We’re virtually on the finish of 2024, which suggests we’re virtually half via the 2020s. That jogged my memory of a decades-based thought I’ve had kicking round for some time, and since I don’t have the endurance to attend 5 extra years, we’re doing it immediately.
What if, on the finish of each decade, we went again over the past ten years of main award winners and gave out one bonus award to somebody who’d deserved one however by no means gained?
The thought can be easy sufficient, and it will annoy the kind of people that performatively complain about participation trophies, and people are each good issues. So immediately, I’m going again to the Nineteen Eighties to determine who deserves the bonus trophy for 4 awards: the Hart, the Norris, the Vezina and the Jack Adams. I’m not together with the Selke as a result of I really feel like defensive play is simply too subjective, or the Girl Byng as a result of it isn’t an actual award, or the Mark Messier as a result of I don’t wish to doom anyone. However I feel the massive 4 ought to make for some enjoyable arguments, so let’s do that.
We’ll begin by heading again to a time when the music was nice, the Norris Division was not and everybody had unhealthy hair.
Nineteen Eighties
The Nineteen Eighties Hart Trophy record finally ends up being place to begin as a result of it’s probably the most wide-open situation we’ll encounter. Solely two gamers, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, gained the Hart within the ’80s, so we’ve obtained our choose of just about the complete league. Just a few apparent names leap out, like Peter Stastny (who had extra factors within the decade than anybody moreover Gretzky) and Steve Yzerman (who gained the Pearson, now generally known as the Ted Lindsay, in 1989). However my choose is Marcel Dionne, a two-time Hart finalist and 1980 Artwork Ross and Pearson winner.
The Norris is a bit trickier, with seven totally different real-world winners off the board, to not point out a Seventies winner in Denis Potvin. I considered Borje Salming, however his peak was within the Seventies, as was Brad Park’s. Larry Murphy would have a strong case. However in the long run, I feel we are able to hearken to the voters right here and go together with a participant who was the Norris runner-up thrice within the decade with out ever profitable. Come get your bonus trophy, Mark Howe.
The Philadelphia Flyers retired Mark Howe’s quantity in 2012, however he by no means gained the Norris. (Rob Carr / Getty Photos)
The Vezina solely went again to being one of the best goaltender award in 1982 – earlier than that, it was a stats-based award that was principally what the Jennings is now – however it gave us eight totally different winners in eight years. That finally ends up protecting a lot of the huge names you’d consider from the last decade, and some you most likely wouldn’t. However I’m going to go together with Mike Liut, who gained the Pearson in 1981 and virtually definitely would have gained the Vezina if it was voted on again then. He was additionally a finalist in 1987, so he was hardly a one-hit surprise, and doubtless deserves extra credit score from modern-day followers than he will get.
Lastly, the Jack Adams might be difficult as a result of voters famously hate to provide it to the identical man twice. We do discover historical past’s solely back-to-back winner within the Nineteen Eighties, with Jacques Demers taking the trophy residence in 1987 and 1988, however in any other case the names are everywhere in the map. We will’t choose Glen Sather, Pat Burns or Mike Keenan, and Al Arbour and Scotty Bowman gained within the Seventies. There’s a case for Jacques Lemaire, however since we all know he’s going to win in each the ’90s and ’00s, let’s cheat and move on him. Ultimately, I can’t give you an apparent candidate, so I’ll go together with a beloved title who at the least gained’t get me yelled at. On the power of a .548 file, making the playoffs yearly, a visit to the convention remaining, and a embellished resume outdoors the NHL that shouldn’t depend however can’t damage, we’ll award our Bonus Jack Adams to Badger Bob Johnson.
Bonus Hart: Marcel Dionne
Bonus Norris: Mark Howe
Bonus Vezina: Mike Liut
Bonus Jack Adams: Bob Johnson
Nineteen Nineties
With Gretzky now not hogging the MVP highlight, we get seven totally different Hart winners within the Nineteen Nineties. And in a enjoyable twist, not one of the non-winners had been finalists greater than as soon as, so the sector is large open. I may go together with a homer choose in 1993 runner-up Doug Gilmour, or possibly anyone like 1998 finalist Teemu Selanne and even Yzerman, who wasn’t a finalist in any respect within the decade however was nonetheless very productive. As a substitute, I’m going to return to an old favorite who deserved to be even more decorated than he already was: We get the uncommon blue line Hart win, form of, as Ray Bourque will get his fingers on the trophy he completely ought to have gained in 1990.
Bourque can’t double up for the Norris, an award he gained thrice within the ’90s to go along with his two ’80s wins. I’m additionally going to move on two-time ’90s runner-up Nicklas Lidstrom, since I’ve a nagging feeling he may win a couple of within the 2000s. I took a tough have a look at Phil Housley, and Murphy has a case once more. However I feel the choose here’s a Corridor of Famer who was a finalist within the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s however by no means gained: Scott Stevens.
In aim, the mixture of the legendary Dominik Hasek and Patrick Roy profitable a mixed seven instances and peculiar outlier Jim Carey profitable as soon as leaves us with a lot of floor to cowl. We all know Martin Brodeur will get his within the ’00s, which leaves the door open to some ’90s stalwarts like Mike Richter and Kirk McLean. However in the long run, I’m going to go together with one other private favourite and award our Bonus Vezina to Curtis Joseph, who was unbelievable with three totally different groups within the decade.
