LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Some of the best ice hockey players in the world were presented with bouquets of flowers and took home championship trophies in Las Vegas on Thursday night.
Ahead of the city's first-ever NHL Draft on Friday and Saturday, the Fontainebleau Hotel hosted the 11th annual NHL Awards ceremony in Las Vegas. While there were no Golden Knights finalists this year, Las Vegas is leaving a big mark on the hockey world this week by hosting two of the league's biggest events.
The nationally televised awards spotlighted the best achievements of the 2023-24 NHL season, following the Florida Panthers' hard-fought seven-game victory over the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup.
Headlining the night's big winner was Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, who swept the Most Outstanding Player categories and became the first player to win both the Ted Lindsay Award (voted by his peers) and the Hart Memorial Trophy (voted by the media).
Other honour winners include Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who won the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender, Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes, who won the Norris Trophy for best defenceman and Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard, who won the Calder Trophy for best rookie.
“It would be pretty cool to have that on a sphere.”
Connor Bedard, last year's first-round draft pick and Calder Trophy winner, told me he's “looking forward to seeing players selected” at the first NHL Draft this weekend in Las Vegas. translation: pic.twitter.com/GovQaEgKoK
— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) June 28, 2024
Channel 13's Nick Walters spoke with MacKinnon, Hellebuch, Hughes and Bedard about how Las Vegas has grown into the hockey capital of the world, and hear why Las Vegas' establishment as a major NHL destination is “good for the sport” and why the Golden Knights' bastion is “one of (their) top three places to play.”
“It's a top-three place to play in the league.”
NHL Awards big winners MacKinnon, Hellebuyck, Hughes and Bedard talk about why Las Vegas becoming a hockey destination is “good for the sport.”translation: | #BornInVegas pic.twitter.com/JW3CPGvBHU
— Nick Walters (@nickwalt) June 28, 2024
