Vegas Golden Knights architect George McPhee earned the General Manager of the Year award Wednesday night after building the most successful expansion franchise in the history of the four major North American sports.

McPhee earned the distinction over Kevin Cheveldayoff of the Winnipeg Jets and Steve Yzerman of the Tampa Bay Lightning after his perceived ragtag roster shocked the hockey world and reached the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural campaign.

The longtime executive ultimately lost to his old club, the Washington Capitals, but his masterful expansion draft and his club's Pacific Division title made this one a no-brainer.

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