The Nhl

Good Old Boys

Two future Hall of Famers shake off the cobwebs, reclaim their elite status and get the nod for MVP and top defenseman

Swaddled in the company of six fellow Czechs and embraced unconditionally by Rangers coach Tom Renney, the energized Jaromir Jagr reemerged not merely as the best player in the NHL but also as one of the elite in history. The 34-year-old right wing set team records for goals (53 through Sunday) and points (119) while surpassing Jari Kurri as the most prolific European-born-and-trained NHL scorer (1,428 career points). With the crackdown on obstruction, the 6'2", 234-pound Jagr proved virtually unstoppable when barging in from his power-play hangout at the right half-boards. Says teammate Martin Straka, "He's played as well as he did in his 149-point season [1995-96, in Pittsburgh]." Jagr's a runaway train and SI's runaway winner as the NHL MVP over Sharks center Joe Thornton and Senators right wing Daniel Alfredsson. Other award winners:

BEST DEFENSEMAN
Nicklas Lidstrom, Red Wings
After a drop-off in performance before the lockout, Lidstrom, 35, has returned to the high level of play that earned him three straight Norris Trophies from 2000-01 through '02-03. His next interesting public statement will be his first, one reason the best defenseman of his generation receives far less attention than he warrants. His game, however, speaks unabashedly of excellence. Along with Andreas Lilja, Lidstrom played on Detroit's shutdown defensive pair--the Red Wings had allowed the second-fewest goals in the Western Conference--while quarterbacking the NHL's best power play and scoring 75 points. His 28:20 of ice time per game, most in the league, are as close as the NHL offers to a clinic.

Runners-up
Zdeno Chara, Senators; Sergei Zubov, Stars.

BEST GOALIE
Miikka Kiprusoff, Flames
Maybe the other 29 teams have been sucked in by the new NHL, but Calgary never abandoned the Dead Puck era, a philosophical predilection toward winning close, physical games by relying on a goalie who makes the miraculous look commonplace. In 2003-04 Kiprusoff had the lowest goals-against average (1.69) in the NHL since 1939-40; overall his play might have been even better this season. He had the leading goals-against average (2.15) among netminders with at least 50 appearances through Sunday and operated with a far slimmer margin of error than the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist or the Predators' Tomas Vokoun. A hot Kiprusoff, 29, could prove a nightmare for playoff opponents.

Runners-up
Lundqvist; Marty Turco, Stars.

BEST ROOKIE
Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals
The left wing certainly has style. From his dynamic play to his trademark smoky face shield--call him Darth Visor--Ovechkin headed a rookie class for the ages. At week's end he was on the cusp of 50 goals (48), a milestone that would rank him with Teemu Selanne, Mike Bossy and Joe Nieuwendyk as the highest-scoring rookies of all time, but it was the sheer fabulousness of his game (he scored a goal reaching one-handed with his stick while flat on his back) that distinguished the 20-year-old. On the thrill meter he ranks with Pavel Bure and Gilbert Perreault among the most eye-catching forwards of the past three decades.

Runners-up
Sidney Crosby, Penguins; Dion Phaneuf, Flames.