This weeks winner is Tampa Bay Lightning Center, Nate Thompson! The 6’0″ stud is an Alaskan beauty.

» Continue reading “The Hawt Trophy: Nate Thompson”

We’re headed back to the Western Conference for this week’s Hawt Trophy. He may not be the biggest guy on the San Jose Sharks’ blueline, but veteran D-man Dan Boyle is not without appeal.

Congrats, Danny. This must be a huge honor. Right after your gold medal and Stanley Cup.

» Continue reading “The Hawt Trophy: Dan Boyle”

The Lady Byng (Photo: jpowers65/flickr)

Ah, the Lady Byng.

No one cares about the Lady Byng.

Yet here I am, writing about it for a second year.

The Lady Byng (formally known as the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy) was first conceived by the biggest hockey fangirl to ever live, Marie Evelyn Moreton, the wife of Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, who was the Governor General of Canada from 1921-1926. As the wife of Viscount Byng, she would be known as Lady Byng, of course. Let’s allow Wikipedia to tell the rest of the story…

She decided the trophy’s first winner would be Frank Nighbor of the Ottawa Senators. Late in the season, Lady Byng invited Nighbor to Rideau Hall, showed him the trophy, and asked him if the NHL would accept it as an award for its most gentlemanly player. When Nighbor said he thought it would, Lady Byng, much to Nighbor’s surprise, awarded him the trophy.^[4][5]

So, basically, she invited a hockey player over to her house to show him this trophy that she made just for him. I’d like to see some of you try that out on your favorite hockey player and see how far you get before getting laughed at or possibly arrested. Must’ve been nice to be the Governor General’s wife.

Frank Boucher of the New York Rangers won the award seven times, which impressed Lady Byng so much that she let him keep it. She then donated a second trophy. In 1949, Lady Byng passed away. The NHL presented a new trophy, and the name of the award was changed to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Boucher still holds the record for the most wins. The current player with the most Lady Byng wins is Pavel Datsyuk, with four.

Here is the official criteria for the Lady Byng, according to the Legends of Hockey website:

“The trophy is an annual award given to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”

In layman’s terms, this means:

“The Lady Byng is given to the guy who can be an awesome player without also being a dick.”

Pictured: Three players who will never win the Lady Byng. (Photos: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

Now onto the players who will most likely be nominated for the Lady Byng this year.

» Continue reading “NHL Awards Preview: Lady Byng”

(Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr)

Dallas Stars wanted to send a big message to the Pacific Division, they will not back down without a fight. They wanted to come out strong and they did as they had a big win over the Edmonton Oilers, 3-1. Their leading goal scorer, Michael Ryder, scored two big highlight reel goals as he got both his 34th and 35th goal. With their big win against the Oilers, who are already out of the playoffs, the Dallas Stars take over the Pacific Division with 89 points.

Your number one star of the game is Michael Ryder. He is one of the biggest acquisitions that the Dallas Stars have ever signed. The Stars signed him in the off season for his offense and he has contributed very well this year. His first period goal was one of the sickest goals I have ever seen him score in his career. He blew the doors off the Oilers, making moves around the defense and scoring in the first period. That will be a highlight goal for a long time. His second was another beauty as he tapped it in from a tic-tac-toe play with his linemates Mike Ribeiro and Loui Eriksson to ice it.

Mike Ribeiro, Ryder’s linemate who have had the ultimate chemistry with one another, had the other goal as he took a slick pass from Eriksson and ripped it passed goalie Devan Dubynk. The Oilers kept pounding pucks at Kari Lehtonen until Ales Hemsky, that darn Oiler, scored the lone goal for the Oilers in the 3rd and said goodbye to Kari Lehtonen’s shutout in the third.

Which leads me to another big part of the win over the Oilers, it should be your goalie and Kari Lehtonen did it. He was huge in net as he made some spectacular saves and  he kept them in the game, he is also a big reason why they are fighting for a playoff spot for the first time in in three years.  I’m going to praise the big Finn right now because he is the MVP of the Dallas Stars. Without him, the Dallas Stars would be struggling right now.

With injuries to Radek Dvorak and Eric Nystrom, recent signing Reilly Smith made his debut for the Dallas Stars and he did fine as he had a couple shots on the net.  The Stars will end their road trip with back to back games against the Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks.

GAME NOTES

Injuries: Radek Dvorak (ankle) Eric Nystrom (lower body) and Mark Fistric (abdominal strain)

Scratches: Tom Wandell, Jordie Benn, Tobey Petersen

-The Stars improved to 11-3-1 against Canadian-based teams.

-The Stars are now 20-16-2 on the road.

STARS OF THE GAME

1. Michael Ryder

2.  Mike Ribeiro

3. Jordan Eberle