The 82-game marathon that is the NHL regular season is almost over and the finish line is in sight. Come this time next week, hockey playoffs will be here.
One of the loose ends the league must take care of before the playoffs start is awarding the Presidents’ Trophy, which goes to the team with the best regular season record. Save for the cancelled 2005 season, it has been awarded annually since 1986 when the trophy was introduced by the league’s board of governors.
The San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins are the teams with a shot at this year’s award.
The Red Wings are in very familiar territory having taken the Trophy four out of the last six years—including last year when they complemented it with a Stanley Cup.
There aren’t many teams in the NHL—and professional sports for that matter—like the Detroit Red Wings who delivered the “1–2 punch.”
Of the 22 winners that have won the Presidents’ Trophy, only six have gone on to take home the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings are the only team to win the Trophy and the Cup in the same year two times (2002 and 2008). The 1990 Bruins and 1995 Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup final and lost after Presidents’ Trophy-winning seasons.
While the teams taking both honors in the same season—Detroit, Colorado, Dallas, New York Rangers, Calgary, and Edmonton—are seemingly an unrelated bunch they do share something in common if you go up and down their rosters.
During Detroit’s two Presidents’ Trophy and Stanley Cup seasons, defenseman Niklas Lidstrom was front and center.
In 2001–02, Lidstrom scored nine goals and added 50 assists for 59 points, earned a +/- rating of +13 during the regular season and in the postseason, he scored five goals and added 11 assists for 16 points in 23 games. He won the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP.
Last season, Lidstrom scored 10 goals, set up 60 more for 70 points and was an astounding +40. He added an additional 13 points in the playoffs during the Wings’ Stanley Cup drive.
Many remember defenseman Ray Bourque as a Boston Bruin but No. 77 won his only Cup as a member of the Colorado Avalanche back in 2000–01 when he had 59 regular season points and another 10 points in 21 playoff games en route to the title.
People will always wonder if Dallas Stars winger Brett Hull actually kicked the puck in the net to win the 1999 Stanley Cup but either way, Sergei Zubov was instrumental scoring 51 points in the regular season and another 13 points in the playoffs with a +13 rating.
One big reason the New York Rangers erased a 54-year Cup drought in 1994 was D-man Brian Leetch, who had 23 goals and 56 assists for 79 regular season points, and 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points in the playoffs. Leetch was also named Conn Smythe trophy winner.
The 1989 Calgary Flames were only one of a few teams to win a Stanley Cup at the old Montreal Forum and Al MacInnis did more than his share to ensure the triumph.
Like Leetch for the Rangers, Calgary’s No. 2 had over 70 points in the regular season and over 30 points in the postseason, adding a Conn Smythe to boot.
The Edmonton Oilers had an embarrassment of riches, not only with Gretzky, Kurri, and Messier et al. but also with Paul Coffey on defense.
During the 1986–87 regular season Coffey had 67 regular season points followed up by 11 points in 17 playoff games. Not surprisingly, the Oilers were the best team at the end of the regular season and the playoffs too.
Bourque was also on the 1990 Bruins team that lost to the Oilers in the final and Lidstrom was on the 1995 Wings team that was swept by New Jersey so offensive defensemen have been known to help Presidents’ Trophy winners make the finals at the very least.
The 2008–09 Boston Bruins have watched the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics win titles recently and would obviously like to do their part for the city.
While there are some good D-men on the Sharks (Dan Boyle with 57 points) and the Wings, you have to like Boston’s Zdeno Chara.
Although the Boston blue-liner doesn’t have as many points as Boyle or Lidstrom, he does have offensive skill (17 goals, 30 assists for 47 points) and stands at a mammoth 6–9 and weighs 261 lbs.
And if that isn’t enough, the team also has Dennis Wideman with 13 goals and 36 assists.
If you like the trend, two good defensemen and a Presidents’ Trophy would bode well for Boston’s chances at winning the Stanley Cup.