Curtis Joseph was a star for the Blues, Oilers and Leafs throughout the 90s. (Ian Tomlinson / Allsport)
The Jack Adams gives just one repeat winner in Pat Burns, so we have now some strong names to contemplate. You would make a case for John Muckler, Terry Crisp and Larry Robinson. However let’s go together with one other fan favourite and award the last decade’s bonus trophy to two-time finalist Roger Neilson.
Bonus Hart: Ray Bourque
Bonus Norris: Scott Stevens
Bonus Vezina: Curtis Joseph
Bonus Jack Adams: Roger Neilson
2000s
We didn’t get a repeat Hart winner within the decade till Alexander Ovechkin in 2008 and 2009, so we’re a bit restricted to find candidates for the bonus model. Two-time runner-up Evgeni Malkin will win the Hart in 2012, so we’ll ignore him. It’s very tempting to go together with Martin Brodeur, who completed third in Hart voting in 2003, 2004 and 2007. However I’m going to play the non-public favourite card yet another time and go together with a three-time finalist who most likely ought to have gained in 2002. Congratulations, Jarome Iginla.
The last decade’s Norris voting was dominated by Lidstrom, who took residence six of the 9 trophies. (Keep in mind that we additionally misplaced a 12 months as a result of lockout.) With earlier winners like Chris Pronger, Rob Blake and Scott Niedermayer additionally banking loads of finalist spots, we aren’t left with a ton of nice choices. So I’m going to go together with a man who was by no means a finalist, however had 5 top-six finishes within the decade, together with 4 in a row. That might be Sergei Gonchar, who bolsters his borderline HHOF case with a made-up Norris.
Sergei Gonchar racked up top-10 Norris votes in Washington and Pittsburgh throughout the 2000s. (Doug Pensinger / Getty Photos / NHLI)
The brand new decade means the Vezina switches from the Hasek present to the Brodeur present, with 4 wins in 5 seasons for the Blues legend. Since Henrik Lundqvist will get his ultimately, we’ll go to the last decade’s different Corridor of Famer and award our bonus Vezina to Roberto Luongo.
The last decade’s Jack Adams gives a distinct winner for each season, together with names like Bob Francis and Invoice Barber that I needed to double-check. Jacques Martin already has one, and Darryl Sutter and Barry Trotz will get theirs ultimately. I used to be leaning towards Peter Laviolette, if solely as a result of he may most likely use some excellent news lately. However I feel the winner right here is definitely two-time finalist Ron Wilson, who spent the last decade having loads of admirable success in Washington and San Jose and in addition coached the Maple Leafs.
Bonus Hart: Jarome Iginla
Bonus Norris: Sergei Gonchar
Bonus Vezina: Roberto Luongo
Bonus Jack Adams: Ron Wilson
2010s
We’ve been constructing towards it, however that is the place we hit full-fledged Hart Trophy chaos, with the last decade providing up ten totally different winners. That also leaves us with some robust candidates, together with two-time finalist John Tavares, 2014 runner-up Ryan Getzlaf, and (particularly) 2018 finalist Anze Kopitar. However ultimately, I narrowed the record down to 2 names: Claude Giroux and Steven Stamkos. Giroux was a finalist in 2014 whereas racking up extra factors than some other non-winner, whereas Stamkos scored extra targets within the decade than anybody moreover Ovechkin whereas ending as Hart runner-up in 2012. It’s a detailed race, however I’m going with the goal-scorer and giving the bonus Hart to Steven Stamkos.
The Norris is a bit simpler, regardless of a strong case for Kris Letang. I feel this one has to go to Shea Weber, who completed second in 2011 and 2012 to go together with a 3rd in 2014, fourth in 2015 and sixth in 2017. He’s up there with Stevens among the many finest defensemen to by no means win a Norris within the trendy period. Besides now, each guys have one.
Shea Weber spent the 2010s as a star in Nashville and Montreal however by no means picked up a Norris. (Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Photos)
The Vezina isn’t fairly as easy, though the sector clears up a bit when you realize that Connor Hellebuyck and Marc-Andre Fleury will win within the 2020s. Combine in Luongo already profitable our bonus trophy final decade, and solely two of the last decade’s winningest goalies are lacking from the Vezina ranks. With apologies to Corey Crawford, this one goes to two-time finalist Jonathan Quick.
Our Jack Adams may be the best name on this complete piece, and the one which obtained me fascinated about this faux award within the first place. There’s a case for Mike Babcock, which is awkward, however we don’t have to fret as a result of Jon Cooper has one way or the other by no means gained a Jack Adams regardless of being broadly acknowledged as one of many league’s finest coaches since being employed in 2013. He’s been a finalist twice, and now has our faux award to go in his trophy case, at the least till the real-world voters give him the actual factor one among these years.
Bonus Hart: Steven Stamkos
Bonus Norris: Shea Weber
Bonus Vezina: Jonathan Fast
Bonus Jack Adams: Jon Cooper
There you go: 16 new awards handed out, in what we are able to name a belated vacation to reward to some deserving-ish winners. Now I’m turning it over to you, for 2 important assignments: Go forward and make the case for anybody you suppose is nonetheless being snubbed, and (extra importantly) please give you title for the once-a-decade bonus award that I can use after I revisit this idea in 2029.
(Prime photograph of Jon Cooper and Jarome Iginla: Mike Carlson / Getty Photos and Ian Tomlinson / Allsport)
