Pang's pick -- Sakic: Colorado was consistently the best team all year. It was a banged up team, that had more injuries than people think. Whenever they needed someone to be the most valuable player, Sakic was. I can't imagine the Colorado Avalanche without Joe Sakic this year. I think Mario Lemieux is very close. I think he is right there with Sakic. He was the one that made Jagr go. He was the one who brought that team back to respectability. He was probably every bit as valuable to his team, but Sakic did it throughout the entire year.
Engblom's pick -- Sakic: Adam Deadmarsh, Peter Forsberg and Chris Drury were all out at the same time and Joe was a monster. He scored 12 points (six goals, six assists) points and the Avalanche were 5-2-0. And that was back in November. He was being checked all the time throughout the season. He did a great job of always coming through. he was a man possessed all year.

James Norris Memorial Trophy
(outstanding all-around defenseman)
Voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association

Pang's pick -- Lidstrom: Lidstrom slightly over Ray Bourque. If you look at the Red Wings' defensive unit, he was the guy who played 30 minutes a game. He carried an entire group of players on his back, in my opinion. He could have been an MVP candidate, that's how good he was.
Engblom's pick -- Lidstrom: Lidstrom is not a flashy guy. He makes great plays, he scores goals, he's terrific on the power play. He takes care of things like a surgeon -- you don't even notice what he does or that it was him that did it. He's almost too subtle for his own good. Wings assistant Dave Lewis once called him a self-tuning luxury car. I think that's the best description I've heard about him.

Calder Memorial Trophy
(outstanding rookie)
Voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association

Pang's pick -- Nabokov: Evgeni Nabokov in a landslide. From start to finish, he was the No. 1 goaltender in the league and could very well have been an MVP candidate. He was the top goalie on a contending team, not a top scorere on a poor team.
Engblom's pick -- Nabokov: No one expected this kid to come on and have the kind of season that he did. He gave them a chance to win. He did fall off in the second half, but there is more pressure on a goaltender whether he's young or old. Richards was great and put together a lot of points, but the more difficult situation was Nabokov's.

	Roman Cechmanek was second in the NHL with 10 shutouts.

Vezina Trophy
(outstanding goaltender)
Voted on by NHL general managers

Pang's pick -- Cechmanek: It took so long for everyone to believe in him, yet his team relied on him all along. I pick him only slightly ahead of Dominik Hasek.
Engblom's pick -- Cechmanek: I think Cechmanek did a heck of a job this year. Dominik came on later in the season and Marty played steadily, but Cechmanek was one of the biggest stories. He came out of nowhere, they never expected him to do it. It's not that he just got hot and was on a roll -- he did it all year.

Frank J. Selke Trophy
(outstanding defensive forward)
Voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association

Pang's pick -- Modano: This one to me is a little confusing. In the Stanley Cup finals, Bobby Holik is the one who is told to shadow Joe Sakic, not John Madden. I can't pick Mike Ricci, so I'll go with Modano. They way they play in Dallas, he is asked to do more than a lot of other offensive guys. He always plays against the other team as well as the other team plays against him. I think his work ethic at both ends of the ice has improved tremendously.
Engblom's pick -- Modano: Modano and Sakic are super offensive talents. But this shows how good they are in their own zone. Modano leads the rush and has the puck a lot, but he doesn't try to force things. He always makes the smart play with the puck. With his great speed, Modano works hard to backcheck and covers a tremendous amount of ice. In addition, his puck control is pretty high because of his speed and skill. It's the Bobby Orr theory of defense: When you have the puck, the other team doesn't.

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
(sportsmanship, gentlemanly play)
Voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association

Pang's pick -- Lidstrom: Nicklas Lidstrom plays against the other team's best forwards, he kills penalties and seldom do you see him take a penalty or lose his composure. He's everything that the game is supposed to be about.
Engblom's pick -- Lidstrom: All three are good choices; there is little difference between them because they all meet the criteria. This is almost a pick-'em, but I'd give it to Lidstrom. He has played so well for so long. Had Detroit gone further in the playoffs, we would have been talking about him more. He always plays efficiently and within the rules. Lidstrom doesn't play a really physical game, but he is certainly not afraid of it. He did his usual great job.

Jack Adams Award
(outstanding coach)
Voted on by the NHL Broadcasters' Association

Pang's pick -- Barber: During the course of the regular season, the team's identity changed for the better. They fed off Bill. I thought he established himself as a top coach in helping his team overcome the various injuries and distractions.
Engblom's pick -- Barber: It's a tight call between Barber and Scotty Bowman. When Bob Clarke made the coaching change to Barber, the Flyers were a .500 team. Barber got the players to play for him better than Craig Ramsay did. The Flyers turned it around once Barber became the coach. Bowman didn't get as much credit as he deserved. The Wings had injuries and tough times. Around midseason, Bowman challenged the team, and they seemed to respond. It was more noticeable what went on in Philadelphia and what Barber was able to do.

Also being awarded:

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
(perseverance, sportsmanship, dedication)