LAS VEGAS — After Patrick Kane added three more awards to his overflowing trophy case, he took a moment to appreciate his new place in American hockey history.
The Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL scoring champion won the Hart Trophy Wednesday night, becoming the first player born and trained in the US to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Kane also claimed the Ted Lindsay Award after his fellow players recognized him as the game’s Most Outstanding Player at the league’s annual postseason awards show in Las Vegas. He even accepted the Art Ross Trophy in recognition of leading the league with his 106-point season — another first for an American player.
“I definitely feel very fortunate,” Kane said. “It’s amazing to me that there’s no American that’s ever won the scoring title or the MVP award, because there’s been so many great American players. You can go right up and down the list, guys like (Chris) Chelios, Brian Leetch, Mike Modano, Joe Mullen, Jeremy Roenick, guys that have had great careers. I don’t know if I was lucky or fortunate to be in that position, but it’s pretty amazing to see some American record you hold now. It’s pretty exciting.”
Kane began his remarkable season under the cloud of a sexual assault allegation made against him in his native Buffalo area last summer. The Erie County District Attorney’s office eventually declined to move forward on the case in November, claiming it was rife with reasonable doubt.
Kane was the runaway winner of the Hart, getting 121 of the 150 first-place votes. Sidney Crosby finished second with 11 first-place votes, while Dallas’ Jamie Benn was third.
At just 27 years old, Kane has already staked out a spot among the best American players in hockey history while winning three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks, although they lost in the first round of the postseason this year.
After several years in which repeat winners dominated the annual awards show, every major trophy went to a first-time winner at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
Braden Holtby of Washington finished fourth in the Hart voting, but won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie. Holtby was rewarded for a remarkable season in which he tied Martin Brodeur’s league record with 48 victories.
His coach, Barry Trotz, won the Jack Adams Award for the first time in 17 seasons behind an NHL bench, recognizing the Capitals’ impressive Presidents’ Trophy season.
Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar took home the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward and the Lady Byng Trophy for his gentlemanly play. His teammate, Drew Doughty, won his first Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman.
Kane’s linemate in Chicago, Artemi Panarin, won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie after scoring 77 points in 80 games. The 24-year-old Russian beat out No. 1 draft pick Connor McDavid of Edmonton, whose outstanding debut was shortened by a broken collarbone.
Kane and Panarin credited each other for their statistical success, along with linemate Artem Anisimov.
In perhaps the most intriguing race, Doughty beat out Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson and San Jose’s Brent Burns for Norris, which went to Karlsson for the second time last year. The lively debate forced voters to decide between pure offensive production and analytical superiority.
While Doughty didn’t match his competitors’ offensive production, voters recognized his two-way prowess for the defense-minded Kings. Doughty led all defensemen in Corsi percentage at 58.9, and he scored 51 points with a plus-24 rating while playing enormous minutes on the Kings’ depleted blue line.
Karlsson scored a whopping 82 points for the Senators, the most by an NHL defenseman in 20 years. Burns nearly matched Karlsson with 75 points, including 27 goals for the Western Conference champion Sharks.
Jaromir Jagr, the Florida Panthers’ 44-year-old leading scorer, was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
