Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was named the winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."

Letang suffered the second stroke of his career in November but miraculously returned to the Pens' lineup less than two weeks later. The 36-year-old led all Penguins skaters in average ice time (24:51) and led the club's defensemen with 41 points in 64 games.

Letang spoke further about the meaning of winning the award.

Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller and Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock were the other two finalists.

Keller suffered a gruesome leg fracture at the end of the 2021-22 campaign but returned on time to start the 2022-23 season. He tallied a team-leading 86 points while playing all 82 games.

Stalock was limited to just one NHL game over the previous two seasons due to a myocarditis diagnosis but was stellar in 2022-23. He posted a .908 save percentage in 27 games for the rebuilding Blackhawks.

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San Jose Sharks rearguard Erik Karlsson took home his third career Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman for his stellar 2022-23 campaign.

New York Rangers blue-liner Adam Fox and Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar were the other two finalists.

The Professional Hockey Writers Association votes on the award. Here are the full results:

Karlsson, 33, led all defensemen with 25 goals and 101 points in 82 contests while averaging 25:37 minutes of ice time per game. He is the first blue-liner to eclipse the 100-point mark since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.

The Swede ranked fourth in the league with 74 points at even strength, trailing only Connor McDavid, David Pastrnak, and Nathan MacKinnon. Karlsson also placed fourth among all rearguards in wins above replacement (3.1) and goals above replacement (18.3).

San Jose struggled mightily whenever Karlsson wasn't on the ice. Opponents outscored the Sharks 124-72 in the almost 2,326 minutes when their star defenseman was on the bench at five-on-five this campaign.

Karlsson previously won the Norris Trophy in 2012 and 2015. He is the ninth defenseman to win the award at least three times, joining Doug Harvey, Pierre Pilote, Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque, Chris Chelios, and Nicklas Lidstrom.

Fox, 25, ranked eighth among all blue-liners with 72 points (12 goals, 60 assists) in 82 matchups while tying Carolina Hurricanes rearguard Jaccob Slavin for the most takeaways (88). Fox took home the Norris Trophy in 2021.

Makar, 24, was his typically impressive self despite an injury-ridded campaign. He contributed 66 points (17 goals, 49 assists) in 60 contests while leading the league in average ice time (26:23). Makar won the hardware in 2022.

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey)

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Boston Bruins bench boss Jim Montgomery won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year after guiding his club to a historic regular season in 2022-23.

The Bruins established new NHL benchmarks for points (135) and wins (65) in a single season in what was Montgomery's first year in Boston. A two-way powerhouse, Boston scored the second-most goals and allowed the fewest. The team boasted the No. 1 ranked penalty kill and the 12th-best power play.

The Bruins were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Florida Panthers, but the award is determined at the end of the regular season by a poll among the NHL Broadcasters' Association.

Montgomery was previously the head coach of the Dallas Stars before he was fired in 2019 for unprofessional conduct. He checked himself into rehab for alcohol abuse less than a month after his dismissal.

"For those who struggle out there, you can change, you can affect change within yourself, and it doesn't happen alone," Montgomery said during his acceptance speech. "You need a team. You need a community."

Lindy Ruff of the New Jersey Devils and Dave Hakstol of the Seattle Kraken were the two other finalists. The Devils snapped a four-year postseason drought and set a new franchise record for points (112). The Kraken, meanwhile, made the playoffs for the first time ever in their second season.

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Calgary Flames veteran Mikael Backlund won the 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy on Monday.

The award is given to the player who "best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community."

Backlund edged New York Islanders captain Anders Lee and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse to earn the honor.

All 32 teams nominated a player for the award. Finalists were chosen by an executive committee led by commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly.

Backlund is an ambassador for the ALS Society of Alberta, Kids Cancer Care, and Special Olympics Calgary, among other initiatives.

"I’ve always been inspired by people who help others that struggle," Backlund said. "I am aware that I have been given the opportunity to live a privileged life and know that a small gesture from me can mean the world to other people."

Backlund has spent his entire career with the Flames after being drafted 24th overall in 2007.

