With the NHL regular season officially deemed final, the league announced its regular-season trophy winners on Thursday, led by Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl and more history made by Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin.
Draisaitl won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leader in points after finishing with 110, 13 clear of teammate Connor McDavid, who finished second. The 24-year-old, who led the league in assists (67) and ranked fourth in goals (43) was on pace to post 127 points if the full 82-game season had been played.
Ovechkin, meanwhile, shared the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer with the Boston Bruins’ David Pastrnak, with both totaling 48. Ovechkin won the trophy for the third straight year, the seventh time in eight years and the ninth time overall, all of which are records since the trophy was introduced in 1998-99.
Even before the trophy was introduced, no player led the league in goals more than seven times (Bobby Hull).
Ovechkin, who turns 35 in September, also became the third player to lead the league in goals at age 34 or older, joining the New York Rangers’ Bill Cook (28 goals in 48 games in 1932-33) and Detroit’s Gordie Howe (38 goals in 70 games in 1962-63).
Ovechkin, who missed one game, played in 68 games, putting him on pace to score 57 if he had finished the season. That would have eclipsed the second-highest total of his career (56 in 2008-09), behind only his career high of 65 in 2007-08.
Pastrnak scored his 48 goals in 70 games (on pace for 56 goals in 82 games), eclipsing his career high — set last season — by 10. He is the first Bruin ever to win the Richard Trophy.
Pastrnak’s Bruins added other accolades, including the Presidents’ Trophy for the league’s best record (44-14-12, 100 points, .714 percentage). Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak won the William M. Jennings Trophy, awarded to the goaltenders of the team that allowed the fewest goals (174).
Rask went 26-8-6 with a league-best 2.12 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage, which ranked second in the NHL. Halak finished 18-6-6 with a 2.39 GAA and .919 save percentage.
Among other league leaders, Washington’s John Carlson led all defensemen in points (75), while Columbus’ Zach Werenski led the position in goals (20). Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes led all rookies in points (53), with Chicago’s Dominik Kubalik leading the rookies in goals (30).
Dallas goaltender Anton Khudobin posted an NHL-best .930 save percentage.
The regular season was deemed final on Tuesday, when the NHL announced its plans to return from its pause — caused by the coronavirus pandemic — with a 24-team modified playoff system in late summer.
–Field Level Media
