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Thursday, June 12
 
Brodeur on verge of history

ESPN.com

The Stanley Cup has been decided, but the NHL isn't done handing out awards.

New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, who lifted the Cup for the third time on Monday, is in contention to win his first Vezina and Hart Trophies. Should he capture both, he'd join Montreal's Jose Theodore (2002), Dominik Hasek (1997, 1998), Jacques Plante (1962) as the only goaltenders to accomplish the feat.

The winner of the Hart and Vezina, as well as 10 other awards, will be announced Thursday in a televised special from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET).

Voting for the awards is conducted at the conclusion of the regular season.

ESPN.com asked ESPN analysts Brian Engblom and Darren Pang for their picks among the performance-based awards:

Hart Memorial Trophy
Martin Brodeur
Brodeur registered his NHL-record eighth consecutive 30-or-more win season in 2002-03.
The Hart Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association in all NHL cities at the end of the regular season.

  • Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils: First career Hart Trophy nomination ... Won a share of the Jennings Trophy (goaltender on the club allowing the fewest goals, 166) ... Led all goaltenders in victories (41) and shutouts (nine); was fourth in goals-against average (2.02) ... Notched his NHL-record fourth 40-victory season and eighth consecutive 30-victory campaign
  • Peter Forsberg, Colorado Avalanche: First career Hart Trophy nomination ... Captured the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's points leader with 29 goals and 77 assists for 106 points in 75 games ... Also led the NHL in assists and shared the lead in plus-minus (+52)
  • Markus Naslund, Vancouver Canucks: First career Hart Trophy nomination and first in Canucks history ... Finished second among NHL scorers with a career-high 104 points (48 goals, 56 assists) ... Led the NHL in power-play points (54) and game-winning goals (12) ... Finished second in the NHL, behind linemate Todd Bertuzzi, in power-play goals (24)

    Engblom's pick -- Naslund: Naslund had more pressure to be good every night.
    Pang's pick -- Forsberg: Forsberg jump-started the season of Alex Tanguay, who seemed to be lost and going nowhere fast. And while Joe Sakic was on the shelf for 24 games this season, Forsberg lifted the Avs to another division title. Which is significant because at one point, it looked as if they may not even make the playoffs, let alone win their division.

    James Norris Memorial Trophy
    Al MacInnis
    MacInnis filled the defensive and leadership void left by the absence of Chris Pronger.
    The James Norris Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season.

  • Derian Hatcher, Dallas Stars: First career Norris Trophy nomination ... Appeared in all 82 games for the first time in his career; led the Stars in ice time per game (25:51) ... Tallied 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists), most since 1998-99 ... Ranked fifth in the NHL in plus/minus (+37)
  • Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings: Earned his sixth consecutive nomination as Norris finalist; captured the award for the second consecutive year in 2002 after finishing second in 1998, 1999 and 2000 ... Finished third in scoring among defensemen with 62 points (18 goals, 44 assists) ... Led all players in ice time per game (29:20), ranked third in plus-minus (+40)
  • Al MacInnis, St. Louis Blues: Voted a Norris finalist for the sixth time; finished first in 1999, second in 1990 and 1991 and third in 1989 and 1994 ... Led all defensemen in scoring with 68 points (16 goals, 52 assists) in 80 games ... Tied for second on the Blues in plus-minus (+22)

    Engblom's pick -- MacInnis: With Chris Pronger out for most of the season, the 39-year-old MacInnis carried the Blues all year -- amazing.
    Pang's pick -- MacInnis: With the enormous loss of Chris Pronger this season, not only did MacInnis play 30 minutes a game, he also tutored Barret Jackman the entire season. In addition to the Blues uncertain goaltending situation (they used more goaltenders than any other team throughout the season), he slightly edges out Nicklas Lidstrom for this award. MacInnis could be a top three contender for MVP, let alone the Norris Trophy.

