Zdeno Chara didn't win the Norris for best defenseman. That went to perennial winner Nicklas Lidstrom for the 7th time. It's hard to argue against Lidstrom, especially since he's nearing the end of an illustrious career. I personally think Chara's ability to shutdown the top line of an opponent while simultaneously leading the NHL in +/- warrants the award, but maybe next year. And ultimately, Lidstrom has defined that position for this generation of players. It's tough to argue against him being awarded anything.
Chara did take home the Mark Messier Award for Leadership. And that's appropriate. I think Chara proved in the playoffs that he's become a leader. Last year, he struggled to perform in the postseason. This year, he rallied his team, most notable after Horton went down, and led with his words and his deeds.
What pleased me most was that Daniel Sedin didn't win the Hart Trophy for MVP. Corey Perry of the Ducks won that. While I would've given it to Thomas, I'd rather see Perry win it than any other skater. Perry was THE guy on the Ducks, and led them to the playoffs. Sedin was one of many pieces to Vancouver's regular season dominance. It's tough to give an MVP to a guy who literally has a duplicate on his team.
Other awards:
Art Ross (regular season scoring leader): Daniel Sedin - Vancouver
Selke (Outstanding defensive forward): Ryan Kesler - Vancouver
Jack Adams (Coach of the year): Dan Bylsma - Pittsburgh
Jennings (Fewest goals allowed): Roberto Luongo and Corey Schneider - Vancouver
Ted Lindsay (MVP voted by players): Daniel Sedin - Vancouver
King Clancy (Leadership and humanitarian contributions): Doug Weight - NY Islanders
Lady Byng (Skillful and gentlemanly play): Martin St. Louis - Tampa Bay
So it's nice to see that Vancouver gets some trophies anyway. Although I wonder if they'll destroy half their downtown area because Sedin didn't take home the Hart.
