And the winner is…

Hart Memorial Trophy (League MVP) – Evgeni Malkin

Malkin could well be the only player to amass 100 points and as that stat would suggest, his play has been a level above any other skater. In the second half of the season especially, he has taken over games with multi point nights and at time breathtaking plays.

Honourable Mentions: Steven Stamkos, Claude Giroux, Henrik Lundqvist

Vezina Trophy (Outstanding Goaltender) – Henrik Lundqvist

Extremely close between Lundqvist and Quick for me, their goals against average and save percentage are almost identical. What swung it in favour of “Hank” was his advantage in number of wins and the fact his team is top of the Eastern Conference. Whilst he may have an excellent team in front of him, King Henrik has been dominant all season long, regularly stealing games for the Rangers. Add to that the fact he’s an all round cool dude who plays in a band with John McEnroe and it’s hard to not give it him!

Honourable Mentions: Jonathan Quick, Jimmy Howard, Halak/Elliott

Calder Trophy (Most Outstanding Rookie) – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Tough call this one as Nugent-Hopkins has missed about 20 games, but he wins it because his offensive contributions have been a level above anyone else in this rookie class. At the time of his injury he was comfortably clear of the chasing pack in points and would likely have put up highly impressive totals with 82 games under his belt, considering he has 51 points in only 60. Whilst he has areas to develop in his defensive game, RNH has more than lived up to the expectations of a number one pick in his first season in the league.

Honourable Mentions: Gabriel Landeskog, Adam Henrique, Matt Read

Frank J. Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward) – Patrice Bergeron

If you’re in the running for this award, then you’re an outstanding two-way forward who is an invaluable member of their team. No more is that true than with Bergeron, the fact he is league leader in plus-minus illustrates his superb discipline without the puck as well as his ability to contribute offensively. He has one of the highest faceoff wins percentage and is a classic example of “does the little things well”.

Honourable Mentions: Jonathan Toews, Ryan O’Reilly, Pavel Datsyuk

James Norris Trophy (Outstanding Defenseman) – Erik Karlsson

It’s impossible to ignore Karlsson’s numbers this year, he has been unbelievable and the fact he is 25 points ahead of any other defenseman is ridiculous and his 77 points put him on a par and above many supremely gifted forwards. He has made things happen for the Senators this year and whilst guys like Chara and Weber may be better in their own zone it is the Swede’s overall contribution that makes him the blue liner of the season.

Honourable Mentions: Shea Weber, Zdeno Chara, Nicklas Lidstrom

Jack Adams Award (Outstanding Coach) – Ken Hitchcock

It has been a remarkable turnaround for St Louis since they appointed Hitchcock 13 games into the season. His introduction had an instant impact after getting the team to play a solid if not spectacular brand of hockey, a style that utilises the roster the Blues possess. Of course his goaltending tandem of Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak have performed superbly but he has managed their game time well to get the best out of them. Hitchcock wins this award because his team are this year’s overachievers.

Honourable Mentions: John Tortorella, Dan Bylsma, Barry Trotz

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Dedication To Hockey) – Joffrey Lupul

The intentions of the Masterton are fantastic, but the problem is that it can descend in to a debate of “my injury was worse than your injury”. Each team nominates a player for this award and all of those guys would be worthy of winning. I went for Lupul because he has been outstanding for the Leafs this season, on the back of returning from multiple back surgeries and a blood infection.

Honourable Mentions: Max Pacioretty, Peter Mueller, Tomas Fleischmann