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Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is the NHL’s Hart Trophy winner for the 2024-25 season.

The Hart is awarded annually to the player “adjudged to be the most valuable to his team.” The Jets’ veteran netminder was just the third goalie in the past 10 years to be a finalist for the Hart. He’s the first goalie to win it since Carey Price in 2015, and just the fourth at the position overall.

Hellebuyck also won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender, the third time he’s earned that distinction in his career (2020, ’24), and in so doing became the first goalie to win the Hart and Vezina trophies in the same year since Price a decade ago. He was a nearly unanimous choice for the title, earning 31 of 32 first place votes from the NHL’s general managers. Hellebuyck got 81 of 191 first-place votes for the Hart, as voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl was second in votes.

Both honors were handed out during the league’s award show on Thursday prior to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. The broadcast showed footage of Hellebuyck’s family surprising him with the trophies earlier this spring at their home in Michigan. Hellebuyck’s goaltending partner in Winnipeg, Eric Comrie, was also part of the reveal.

“Looking back, I’ll probably picture this day as one of the greatest of my career,” said Hellebuyck of receiving the two trophies.

Hellebuyck had a dominant regular season for the Jets, collecting a league-leading 47 wins as Winnipeg paced the NHL in points to earn the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy. He also led qualified goalies in shutouts (8) and goals-against (2.00) with the second-best save percentage (.925). Hellebuyck’s season also included one eight-game win streak and an 11-game point streak (9-0-2).

The success Hellebuyck generated in the regular season didn’t translate for Winnipeg in the playoffs. He posted a 6-7 mark through two rounds, with an .866 SV% and 3.08 GAA. Hellebuyck was pulled three times in the Jets’ first-round series against St. Louis, which Winnipeg eventually won in seven games. The Jets were then downed by Dallas in their second-round series.

Hellebuyck follows Dominik Hasek (1996-97 and 1997-98 with Buffalo), Jose Theodore (2001-02 with Montreal) and Price (2014-15 with Montreal) as the only goalies to win the Hart in the expansion era (since 1967-68), according to ESPN Research.

The NHL previously announced winners of its other top awards, each with its own unique unveiling similar to Hellebuyck’s.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov won the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the league’s most outstanding player as chosen by the players. Kucherov – who had a league-leading 84 assists in the regular season – had also been a finalist for the Hart Trophy.

Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov was awarded the Selke Trophy, given to the league’s best defensive forward. It was the third Selke win for Barkov (2021, ’24), who helped Florida achieve top 10 finishes in goals-against per game (7th), shots-against per game (5th) and penalty kill efficiency (10th). Barkov also won the King Clancy Trophy, given to the player who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar earned the Norris Trophy, given to the defense player who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability. It was the second Norris win of Makar’s career after a regular season where he led all NHL blueliners with 30 goals and 92 points.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson won the Calder Trophy, given to the league’s most proficient rookie. Hutson led all freshmen with 66 points, and his 60 assists tied Larry Murphy for the NHL’s single-season record by a first-year skater.

Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar took home the Lady Byng Trophy, given to the player who best exemplifies gentlemanly conduct. He’s the 10th skater to win the award three times in this career (2016, 2023). Kopitar was assessed just two minor penalties in the regular season while collecting 21 goals and 67 points.

Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery won the Jack Adams Award, given to the coach who contributed most to his team’s success. Carbery – in his second season behind the Capitals’ bench – led Washington to a 51-22-9 record and first place finish in the Eastern Conference.

Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin won the Mark Messier Award for Leadership.

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Bruins show love to emotional Marchand in return

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Bruins show love to emotional Marchand in return

BOSTON — The Little Ball of Hate still has a lot of love back in Boston.

Brad Marchand appeared to be holding back tears on the ice when the TD Garden crowd gave him a standing ovation Tuesday night during his first game as a Bruins opponent. The 37-year-old forward tapped his heart, wiped his face and waved to the crowd as both teams banged their sticks against the ice and even the referee and each linesperson clapped along.

