Red Carpet Wrap-Up

Overall, I was 3 for 8 in my predictions for the night. Glad to see AO add another Calder-themed award to the franchise's '06 trophy case. Only real surprise was Jagr winning the Lester B. Pearson Award. Maybe I'm biased because of his time here in Washington, but it seems to me that, if anything, the results of the Pearson and the Hart would have been reversed. I can see idiot sportswriters dismissing Joe Thornton because he didn't play an entire season with the same team (seriously, I actually read that somewhere), while fawning over Jagr's resurgence in the media capital of the world. But Jagr being voted MVP by the rest of the NHLPA, but not by the Hockey Writers' Association? I don't get it. (I also don't get why the NHL needs two seperate MVP awards) (or two seperate goaltending awards for that matter) (but that is neither here nor there).

EDIT: I totally didn't notice this, as I didn't actually watch the awards ceremony, but Olie Kolzig won the King Clancy Trophy. That made my night. Olie Kolzig, in his time with the Capitals, has been a perfect model of everything a professional athlete should be, and I only hope that the Capitals can put a much more important piece of silver hardware in his hands before he retires. Of all the Caps greats who retired Cup-less because of Washington's sustained mediocrity, I think he deserves it the most.

EDIT #2: Technically, Rod Langway won a Cup at the beginning of his career when he was in Montreal. I've never been one to let facts get in the way, though.

EDIT #3 (Last one, I promise): Just wanted to point out this excellent Caps-centric recap of awards night.