Category Archives: Hockey News

Report: Lucic, Eriksson ‘high priority’ targets for Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are ready to go shopping July 1.

TSN's Darren Dreger has the details:

Earlier Wednesday, Milan Lucic and the Los Angeles Kings confirmed that the 28-year-old will hit the free-agent market. Born in Vancouver, Lucic had 20 goals and 35 assists in his one and only season on the west coast.

Related: 3 potential landing spots for Lucic

Lucic played out the final season of a three-year, $18-million contract in 2015-16.

Loui Eriksson, meanwhile, had 30 goals and 33 assists in 82 games this past season with the Boston Bruins. The winger will turn 31 on July 17, and wrapped up a six-year, $25.5-million contract.

The Canucks finished second-last in the Pacific Division and third-last in the Western Conference last season, and scored only 191 goals, the fewest in the West and second-fewest in the NHL. It's no surprise that they're looking for offense.

With the Sedin twins under contract for another two seasons, the Canucks want to try and compete while the two are still around.

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Patrick Kane becomes 1st American-born player to win Hart Trophy

Patrick Kane made history Wednesday night.

The Chicago Blackhawks forward won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas, becoming the first American-born player to receive the honor.

Kane won it over Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn.

He is the first Blackhawks player to win the award since Stan Mikita won his second straight Hart Trophy in 1968.

Kane claimed the Art Ross Trophy this season, leading the NHL with a career-high 106 points while appearing in all 82 regular-season games.

He authored a franchise-record 26-game point streak between Oct. 17 and Dec. 13, which was the longest such stretch by an American-born player.

Kane also received the Ted Lindsay Award as the league's most oustanding player as voted on by his peers.

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Holtby takes home Vezina Trophy

After a stellar record-tying season, Braden Holtby is officially the NHL's best goaltender.

The Washington Capitals netminder won the Vezina Trophy by a landslide on Wednesday night at the NHL Awards.

Holtby won 48 games, tying Martin Brodeur's single-season wins record, as the Capitals marched to the Presidents' Trophy. He finished fourth in Vezina voting last year.

The 26-year-old's 2.20 goals-against average was the lowest of his career, and his .922 save percentage was the second-highest he's posted. He's the Capitals goalie of the present and future, signed through 2019-20.

Holtby is the seventh goalie in history to post back-to-back 40-win seasons, and is the third Capitals goalie to win the Vezina, joining Jim Carey (1996) and Olaf Kolzig (2000).

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Kopitar earns Lady Byng Trophy

Anze Kopitar is cleaning up.

The Los Angeles Kings forward won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy on Wednesday night, awarded to the player best combining sportsmanship and ability, shortly after being named the Selke Trophy winner as the league's top defensive forward.

The newly minted Kings captain captured his first Lady Byng over Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov and Loui Eriksson of the Boston Bruins.

Kopitar led the Kings in scoring for the ninth consecutive season with 74 points in 81 games. He also finished second in the league with a plus-34 rating, and only totaled 16 penalty minutes all season.

The 24-year-old Slovenian is the first King to win the award since Wayne Gretzky took it home in 1994.

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Kings’ Kopitar nabs Selke Trophy

Anze Kopitar is hockey's best defensive forward.

The Los Angeles Kings center won the Selke Trophy on Wednesday night at the NHL Awards. It was his sixth time nominated, and the first time he won. He finished second in Selke voting in 2014, and third last year.

After a slow start to his season offensively, Kopitar found his groove and finished with 74 points, his most since the 2011-12 season.

The 28-year-old led all NHL forwards in ice time, averaging almost 21 minutes a game. He took the fifth-most faceoffs, and ranked seventh in the league in faceoff wins. He finished with a beastly 56.6 percent Corsi For rating, according to Hockey Reference.

Kopitar was named the Kings' 14th captain in franchise history last week, taking over for teammate Dustin Brown. The Slovenian is the first Kings forward to ever win the Selke.

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Capitals’ Barry Trotz named NHL’s top head coach

Barry Trotz of the Washington Capitals won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best head coach on Wednesday night.

Trotz earned the honor over Florida Panthers head coach Gerard Gallant and Lindy Ruff of the Dallas Stars.

In his second season with the Capitals, Trotz guided them to the Presidents' Trophy with the league's best record of 56-18-8.

The 53-year-old joined Washington before the 2014-15 campaign after 15 seasons behind the bench with the Nashville Predators.

It's the first time Trotz has won the Jack Adams Award, and the first win by a Capitals head coach since Bruce Boudreau in 2008.

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Tarasenko named NHL 17 cover athlete

Vladimir Tarasenko is the face of hockey.

The St. Louis Blues forward was named the EA Sports NHL 17 cover athlete at the NHL Awards ceremony Wednesday night.

Tarasenko was chosen over San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski.

The Blues sniper edged Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn while Pavelski beat out Edmonton Oilers rookie Connor McDavid to advance to the final round of voting.

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