The last remaining member of Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team, Marchand was traded to the Panthers last season for another chance at a title. He helped Florida complete its pursuit of back-to-back championships, while the Bruins plummeted to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

In his first game back as a Panther, the Boston crowd cheered him off the ice after the pregame warmups, as the TD Garden DJ played a mashup of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Marchand responded with a stick salute as he headed off via the visitors bench.

Fans wearing Marchand’s Boston and Florida No. 63 jerseys cheered again during introductions for the former Bruins captain. (They booed when he drew a tripping penalty just 33 seconds into the game, then gave a mixed reaction when the Panthers scored on the power play — a goal that first appeared to be Marchand’s but was credited to Mackie Samoskevich; Marchand picked up an assist.)

But things got really emotional during a commercial break midway through the first period, when the scoreboard showed a highlight reel from Marchand’s time in Boston — including shots of him raising the Stanley Cup, and ending with him posing with the captain’s “C” that he wore for just one full season.

Florida ended up winning the game, 4-3, on a last-minute goal.

A four-time All-Star who had 422 goals and 554 assists in 16 seasons in Boston, Marchand remains in the Bruins’ top 10 for goals, assists, short-handed and overtime goals, playoff goals and points. His 1,090 games played is fourth in team history, one spot ahead of Don Sweeney, the general manager who dealt him to Florida at the trade deadline.

Marchand did play in the TD Garden as a visitor in February when he suited up for Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Although he was still a member of the Bruins, the Boston fans booed him.

He was traded to Florida a few weeks later as Boston sold off its roster and began a rebuild. But when the Panthers visited for the Bruins’ first home game after the trade deadline, Marchand was injured and skated on the Garden ice only in practice.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Back from IR, Oilers D Walman nets winner in OT

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Back from IR, Oilers D Walman nets winner in OT

OTTAWA — Defenseman Jake Walman, activated from injured reserve on Monday after missing the season’s first six games with an injury, scored in overtime on Tuesday night, lifting the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Walman, a late-season acquisition last year who helped Edmonton back to the Stanley Cup Finals, was injured in a preseason game on Sept. 21, but the 28-year-old veteran picked up where he left off on Tuesday. He finished with 25 shifts across 18:51 of ice time, and registered four blocks.

The Oilers wrapped up their five-game road trip and handed the Senators their second consecutive loss on home ice.

The Senators scored twice in a span of 1:25 to tie the game 2-2 early in the third. Ottawa got on the board after winning a puck battle along the boards. Drake Batherson dished a pass to Dylan Cozens who scored on the power play past Stuart Skinner, who made 19 saves. Just over a minute later Thomas Chabot beat a screened Skinner to tie the game.

The Oilers opened the scoring late in the first with a power-play goal when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins fed Connor McDavid, who snapped a shot from the top of the faceoff circle for his first of the season.

Edmonton extended its lead to 2-0 just 49 seconds into the second period after a turnover by the Senators. Leon Draisaitl skated in before sliding a pass back to rookie Isaac Howard, who beat Linus Ullmark, who finished with 22 saves, for his first career NHL goal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Hughes’ 3rd career hat trick lifts surging Devils

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Hughes' 3rd career hat trick lifts surging Devils

TORONTO — Jack Hughes registered the third hat trick of his NHL career, and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Cody Glass and Brenden Dillon also scored for New Jersey, and Jake Allen had 23 saves. Jesper Bratt added three assists for the Devils, who have won five in a row since opening the season with a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

John Tavares and Matias Maccelli scored for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz stopped 30 shots. William Nylander had two assists for the Maple Leafs, who have lost two in a row and four of six after a season-opening win.

Toronto led 1-0 after the first period before giving up three goals in the first five minutes of the second much to the dismay of the home crowd at Scotiabank Arena.

Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev left with an upper-body injury during a second-period penalty kill after he collided with Devils center Dawson Mercer.

Toronto challenged New Jersey’s first goal for goaltender interference only to see the call on the ice stand. The Devils went on the power play with the ensuing delay-of-game penalty, and Glass made it 2-1 moments after Tanev skated off to the locker room.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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