Two French-Canadian goaltenders vie for the same awards
At the conclusion of the NHL's 2001-02 regular season CNNSI.com spoke to Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber about his picks for the league’s major awards.
The All-Star team in Detroit had an All-Star coach who incorporated new players into the lineup, developed Jiri Fischer and gave this team just the right amount of pushing and pulling on the reins. Despite having 11 Olympians, the Red Wings simply looked bored, rather than burned out, as they coasted through the stretch with a big lead. Bowman and Jacques Lemaire are simply the two best coaches in the game and sometimes you have to recognize the best coach, instead of the coach of the team that most overachieved. Which brings us to the candidate most likely to win, Bobby Francis. He lost his two most skilled forwards and turned that situation into a positive experience for his team. The Coyotes play hard and they play as a team. Marc Crawford also deserves recognition for Vancouver's fine second half.
Calder Trophy Outstanding
rookie Dany Heatley Atlanta Thrashers
Heatley would have had to arm wrestle Ilya Kovalchuk for the award if his teammate hadn't gone down. But Heatley's game, while not as flashy, is more mature and well rounded. Don't overlook Columbus defenseman Rostislav Klesla, who will be a force in the NHL on the blue line within three years.
Norris Trophy Outstanding
defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom Detroit Red Wings
There's a lot of sentiment for Chris Chelios and his plus-42 season in Detroit, but all the Red Wings players know that Lidstrom is the linchpin of their defense. He wasn't as good as he was last year, but he is still the premier positional defenseman of his generation. Rob Blake should be the runner-up. Blake's first three strides are as quick as almost anyone's in the game and his shot is second only to Al MacInnis' in St. Louis. Blake, along with Patrick Roy, held together a difficult season in Colorado.
Vezina Trophy Outstanding
goaltender Jose Theodore Montreal Canadiens
We're going to split the Hart and the Vezina between Theodore and Patrick Roy. The save percentage is the ultimate measure of a good season by a goaltender and Theodore's .931 is off the charts. In the first round of the playoffs, look for Boston to shoot at Theodore's high glove side, which has been a weakness periodically. But he's quick, he reads the play well and he has an unmistakable energy that translates into good feelings for the Canadiens. Roy and Sean Burke also deserve credit for remarkable seasons, particularly Roy, who had a career year.
Selke Trophy Outstanding defensive
forward Michael Peca New York Islanders
Peca transformed the Islanders, saving them half a goal a game by playing against top lines and leading a very good penalty-killing unit. His impact was the greatest among all these forwards, even though our preference is to look at someone who is more of a strict checker. Boston has a candidate in Brian Rolston but, technically, he takes a backseat to linemate P.J. Axelsson. Axelsson has brutal hands but plays his position as well as any checker. Mike Ricci will get deserved support and end up in the top three in voting. Two others worth mentioning: Bobby Holik, still the toughest forward in the league to play against, and Magnus Arvedson.
This is as much a career award as it is for the season. At the age of 39, Francis had another brilliant year, playing big minutes, winning faceoffs and finishing fourth in assists. The only other candidate should be Lidstrom, who always plays against the best forwards and almost never sits in the box. A bad game by Lidstrom is a rarity in this league.
Hart Trophy Most valuable
player Patrick Roy Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche could have melted from Cup winners to out of the playoffs without Patrick Roy. The stakes were phenomenally high on a team that never played up to its names, but Roy put together his best season and was every bit as important as Theodore was to the Canadiens. We like Roy over Theodore because he played most of his games in a tougher conference and had a lower goals against average, even thought Theodore nipped him in save percentage. Theodore should finish second, and Jarome Iginla, the only 50-goal man in the league, deserves to finish third even though Calgary badly missed the postseason. Sean Burke helped an undermanned Phoenix team into the playoffs, which is also a noteworthy achievement.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber covers the NHL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
Photographs by Jeff Vinnick/Allsport, Lou Capozzola, David E. Klutho (2), Lou Capozzola, Bob Rosato, Tim DeFrisco
