Buffalo Goaltender Hasek Nabs Awards
On a night when Buffalo’s Dominik Hasek was a big winner at the NHL awards ceremony in Toronto, Vladimir Konstantinov was in just about everyone’s thoughts.
Hasek walked off with the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player and the Vezina as the best goaltender on Thursday night.
In pulling off the rare double, Hasek became the first goalie to win the Hart since Montreal’s Jacques Plante won in 1962. Hasek, who earlier in the day won the Lester B. Pearson Award as MVP voted by the players, overcame a strong challenge from Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux.
Lemieux, the NHL’s leading scorer and five-time winner of the Hart, announced his retirement right before the playoffs and was considered the sentimental favorite for the award.
Meanwhile, the ceremony had its emotional moments as just about every award recipient mentioned Konstantinov in their speeches. Konstantinov, who was injured in an auto accident less than a week after helping the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup, is in critical condition at a Detroit-area hospital.
Konstantinov, a finalist in the Norris Trophy voting for the league’s best defenseman, was beaten out by the New York Rangers’ Brian Leetch.
The Hart award capped a remarkable year for Hasek. He won a career-high 37 games, with five shutouts and a goals-against average of 2.27, and led an overachieving Sabres team to the Northeast Division title.
Hasek also led the league in save percentage (.930) for the fourth year in a row.
The award was voted on by writers before the playoffs, when the injured Hasek struggled and was suspended for three games for physically threatening a sports writer.
Buffalo players copped three individual awards at the annual postseason ceremonies. Hasek’s teammate Mike Peca won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward.
And Buffalo coach Ted Nolan completed a big night for the Sabres by winning the Adams Trophy as coach of the year.
Hasek was also named to the NHL’s First All-Star Team, along with Lemieux, Anaheim’s Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, Leetch and Sandis Ozolinsh, the other finalist for the Norris.
Other award-winners: Kariya won the Lady Byng Trophy as the NHL’s most sportsmanlike player; Bryan Berard of the New York Islanders won the Calder as rookie of the year and San Jose’s Tony Granato the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Hasek beat out Colorado’s Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils for the Vezina.
Leetch, who won his second Norris Trophy, led all defenseman in scoring with 20 goals and 58 assists.
Vancouver’s Trevor Linden received the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice and who has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.”
Lightning sign Huscroft
The Tampa Bay Lightning signed veteran defenseman Huscroft to a multiyear contract.
Huscroft, 30, appeared in 52 games with the Lightning and Calgary Flames last season, collecting five assists along with 151 penalty minutes and a minus-two rating. The Lightning acquired Huscroft from Calgary in a March 1997 trade for 21-year-old goaltender Tyler Moss.