The Byng nominees
Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk, Buffalo Sabres right wing Jason Pominville and Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Martin St. Louis are the three finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy in 2007-08, the National Hockey League announced today. The trophy is awarded to the player who has "exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability."
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association submitted ballots for the Lady Byng Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters announced as finalists.>> press release
I'm glad I don't have to vote for this one.
They should really rename this trophy and redefine what it's all about because it continues to be the "high points, low PIM" award. These three were the only players among the top 20 scorers that finished with fewer than 34 PIM.
Call it the Jean Beliveau Award and give it out for leadership and sportsmanship.
.They should really rename this trophy and redefine what it's all about because it continues to be the "high points, low PIM" award. These three were the only players among the top 20 scorers that finished with fewer than 34 PIM.
Call it the Jean Beliveau Award and give it out for leadership and sportsmanship.
Labels: Awards
by James Mirtle @ 1:13 PM
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The most useless, nonsensical award in all of professional sports.
It's puzzling how defencemen never get consideration for the Byng though. Brian Campbell had only 20 PIM this year playing a position which is much more prone to taking penalties and getting over 60 points... Likewise Mark Streit and Thomas Kaberle had under 20 PIM this year while putting up big points...
...meant to say "under 30 PIM" for Streit and Kaberle. 28 for Streit and 22 for Kaberle, to be exact.
It's probably the most obvious example of an issue for almost all awards in sports suffer through, that being that there's no clear definition for who should win it, and thus everyone uses their own definition which differ wildly and lead to wild differences and arguments.
In the worst cases (NBA, NHL and MLB MVP awards), people will massage their definition to fit the candidate they just want to give it to out of personal preference.
James:
I thought the NHL already had a "Leadership Award" named after Mark Messier...oh wait...where did that one go?
I found one in a bag of Lays last night Kevin.
1) Calling it The Jean Beliveau Award would add stature and reduce the 'stigma' of having an award that goes to a guy with few PIM's and starts with 'Lady'. ; )
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the award comes from an era when everyone was tough and had to stick up for themselves, except for a few players who shied away from the rough stuff.
today, a majority of players would rather have nothing to do with physical play, so this award is useless. they should reverse it around and award it to the toughest player with the highest amount of points, because that's what the league needs more of these days.
Yes, in the old days, they walked barefoot through the snow while carrying their equipment and a section of stadium seats.
They also tied an onion to their belt (which was the style at the time). They didn't have white onions, because if the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...
One of the great things about the NHL is that it does recognize its history. Lady Byng was the wife of the Governor General of Canada, who led the Canadian Corps to victory at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in the Great War. GG Byng also played a notable place in Canadian history, in fact, leading to a constitutional crisis. His wife played to less a role in Canada's development, personally donating the trophy. Rename it? Wipe out Canadian history? Surely you gest.
why must gentlemanly mean soft? how about a player who plays with honor.. hard but pulls up when he's going at a guy and sees his numbers, sticks up for his teammates and good works in the community.
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