Washingtonpost.com: Jagr Wins Most Valuable Player Award

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NHL Section

Jagr Wins Most Valuable Player Award

Jagr

Jaromir Jagr also received
his third NHL scoring title.
(AP File Photo)

Associated Press
Thursday, June 24, 1999; 11:00 p.m. EDT

TORONTO – Jaromir Jagr won the NHL's most valuable player award and Wayne Gretzky added to his trophy collection at the league's annual awards banquet tonight.

The league scoring champion with 127 points, including 44 goals, Jagr edged out Buffalo goalie Dominik Hasek and Ottawa center Alexei Yashin in voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association for the Hart Memorial Trophy.

Earlier, Jagr was named MVP in balloting by the players, receiving the Lester B. Pearson award.

"It's very special to me,'' Jagr said after accepting the Pearson award. "It's a trophy voted on by the players – the players you play against, the players you face every night. That's why it's special.''

Jagr won out over Hasek, Yashin, Anaheim's Teemu Selanne and Toronto's Curtis Joseph.

The 27-year-old Czech also received his third Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's scoring champion.

Gretzky won the Lady Byng Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player for the fifth time. It was the last league award for Gretzky, 38, who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the autumn after announcing his retirement after 20 NHL seasons, most recently with the Rangers.

"I didn't expect this,'' said Gretzky, who received a standing ovation from the more than 6,000 at the Air Canada Centre. "I feel so young maybe I can come back and play again.''

Al MacInnis of the St. Louis Blues won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as best defenseman in a landslide.

Quoteworthy

"I would give up the Vezina to play Game Seven (in the Stanley Cup Finals)."
– Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres after winning the Vezina Trophy Thursday as the NHL's most valuable goaltender.

Hasek won the Vezina Trophy as top goaltender in the eyes of the league's general managers for the third straight year and fifth time in six years. However, Curtis Joseph of the Toronto Maple Leafs got the most first-place votes, 10 to Hasek's eight, but Hasek had more total points. "I would give up the Vezina to play Game Seven (in the Stanley Cup Finals)," he said.

Jacques Martin of the Ottawa Senators won coach of the year honors, besting Toronto's Pat Quinn and Dallas' Ken Hitchcock.

Chris Drury of the Colorado Avalanche was an overwhelming pick for the Calder Memorial Trophy as top rookie in voting by the PHWA.

Jere Lehtinen of the Dallas Stars won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as top defensive forward for the second year in a row in a PHWA vote.

John Cullen, who bested cancer to resume his playing career, then moved behind the Tampa Bay bench as an assistant coach, won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and perseverance.

Roy Ray of the Sabres won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for humanitarian contributions to his community.

The new Maurice Richard Trophy for most goals was presented by The Rocket himself to Anaheim's Teemu Selanne, who scored 47 times.

Dallas goaltenders Ed Belfour and Roman Turek won the William M. Jennings Trophy for posting the lowest goals-against average.

The league also announced its all-star teams:

First team: Hasek in goal, MacInnis and Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom on defense, and Colorado's Peter Forsberg between Jagr and Anaheim's Paul Kariya up front.

Second team: Boston's Byron Dafoe in goal, the Bruins' Ray Bourque and Philadelphia's Eric Desjardins on defense, and Yashin, Philadelphia's John LeClair and Selanne up front.

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