FUNHL Awards

Here are my nominees for various FUNHL version awards;

MVP

Phaneuf-D Cgy Wolves
Nabokov-G Severed Heads
Malkin-C Pit Severed Heads
Brodeur-G NJ Wolves
Ovechkin-L Edge

So here's the thing, I personally don't think that by nature of the position they play, goaltenders should be eligible for an MVP award - that is what the Vezina and Jennings trophies are for. Special trophies for special people at a special position.

If we take the goaltenders out of the equation then, we are left with Ovechkin, Phaneuf and Malkin.

In Phaneuf we have the leagues best all round defensemen, and as TG (182 pim) one of the highest scoring players in the league.

Malkin exploded over the second half of the season, making himself by far the most productive forward over the last 40 games, and a threat to reach 50 goals if he can hat-trick in his final match of the season.

Ovechkin has the best overall stats, and on his back the Edge have moved from the cellar and closed the 60 point gap from two months ago, to come within 13 points of the top 6.

Here's the thing then, Malkin is having an awesome year, but he's #2 in scoring, and well back in goals.

Phaneuf gets much of his credit for doing double duty as goon, but his scoring isn't substantially better than rivals like Gonchar, and he's still behind Lidstrom in raw offense.

Ovechkin on the other hand, just set an all-time record for goals scored by a left winger with 65, he leads the league in goals, points, and highlights, and he does this will leading his team in hits.

Ovechkin wins this going away. Its also no longer clear to me that Crosby will put up better stats than Ovechkin moving forward.

Vezina

Brodeur-G NJ Wolves
Nabokov-G SJ Severed Heads

I go with Nabokov. And it's not me being a homer, the numbers are pretty definitive - 76 games and a league leading 139.98 pts.

Norris

Phaneuf-D Cgy Wolves - his 110pts as a combo D-man made him a threat for MVP and a lock for top Defenseman.

Bob(in his capacity as ghostly presence on the phone as I type this) insists I include Lidstrom and Gonchar as runners up, but for the record, I don't see this as being very close, and I have Pronger as the next best over Gonchar.

Jack Adams

To be determined, but I'd say barring a strong case made by others it's between the Wolves and Severed Heads coaches. Special mention for the coach of the Edge, Dr Frankenstein for breathing life into a monster over the second half.

(As an aside, the secret for the Edge early suckage? The reason for the subsequent turn-around? Garage league goaltending by Ward and others and the arrival of steady Bryzgalov, respectively).

Calder

Despite his gaudy stats, Carey Price isn't a starter in the FUNHL. However, Niklas Backstrom is - and what's more, he's been a ppg contributor once they changed his coach. It's no fluke that Ovechkin's stats took off after Backstrom was installed as his pivot.

Runner up; Jonathon Toews who played meaningful minutes on the Wolves 3rd line down the stretch and more than held his own.