blank'/> THE PUCK REPORT: 2017

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

2017 NHL Individual Awards Winners

When it comes to the NHL Awards, a handful are earned on statistical achievement while the rest are won through votes cast by various organizations depending on the award. The chart below shows the award winners for the 2017 NHL season.

NHL Award              Winner 
Conn Smythe Trophy                              Connor McDavid
Art Ross Trophy Connor McDavid
Maurice Richard Trophy Sidney Crosby
Hart Trophy Connor McDavid
Ted Lindsay Award Connor McDavid
Selke Trophy Patrice Bergeron
Norris Trophy Brent Burns
Vezina Trophy Sergei Bobrovsky
Jennings Trophy Braden Holtby
Calder Trophy Auston Matthews
Jack Adams Award John Tortella
GM of the Year David Poile
Bill Masterton Trophy                        Craig Anderson
Lady Byng Trophy Johnny Gaudreau
King Clancy Trophy Nick Foligno
Foundation Award Travis Hamonic
Messier Award Nick Foligno

2017 NHL First All-Star Team honors went to Bobrovsky (G), Karlsson (D), Burns (D), McDavid (C), Kane (RW) and Marchand (LW). The 2017 NHL Second All-Star Team roster was Holtby (G), Hedman (D), Keith (D), Crosby (C), Kucherov (RW) and Panarin (LW).  

The 2017 NHL All-Rookie Team was comprised of newcomers Matt Murray (G), Brady Skjei (D), Zach Werenski (D), Auston Matthews (F), Patrik Laine (F) and Mitch Marner (F).

* See also 2019 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2018 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2016 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2015 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2014 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2013 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2012 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2011 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2010 NHL Individual Awards Winners.
* See also 2009 NHL Individual Awards Winners.

Sunday, June 11, 2017

2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Handshake Lines

The time-honored tradition of NHL playoff combatants shaking hands upon the conclusion of a series is among the greatest displays of sportsmanship in professional team sports today. Seconds after the horn sounds at the end of a series, players and coaches from both teams convene at center ice to celebrate each other's efforts.

The videos below capture the final moments of play in each series-ending game to date in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs along with the ensuing traditional team handshake line, sorted by round and series end date.

FIRST ROUND

The Ducks eliminated the Flames in Game 4 on April 19, 2017.


The Penguins eliminated the Blue Jackets in Game 5 on April 20, 2017.


The Predators eliminated the Blackhawks in Game 4 on April 20, 2017.


The Blues eliminated the Wild in Game 5 on April 22, 2017.


The Rangers eliminated the Canadiens in Game 6 on April 22, 2017.


The Oilers eliminated the Sharks in Game 6 on April 22, 2017.


The Senators eliminated the Bruins in Game 6 on April 23, 2017.


The Capitals eliminated the Leafs in Game 6 on April 23, 2017.


SECOND ROUND

The Predators eliminated the Blues in Game 6 on May 7, 2017.
The Senators eliminated the Rangers in Game 6 on May 9, 2017.


The Penguins eliminated the Capitals in Game 7 on May 10, 2017.


The Ducks eliminated the Oilers in Game 7 on May 10, 2017.


CONFERENCE FINALS

The Predators eliminated the Ducks in Game 6 on May 22, 2017.


The Penguins eliminated the Senators in Game 7 on May 25, 2017.


STANLEY CUP FINAL

The Penguins eliminated the Predators in Game 6 on June 11, 2017.


In an age of results reigning over respect, it's encouraging to see such sportsmanship in professional sport, albeit with notable exceptions (Milan Lucic 2014), abstention (Martin Brodeur 2008Derek Boogaard 2007, Chris Chelios 2007Darren McCarty 1997, Ed Belfour 1995Billy Smith, Gerry Cheevers) and disdain (Dino Ciccarelli 1996) in recent years.

* See also 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Handshake Lines.
* See also 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Handshake Lines.
* See also 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Handshake Lines.
* See also 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Handshake Lines.
* See also 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Handshake Lines.
* See also 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Handshake Lines.

