL’s best teams. Any news on trades, signings, and other stuff will also be featured here. It’ll be a busy summer, so take your laptop with you to the pool and log on often!

Until next time, congratulations to the Detroit Red Wings!

Alexander Ovechkin was formally presented with the Art Ross Trophy for the NHL’s leading scorer and the Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy for the NHL’s leading goal-scorer today.

In an exciting year of hockey, Ovechkin has been one of the league’s most compelling players and the glimpse we saw of him in the post-season was a suitable preview for many years of excellent hockey to come from this terrific young player. The Washington Capitals star had 65 goals and 112 points this season and is in line for the Hart Trophy this season as well.

“I will be happy, but if not, I will be happy,” the easygoing Russian winger said of the prospect of winning the Hart Trophy.

When asked about Sidney Crosby in the playoffs, Ovechkin was a little green. “Well, I’m a little jealous,” he said. “But he’s a great player and they have a great team.” Fans around the league were excited about the prospect of the Capitals meeting the Penguins in the post-season, but alas it was not to be this season.

Ovechkin added that in Crosby’s first time in the playoffs last season, the Penguins lost in five games in the opening round. The Washington Capitals suffered the same fate in Ovechkin’s first trip to the post-season this year.

“I hope next year it will be the same for me and then we’ll be on the same page,” he added.