    Vezina Trophy
    Marty Turco
    Turco set a modern-day record with a 1.72 goals-against average.
    The Vezina Trophy is an annual award given to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position as voted by the general managers of all NHL clubs.

  • Ed Belfour, Toronto Maple Leafs: His first Vezina Trophy nomination since 1995 and fourth overall; won the award in 1991 and 1993, finished second in 1995 ... Posted a 37-20-5 record, 2.26 GAA, .922 save percentage and seven shutouts in 62 games ... Set a franchise record for wins and became the seventh goaltender in NHL history to reach 400
  • Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils: His fourth nomination as a Vezina finalist; finished second 1997 and 1998, third in 2001 ... Won his third William Jennings Trophy (goaltender on the club allowing the fewest goals, 166) ... Led all goaltenders in victories (41) and shutouts (nine); was fourth in goals-against average (2.02) ... Notched his fourth 40-victory season and eighth consecutive 30-victory campaign
  • Marty Turco, Dallas Stars: A Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time ... Led all NHL goaltenders in goals-against average (1.72) and save percentage (.932) and tied for fifth in shutouts (seven); compiled a 31-10-10 record in 55 games ... Posted a franchise-record 16-game unbeaten streak (12-0-4) from Dec. 29-Mar. 25

    Engblom's pick -- Turco: People said he Turco couldn't be as good as Eddie Belfour ... he was. Pressure goaltending with a flair, on a team that demands winning.
    Pang's pick -- Brodeur: Another 40-win season with one of the best defensive teams in hockey may ensure he wins this award. He may not have faced a lot of shots, but the Devils were always in close games and Brodeur still had to make timely saves.

    Calder Memorial Trophy
    Barret Jackman
    Jackman showed poise beyond his years while patroling the Blues blueline.
    The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season.

  • Barret Jackman, St. Louis Blues: First Blues finalist for the Calder Trophy since Jim Campbell finished third in 1997 ... Led the Blues and finished second among all rookies in plus-minus (+23) ... St. Louis' first choice, 17th overall, in the 1999 Entry Draft
  • Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets: The first Blue Jackets player voted an NHL Awards finalist ... Finished third among NHL rookies in scoring with 39 points (17 goals, 22 assists) in 74 games ... Columbus' first choice, first overall, in the 2002 Entry Draft
  • Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings: The first Red Wings finalist for the Calder Trophy since Nicklas Lidstrom finished second in 1992 ... Led all rookies in scoring with 44 points (22 goals, 22 assists) in 79 games ... Detroit's fourth choice, 210th overall, in the 1999 Entry Draft

    Engblom's pick -- Jackman: Jackman is like a young Scott Stevens. By necessity, he played against top players every night and more than held his own. It's much tougher to play defense at an early age than it is to play forward.
    Pang's pick -- Zetterberg: Most first-year players trail off during the second half of the season, but Zetterberg just got stronger. He was the most prominent rookie during the last three months of the season, even better than Jackman.

    Jack Adams Trophy
    Jacques Lemaire
    Jacques Lemaire turned around the Canadiens and won a Cup with the Devils, but his biggest achievement has been with the Wild.
    The Jack Adams Award is an annual award presented by the National Hockey League Broadcasters' Association to the NHL coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success. The winner is selected in a poll among members of the NHL Broadcasters' Association at the end of the regular season.

  • Jacques Lemaire, Minnesota Wild: A Jack Adams finalist for the second time; captured the award in 1994 with New Jersey ... Led the Wild to a Stanley Cup Playoff berth in its third NHL season with a 42-29-10-1 record for 95 points, a 22-point improvement over 2001-2002 ... The Wild's team goals-against average of 2.14 ranked fourth in the League
  • Jacques Martin, Ottawa Senators: An Adams finalist for the fourth time in seven years; finished first in 1999, third in 1997 and 2001 ... Led the Senators to their first Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season club ... The Senators won the Northeast Division title for the third time in five seasons with a mark of52-21-8-1 for a franchise-record 113 points
  • John Tortorella, Tampa Bay Lightning: A first-time Adams finalist and the first Lightning nominee since Terry Crisp finished third in 1996 ... In his third season in Tampa Bay, led the Lightning to the playoffs for the first time since 1995-96 ... The Lightning mounted a 13-game undefeated streak (7-0-6) from Mar. 7 through Apr. 2 andcaptured the Southeast Division title, edging the Washington Capitals by a single point