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Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron won his sixth career Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward.

The award is voted on annually by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association at the end of the regular season and is presented "to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game."

Bergeron took home the coveted honor for a record fifth time last season. This victory marks the second time he's captured the award in back-to-back campaigns.

He received all but nine first-place votes. One voter left him off the ballot entirely.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner and New Jersey Devils forward Nico Hischier were the other finalists.

Bergeron was again a fantastic two-way force for the Bruins in his 19th NHL season. The 37-year-old potted 58 points (27 goals, 31 assists) in 78 contests and averaged 17:24 of ice time per game as the Bruins' top center. Bergeron won 61.1% of his faceoffs while taking the second-most draws in the league (1,706).

The veteran posted some of the top underlying numbers among all players to see at least 500 minutes at five-on-five: The Bruins controlled 63.2% of the expected goals, 62.7% of the scoring chances, and 60.4% of the shots while outscoring opponents 46-18 with Bergeron on the ice.

Bergeron also had 38 takeaways compared to just 21 giveaways and ranked fourth among all NHL forwards in defensive goals above replacement (6.5).

Marner led all skaters with 104 takeaways while averaging the fifth-most ice time (21:17) out of all forwards. He also averaged the most shorthanded time per game (2:17) out of the three finalists while leading the Maple Leafs with 99 points in 80 games.

Hischier paced the Devils with 64 takeaways and ranked second on the team with 80 points (31 goals, 49 assists) in 81 outings while leading New Jersey forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:06).

Marner and Hischier were both first-time nominees for the Selke Trophy.

(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving Hockey)

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Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos won the Mark Messier Leadership Award on Monday.

The honor has been given annually since 2007 to "the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season." Nominees are suggested from fans and NHL team personnel, but the winner is selected by Messier.

More to come.

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A full weekend of sports to recap with Matt and Blake plus you can really start to feel the NHL off season buzz in today’s show! Draft week talk and free agency throughout, including with Patrick Johnston, who goes into his guesses for the week to come, plus some info on the late Gino Odjick. Also, Rink Wide: Vancouver's Jeff Paterson stops by and gives his thoughts on the likelihood of the Canucks moving up or down at the draft, draft options at 11 and more. We wrap up the show with the old debate of “Best player available vs drafting for need” as the topic for the latest instalment of SvP. Presented by Applewood Auto Group

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The Chicago Blackhawks acquired forwards Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno from the Boston Bruins for defensemen Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula, the teams announced Monday.

Hall has two seasons remaining at a $6-million cap hit. The 2018 Hart Trophy winner tallied 36 points in 61 games last season while playing 15:56 per game, the lowest scoring rate and ice time of his career.

The 31-year-old scored 20 goals and 61 points in the first season of the four-year contract he signed with the Bruins in 2021-22. Chicago wasn't on his 16-team no-trade list, according to TSN's Chris Johnston, meaning Boston didn't have to seek his permission for the trade.

Foligno is a pending unrestricted free agent. The 35-year-old had a bounce-back season in Boston, scoring 10 goals and 26 points in 60 contests. He had a $3.8-million cap hit last season, and the Blackhawks are hopeful to sign the veteran, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

Mitchell spent the majority of the campaign in the NHL with Chicago, playing 35 games and registering eight points. He totaled 16 points in 82 career contests over a three-year span. The 24-year-old right-shot blue-liner played his freshman season at the University of Denver under Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery.

Regula scored 21 points in 51 AHL games this past season. The 22-year-old played 22 NHL games over a three-year span, tallying one goal. The right-shot defenseman is listed at 6-foot-4 and was originally drafted by the Detroit Red Wings.

Both Mitchell and Regula are pending restricted free agents and will require waivers in the fall.

The Bruins were in desperate need of cap space entering the offseason. Boston had less than $5 million to work with on a roster of 15 players, per CapFriendly.

Hall gives the Blackhawks a prime candidate to feature alongside presumptive No. 1 pick Connor Bedard. The 17-year-old phenom tallied 71 goals and 143 points in the WHL with the Regina Pats this season.

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