With the NHL season kicking off this past week, I felt it fitting to follow in the footsteps of the NHLPA and put out a survey to our own hockey team to see what they thought of this shortened campaign. Most of the players responded to the poll, and it turns out, they tend to have some questionable opinions on the game. 

Stanley Cup Champion

Also receiving votes: The Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings

Regional bias totally didn’t play a role in the selection of the next recipient of the most prestigious trophy in all of sports, with five votes going to the local favorite and rest being spread out evenly among other potential contenders and for some reason, the Detroit Red Wings. 

Eastern Conference Champion

Also receiving votes: The New Jersey Devils

Fairly similar to the Stanley Cup results, as it should be considering the Eastern Conference runs the league. 

Western Conference Champion

Also receiving votes: The Anaheim Ducks

Compared to the others, this vote for who is going to come out of the west was actually quite split, with three votes apiece going to Colorado, Edmonton and Vegas.

President’s Trophy Winner

Also receiving votes: The Montreal Canadiens, David Pastrnak and Zdeno Chara

The President’s Trophy is awarded to the team that records the most points (2 for a win, 1 for an overtime or shootout loss) over the course of the regular season. Two members of our team are apparently of the belief that David Pastrnak and Zdeno Chara,who are in fact, not teams, will somehow single handedly sport the best record in the league at the conclusion of the season.

Hart Trophy Winner

Also receiving votes: Mitch Marner, Mitchell Chaffee

The votes for the Hart Trophy, given to the league MVP as voted by the media, were quite unified in the belief that it would be Connor McDavid, the 2017 winner and player widely regarded as the association’s best, taking home the hardware. Shortly behind is Nathan Mackinnon, followed by McDavid’s teammate, Leon Draisaitl. 

Norris Trophy Winner

Also receiving votes: John Carlson, Torey Krug, Erik Karlsson, Zdeno Chara and John Marino

Perhaps the most divided of all the honors, was the Norris Trophy, for the NHL’s best defenseman, with 10 players each receiving a single vote, the lone individual to exceed that number unsurprisingly being the Bruins best defenseman. 

Selke Trophy Winner

Also receiving votes: Torey Krug (not a forward), Turner Elson (not even in the NHL)

Yet another Bruin, Patrice Bergeron, finds himself at the top of the graph for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, bestowed to the game’s best defensive forward. This is the obvious choice, considering that Bergeron has won the award four times and finished in the top three in voting another five.

Vezina Trophy Winner

Another contested vote pits three eastern goalies against each other at the peak of the chart. All worthy candidates and likely winners of the prize for the league’s top goaltender. 

Calder Trophy Winner

One of the most unanimous conclusions in this article, the team chose newly minted first overall pick Alexis Lafrenière, who began his professional career with the New York Rangers last week after recording 112 points in 52 games in the QMJHL last season. Among the other recipients of votes was Zdeno Chara, who is 43 years old and in his 23rd season in the league. 

Lady Byng Trophy Winner

Also receiving votes: The Colorado Avalanche (not a player), Quinton Byfield (in the minors) and Ben Smith (hasn’t played in the NHL since 2017)

The Lady Byng Trophy is a rather unique award compared to the others on this list. It’s given to the player who has shown the most sportsmanship over the last season (usually the guy with the fewest penalty minutes). In this case,with the exception of whoever thought the Colorado Avalanche would win the trophy, most of the votes sided with history, as last year’s winner Nathan Mackinnon received the most and often nominee Ryan O’Reilly was a close second.

Jack Adams Award Winner

Surprisingly, no one really went off the board with this pick, as this was the first time on the entire survey that less than six different individuals or teams were chosen as a predicted winner.  And it makes sense, as the reigning recipient of the coach of the year honor is none other than Boston’s own Bruce Cassidy, it’s only fitting that a group of New Englanders would follow suit and anticipate a repeat.