One of the fun things we get to do as part of being in the Professional Hockey Writers' Association is fill out a ballot for a handful of the NHL's year-end awards at the end of every season.
And by "fun" I mean a laborious, difficult and no-win task that ends with people e-mailing to call you an idiot for the following few weeks.
As with most voters, my ballots sometimes have a few quirks, as I believe goaltenders should get more love for the Hart, defencemen more consideration for the Byng and that no one touches Patrice Bergeron as a defensive forward.
I also consult some analytics like possession and usage stats to help inform my choices (like Mark Giordano), which is likely why they may look a little different than other voters. Except, of course, the top choice for MVP…
(1) NHL Trophies
HART TROPHY ("to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team") -- Five selections.
1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
2. Semyon Varlamov, Colorado
3. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles
4. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim
5. Carey Price, Montreal
NORRIS TROPHY ("to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position") -- Five selections.
1. Mark Giordano, Calgary
2. Zdeno Chara, Boston
3. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles
4. Shea Weber, Nashville
5. Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis
CALDER TROPHY ("to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition") -- Five selections.
1. Jacob Trouba, Winnipeg
2. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado
3. Ondrej Palat, Tampa Bay
4. Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay
5. Frederik Andersen, Anaheim
LADY BYNG TROPHY ("to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability") -- Five selections.
1. Marc-Edouard Vlasic, San Jose
2. Duncan Keith, Chicago
3. Ryan O'Reilly, Colorado
4. Frans Nielsen, NY Islanders
5. Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas
SELKE TROPHY ("to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game") -- Five selections.
1. Patrice Bergeron, Boston
2. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles
3. David Backes, St. Louis
4. Alex Steen, St. Louis
5. Jonathan Toews, Chicago
(2) NHL All-Star Team
CENTER -- Three selections.
1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
2. Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles
3. Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim
RIGHT WING -- Three selections.
1. Corey Perry, Anaheim
2. Phil Kessel, Toronto
3. Alex Ovechkin, Washington
LEFT WING -- Three selections.
1. Joe Pavelski, San Jose
2. Jamie Benn, Dallas
3. Patrick Sharp, Chicago
DEFENSE -- SIX selections.
1. Mark Giordano, Calgary
2. Zdeno Chara, Boston
3. Drew Doughty, Los Angeles
4. Shea Weber, Nashville
5. Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis
6. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa
GOALTENDER -- Three selections.
1. Tuukka Rask, Boston
2. Semyon Varlamov, Colorado
3. Carey Price, Montreal
(3) NHL All-Rookie Team
FORWARD -- Three selections, regardless of position.
1. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado
2. Ondrej Palat, Tampa Bay
3. Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay
DEFENSE -- Two selections.
1. Jacob Trouba, Winnipeg
2. Olli Maatta, Pittsburgh
GOAL -- One selection.
1. Frederik Andersen, Anaheim