[Report] Ovechkin, Tavares, Weber named finalists for Messier Award

[-Vintage Canuck-]

Quote

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, John Tavares of the New York Islanders and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators have been named finalists for the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award. The award is given annually "to the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to the team, on and off the ice, during the regular season."

 

Messier solicited suggestions from club and League personnel and fans, but the former Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks captain makes the final selection of the three finalists and the winner.

 

The award will be presented at the 2016 NHL Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on June 22.

 

Ovechkin has been the Capitals captain since January 2010. He had his seventh 50-goal season in 2015-16, helping the Capitals set franchise records with 56 wins and 120 points en route to the Presidents' Trophy. He expanded his relationship with the American Special Hockey Association (ASHA), hosting nearly 60 children and adolescents during a unique skating session in October.

 

An official spokesman for ASHA, Ovechkin received Washingtonian magazine's "Washingtonian of the Year" award for his work with special-needs children. He also continued his Ovi's Crazy 8s program, which has provided Capitals season tickets for Most Valuable Kids and ASHA since 2006.

 

Tavares has been the Islanders captain since 2013. In 2015-16, he led the tearm to at least 100 points for the second straight season. He also continued his Teammates program, which has provided tickets and VIP game experiences for sick and underprivileged children the past five seasons.

 

Tavares has spent more than $32,000 to create these special game experiences. He also spearheaded the Islanders' fundraising for their Military Appreciation Night in November, offering a $5,000 donation to help the Islanders host more than 300 active and retired service members at a game.

 

Weber has been the Predators captain since 2010. He had at least 20 goals and 50 points for the third time in his career to help the Predators reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second season in a row. He also is a leader with several charitable organizations in Nashville and his hometown of Sicamous, British Columbia. Weber, along with teammate Pekka Rinne, started the 365 Pediatric Cancer Fund, which raises money and donates tickets to patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville. That initiative has contributed more than $700,000 since its inception in 2013.

 

He also partners with the Sicamous Shootout to host a golf tournament in support of the British Columbia Cancer Society.

https://www.nhl.com/news/mark-messier-leadership-award-finalists-named/c-280562202

[Bissurnette]

Anyway Barry Trotz can get nominated to this award instead of Ovie? That man is the definition of a class act.

[Bissurnette]

Anyways, voted for Tavares because his team is not as stacked as the Preds or Caps and without him the Isles would be lost.

[Kragar]

58 minutes ago, meh_wassup said:

Anyway Barry Trotz can get nominated to this award instead of Ovie? That man is the definition of a class act.

Blech... putting the words "class act" and "Messier" in the same thread.  That should turn it into a perpetual energy machine, so I guess not all is lost:

 

 

[Bissurnette]

10 minutes ago, Kragar said:

Blech... putting the words "class act" and "Messier" in the same thread.  That should turn it into a perpetual energy machine, so I guess not all is lost:

 

 

I'm so lost by the gif but yeah I share your loathe to Furry McBaldy too. It's what the award represents not who it's named after that I was referring to.

 

PS: Yes I'm aware you probably knew what I meant and you just wanted to take a shot at McBaldy.

[Dral]

1 hour ago, meh_wassup said:

Anyways, voted for Tavares because his team is not as stacked as the Preds or Caps and without him the Isles would be lost.

What does a stacked team have to do with leadership?

 

 

Real leaders make their teams better then they are...

[Bissurnette]

4 minutes ago, Dral said:

What does a stacked team have to do with leadership?

 

 

Real leaders make their teams better then they are...

Sure but it's easier to lead a stacked team than one that barely has a top 6.

[Dral]

Just now, meh_wassup said:

Sure but it's easier to lead a stacked team than one that barely has a top 6.

 

So you really think Tavares is a better leader then weber or ovie?

 

or just that he plays on a team that isn't as stacked...

[Bissurnette]

17 minutes ago, Dral said:

 

So you really think Tavares is a better leader then weber or ovie?

 

or just that he plays on a team that isn't as stacked...

I think this year he was a more important leader to his team than Ovie and Weber were to their respective teams.

[Bissurnette]

That said I think Ovie will take it because of the Caps record. I have nothing against Ovie, in fact I like Ovie very much and I'm rooting for the Caps to win eastern conference because of him I just think Tavares deserves the leadership award this year.

[Kragar]

15 hours ago, meh_wassup said:

I'm so lost by the gif but yeah I share your loathe to Furry McBaldy too. It's what the award represents not who it's named after that I was referring to.

 

PS: Yes I'm aware you probably knew what I meant and you just wanted to take a shot at McBaldy.

The gif was a bit of a stretch (I was tired and it sounded funnier in my head at the time).  The point was the two polar opposites being put together, and the impact that would have.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

Predicting it will be Shea Weber.

[terrible.dee]

Remember this award is for someone who maintains his statlines while chalking-up charitable write-offs , which is all good stuff

 

but charity is only charity when you don't seek credit for it

 

Basically a league "PR person of the year" award

[combover]

Is this award for being the biggest dirt bag/Money grubbing shill. 

those 3 players have integrity so none should qualify. 

[PhillipBlunt]

Well, I guess being nominated for the Messier award is bad mojo for playoff success.

[Gnarcore]

Every Messier thread deserves this picture: 

 

[McIlhargey the Lesser]

Definitely all three deserved the nomination nod, but for me it's Tavares by a hair. Fact is, I don't know what any of these guys do off the ice (except for Ovi's fun loving antics), but I'm sure they do for their community. On the ice, and with their team, it's Tavares by a hair imo because he's so much younger and yet he's carried that team to where it's gotten almost by himself.