    Engblom's pick -- Tortorella: The Lightning made larger strides forward than any other NHL team this season. Tortorella made his players accountable and raised their expectations -- that's a first for this franchise.
    Pang's pick -- Lemaire: Although he's got a great defensive plan, it's not all about systems for Lemaire -- it's about the way he got 20 individuals (not all highly-touted) to believe in one another and brought them together as a team. That's what a coach is supposed to, and he does it better than anyone else.

    Frank J. Selke Trophy
    Wes Walz
    Walz had his best NHL season in 2002-03 as a checking forward with the Wild.
    The Frank J. Selke Trophy is an annual award given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season.

  • Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars: A Selke finalist for the fifth time; won the trophy in 1998 and 1999, was third in 1997 and 2002 ... Led the Stars and was fourth in the NHL in plus-minus (+39) ... Second among Stars forwards in ice time per game (18:47)
  • John Madden, New Jersey Devils: A Selke finalist for the second time; captured the award in 2001 ... Notched a career-high 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) and +13 rating in 80 games ... The Devils allowed just 166 goals, tied with Philadelphia for the fewest in the NHL
  • Wes Walz, Minnesota Wild: A first-time Selke finalist ... Tallied 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in 80 games and posted a +11 rating ... Helped the Wild allow the fourth-fewest goals in the NHL (178), a drop of 60 over 2001-2002 ... Led the Wild in face-offs taken (1,505)

    Engblom's pick -- Lehtinen: For a defensive-minded forward, who cleans up more messes than Bounty paper towels, 31 goals is amazing.
    Pang's pick -- Walz: Although I'm an enormous fan of Lehtinen and feel that he's consistently been the best defensive forward in the game, Walz deserves this trophy based on him going up against the opposing team's best centerman every single game. The centerman is generally the most prominent player, and at only 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Walz was able to combat the very best.

    Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
    Nicklas Lidstrom
    Besides having another steady season, Lidstrom helped fill the leadership void left by Steve Yzerman in 2002-03.
    The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy is an annual award given to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. The winner is selected in a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association at the end of the regular season.

  • Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings: A Lady Byng finalist for the fifth consecutive year; finished second from 1999 through 2001, third last year ... One of two defensemen in 20 years to be voted a Lady Byng finalist (Brian Leetch third in 1992) ... Finished third among NHL defensemen in scoring with 62 points (18-44-62) ... Appeared in all 82 games, assessed 38 minutes in penalties
  • Mike Modano, Dallas Stars: A first-time Lady Byng finalist ... Tied for fourth in the NHL in assists (57), tied for sixth in plus/minus (+34) and 11th in points (85) ... Reached the 600-assist, 1,000-game and 1,000-point NHL Milestones this season ... Appeared in 79 games, assessed 30 minutes in penalties
  • Alexander Mogilny, Toronto Maple Leafs: A first-time Lady Byng finalist ... Led the Maple Leafs and finished 15th in the NHL in scoring with 79 points (33 goals, 46 assists) ... Also led his club in assists, game-winning goals (nine) and shorthanded goals (three, tie) ... Appeared in 73 games, received 12 minutes in penalties

    Engblom's pick -- Modano: You get your money's worth every time you watch Modano play.
    Pang's pick -- Mogilny: Mogilny is a highly-skilled offensive player who always has his emotions in check. I'm sure he gets frustrated out there with hooking and holding and defensive play, yet he's able to maintain his composure.












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