The 2018 NHL Awards are set to take place in Vegas and the Montreal Canadiens have had their fair share of winners since the calendar turned to 2000.
The NHL Awards are always a good way to remind fans of the accomplishments of some of the players in the league that season. Although there are some obvious winners, like Gerrard Gallant and George McPhee for coach and GM of the year respectively, there is some debate as far as the other awards. Unfortunately, the Montreal Canadiens don’t have any of their players in the running.
Antti Niemi was the team’s choice for the Bill Masterton Trophy after an inspiring comeback performance in Montreal. The 34-year-old went from a waiver outcast to one of the league’s best backups. Statistically speaking, Niemi was far better than Carey Price even. But when it was all said and done, Brian Boyle, Roberto Luongo, and Jordan Staal were left as the main nominees, and for good reason.
The organization has had players who have gone to Vegas and come back with a trophy. Dating back to the early years of the NHL, the likes of Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, and Guy Carbonneau to name a few have been recognized with awards. Ironically, no Habs player has won the Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy.
The award was named after the one and only Maurice Richard who led the NHL in goals five times. He was also the first player ever to score 50 in a single season and reach 500 goals in his career.
There’s always a ton of history to discuss when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens. But players who have spent time with the team this century have made stories of their own at the NHL Awards.