Saturday, April 29, 2017

2017 NHL Draft Lottery Results

Tonight Bill Daly presented the NHL Draft lottery results live on CBC, with the top overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, to be held on June 22-23, 2017 in Dallas, being awarded to the New Jersey Devils. The actual lottery was conducted 30 minutes earlier in Sportnet's Hockey Central Studio in Toronto. This video below describes the process.
Designed to guard against teams purposely losing regular season games to improve their draft position, the weighted lottery system implemented prior to the 1995 NHL Entry Draft provides weaker teams with a greater chance of a higher pick without any guarantees for poor performance.

Until 2013, only the league's five worst regular season teams were eligible for the top overall pick, allowing teams to advance up to four spots and fall only one spot in the lottery. That changed in 2013 with all non-playoff teams eligible for the top overall pick albeit with their statistical likelihood directly tied to their final regular season standing. Though, a team could still only fall one spot in lottery position.

In 2014, additional changes were implemented for the lottery to reflect the competitive balance of the league, with more balanced odds being introduced in 2015 and separate draws starting in 2016 for the top three positions (as opposed to just for the top overall pick), allowing the league's worst regular season performer to slip as low as fourth overall (as opposed to just second overall under the prior regime).

In 2017, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights was welcomed to the their first draft. Participating in its first draft, Vegas was accorded the same starting probabilities as the 28th place finisher (i.e., Arizona Coyotes). If neither Las Vegas or Arizona win any of the three lotteries (i.e., 1st pick, 2nd pick, 3rd pick), then Vegas shall pick immediately before Arizona.

This year lottery defied the odds, delivering top picks to underdogs New Jersey (1st, 8.5%), Philadelphia (2nd, 2.4%) and Dallas (3rd, 6.4%), moving up four, eleven and five spots, respectively. Colorado, Vancouver and Vegas were the biggest losers of this lottery, each dropping a historic three spots to select 4th, 5th and 6th, respectively. The previous largest drop in NHL draft lottery history was two spots, displacing Edmonton from 2nd to 4th and Vancouver from 3rd to 5th in 2016

The chart below shows final draft position by team with accompanying odds of selecting first, second or third overall, along with their most likely seeding in the lottery.

Draft Position 1st Pick    2nd Pick    3rd Pick    Likely Pick
1. New Jersey  
8.5%
8.6%
8.8%
   6th (33.0%)
2. Philadelphia
2.2%
2.4%
2.6%
   13th (84.4%)
3. Dallas
5.8%
6.1%
6.4%
   9th (38.0%)
4. Colorado
18.0%
16.0%
14.1%
   4th (51.9%)
5. Vancouver
12.1%
11.8%
11.3%
   4th (34.1%)
6. Vegas
10.3%
10.3%
10.1%
   5th (39.3%)
7. Arizona
10.3%
10.3%
10.1%
   6th (34.6%)
8. Buffalo
7.6%
7.8%
8.0%
   8th (39.7%)
9. Detroit
5.8%
6.1%
6.4%
   9th (51.8%)
10. Florida
5.4%
5.7%
6.0%
  10th (32.8%)
11. Los Angeles       
4.5%
4.8%
5.1%
   10th (56.4%)
12. Carolina
3.2%
3.4%
3.7%
   11th (67.7%)
13. Winnipeg
2.7%
2.9%
3.2%
   12th (75.6%)
14. Tampa Bay
1.8%
2.0%
2.2%
   14th (91.2%)
15. New York Islanders
0.9%
1.0%
1.1%
   15th (97.0%)

Per HockeyViz math wiz Micah Blake McCurdy, the lowest seven finishers (i.e., 24th to 30th overall) are more likely to fall one spot in the draft than to move up under the current draft lottery mechanism.

Remaining NHL Entry Draft positions are set after the playoffs with the Stanley Cup champion and runner-up picking 30th and 29th, respectively. Conference finalists (28th, 27th) as well as division winners and wildcard teams (26th through 15th) are then ordered among their respective subgroup based on regular season standings, positioning teams with better regular season records to pick later than their peers.

* See also 2018 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2016 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2015 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2014 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2013 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2012 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2011 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2010 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2009 NHL Draft Lottery Results.