Lawton, Stars Would Rather Reject These Awards
(from Versus.com)
By Adrian Dater
Versus.com Contributor
April 7, 2009 - It's Oscar time here at Versus.com, where we start handing out statuettes for an NHL season that seemed to zip by like a Shea Weber slap shot. In the spirit of Oscar the Grouch, not those little golden Adonis figurines they give to the beautiful people, we start off with a couple of curmudgeonly awards:
BEST JOB OF FIREBOMBING HIS OWN TEAM'S SEASON
Brian Lawton, Tampa Bay Lightning G.M. — Arsonists everywhere could appreciate the job Lawton did in his first year on the job in Tampa. First, he shows admirable out-of-the-box thinking with the hire of Barry Melrose, then leads a humorous ad campaign built around his new star coach. Sixteen games – 16! – into the season, Melrose is gone.
Lawton and the rest of Tampa Bay's flighty management team gas Melrose before he's had a chance to unpack his three suitcases of hair products. Also, Lawton signs a couple of expensive free agents (Radim Vrbata, Gary Roberts) who basically quit the team before the season ends.
And how did it all work out for Mr. Lawton? The Bolts entered the final weekend still with a fighting chance for the No. 1 pick, thanks to another possible last-place finish in the NHL.
Nice work.
THE JOHN LENNON, "INSTANT KARMA'S GONNA GET YOU" AWARD
Dallas Stars: Listen, we're not condoning Sean Avery's, um, love life observations up in Calgary earlier this season. But right after Avery said it, the Stars immediately set about to blaming him for just about everything wrong that has happened in Dallas the last 30 years, stopping just short of fingering him for Jackie Smith's dropped pass in the 1978 Super Bowl.
Two things: first off, YOU signed him, Brett Hull and Tom Hicks. You knew you weren't getting Mister Rogers. You were getting Mister Avery, and along with that comes outrageousness and provocation and antic. At first, it appeared that Avery's presence really did have a lot to do with Dallas' slow start out of the gate. But by season's end, the same things that plagued the Stars in the beginning (age, inconsistent goaltending, injured key players) were the same things that will keep them out of the playoffs. Meanwhile, Avery has helped the New York Rangers stay in decent shape for a playoff spot.
Enjoy seeing him on TV from the bars at the 19th hole soon, Stars management.
Now, on to more uplifting recognitions...
THE BRAVEHEART AWARD
Ian Laperriere, Colorado: There just is nobody more pure hockey than Lappy. There is nobody with more courage on a sheet of ice than the 35-year-old winger. None. He fights anybody, anytime. He splays his body in front of more slap shots than any forward in the league. He never, ever makes an excuse for his or his team's play. And, he's also the most generous player with his time for a good cause than any I've ever covered in 14 years.
He has developed a friendship with a 3-year-old Denver girl named Ellie Rolfs — who has a stage 4 cancer and fighting an even braver fight than any hockey player can imagine — that has added laughs and smiles and warm hugs to her life.
THE "OH NO HE DI-ENT, WHAT WAS HE THINKING???" AWARD
Scott Hartnell, Philadelphia: That's what you can't help but say every time you see this YouTube clip of Hartnell, throwing his glove at Ryan Malone on a breakaway late in a December game against Tampa Bay. Marty Biron made the save on Malone, preserving a tie game. But Hartnell's loss of his mind gave Malone a subsequent penalty shot. Good thing Malone missed the net with his attempt and the Flyers went on to win, otherwise his clothes might have been set on fire by Biron and every other member of the Flyers organization afterward.
THE MAKING CHICKEN SALAD OUT OF CHICKEN (BLEEP) AWARD
Barry Trotz, Nashville: Year in, year out, the Preds coach has his team in playoff contention, despite a medical room busier than an "ER" episode and small-market, ownership headaches all around. Trotz deserves the Jack Adams Award this year, at least the Western Conference version.
THE KURT WARNER, "WHERE DID THIS GUY COME FROM?" AWARD
Steve Mason, Columbus: Nobody had heard of Warner before stepping out of the arena league to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl, and nobody had heard of Mason before he was called up to the Blue Jackets early this season. All he's done since is lead Columbus to its first playoff appearance, and has top teams worried about facing him when they start.
And finally,
THE OSCAR/HART TROPHY FOR BEST LEADING MAN GOES TO...
Alex Ovechkin, Washington: Ovie has gotta have another Hart. He was sensational again, with only Barack Obama having a better year in Washington. This should be Alexander The Great's second straight Hart Trophy, and it's richly earned. No matter what old fogies like Don Cherry say, Ovechkin continues to be the best thing the NHL has going right now.
Adrian Dater covers the NHL for the Denver Post.