One of the loose ends the league must take care of before the playoffs start is awarding the Presidents’ Trophy, which goes to the team with the best regular season record. Save for the cancelled 2005 season, it has been awarded annually since 1986 when the trophy was introduced by the league’s board of governors.
The San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins are the teams with a shot at this year’s award.
The Red Wings are in very familiar territory having taken the Trophy four out of the last six years—including last year when they complemented it with a Stanley Cup.
There aren’t many teams in the NHL—and professional sports for that matter—like the Detroit Red Wings who delivered the “1–2 punch.”
Of the 22 winners that have won the Presidents’ Trophy, only six have gone on to take home the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings are the only team to win the Trophy and the Cup in the same year two times (2002 and 2008). The 1990 Bruins and 1995 Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup final and lost after Presidents’ Trophy-winning seasons.
While the teams taking both honors in the same season—Detroit, Colorado, Dallas, New York Rangers, Calgary, and Edmonton—are seemingly an unrelated bunch they do share something in common if you go up and down their rosters.
During Detroit’s two Presidents’ Trophy and Stanley Cup seasons, defenseman Niklas Lidstrom was front and center.
History Lesson
In 2001–02, Lidstrom scored nine goals and added 50 assists for 59 points, earned a +/- rating of +13 during the regular season and in the postseason, he scored five goals and added 11 assists for 16 points in 23 games. He won the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP.
Last season, Lidstrom scored 10 goals, set up 60 more for 70 points and was an astounding +40. He added an additional 13 points in the playoffs during the Wings’ Stanley Cup drive.
Many remember defenseman Ray Bourque as a Boston Bruin but No. 77 won his only Cup as a member of the Colorado Avalanche back in 2000–01 when he had 59 regular season points and another 10 points in 21 playoff games en route to the title.
People will always wonder if Dallas Stars winger Brett Hull actually kicked the puck in the net to win the 1999 Stanley Cup but either way, Sergei Zubov was instrumental scoring 51 points in the regular season and another 13 points in the playoffs with a +13 rating.
One big reason the New York Rangers erased a 54-year Cup drought in 1994 was D-man Brian Leetch, who had 23 goals and 56 assists for 79 regular season points, and 11 goals and 23 assists for 34 points in the playoffs. Leetch was also named Conn Smythe trophy winner.
The 1989 Calgary Flames were only one of a few teams to win a Stanley Cup at the old Montreal Forum and Al MacInnis did more than his share to ensure the triumph.
Like Leetch for the Rangers, Calgary’s No. 2 had over 70 points in the regular season and over 30 points in the postseason, adding a Conn Smythe to boot.
The Edmonton Oilers had an embarrassment of riches, not only with Gretzky, Kurri, and Messier et al. but also with Paul Coffey on defense.
During the 1986–87 regular season Coffey had 67 regular season points followed up by 11 points in 17 playoff games. Not surprisingly, the Oilers were the best team at the end of the regular season and the playoffs too.
Bourque was also on the 1990 Bruins team that lost to the Oilers in the final and Lidstrom was on the 1995 Wings team that was swept by New Jersey so offensive defensemen have been known to help Presidents’ Trophy winners make the finals at the very least.
Chara and the Bruins
The 2008–09 Boston Bruins have watched the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics win titles recently and would obviously like to do their part for the city.
While there are some good D-men on the Sharks (Dan Boyle with 57 points) and the Wings, you have to like Boston’s Zdeno Chara.
Although the Boston blue-liner doesn’t have as many points as Boyle or Lidstrom, he does have offensive skill (17 goals, 30 assists for 47 points) and stands at a mammoth 6–9 and weighs 261 lbs.
And if that isn’t enough, the team also has Dennis Wideman with 13 goals and 36 assists.
If you like the trend, two good defensemen and a Presidents’ Trophy would bode well for Boston’s chances at winning the Stanley Cup.
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