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Bruins Patrice Bergeron, Linus Ullmark, and Jim Montgomery win big at NHL Awards
The Bruins took home multiple awards at the NHL's annual ceremony in Nashville.
After playing key roles in orchestrating a record-setting regular season, Patrice Bergeron, Jim Montgomery and Linus Ullmark all took home impressive individual accolades during the 2023 NHL Awards on Monday night in Nashville.
For the sixth time in his Hall-of-Fame career, Bergeron was named the winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy — given out annually to the best defensive forward in the NHL.
No player in NHL history has won the Selke Trophy five or more times, with Bergeron building up his record-setting resume with his second Selke in as many seasons.
For the first time in his career, Ullmark took home the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top netminder. Ullmark edged out Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and the Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin in voting, which is decided on by NHL’s general managers.
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Montgomery earned his first Jack Adams Award, given to the “coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.” Montgomery earned the honor over fellow finalists in Dave Hakstol (Seattle) and Lindy Ruff (New Jersey).
Bruins star winger David Pastrnak was also a finalist for both the Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player) and the Ted Lindsay Award (most outstanding player as voted on by NHLPA). However, the reigning 61-goal scorer lost both accolades to Edmonton’s Connor McDavid.
Bergeron rewrites record books again
After posting arguably the best defensive season of his lauded career in 2021-22, the 37-year-old Bergeron followed it up with another stellar two-way campaign in 2022-23.
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On a Bruins team that posted the NHL’s lowest team goals-against average (2.12) in nine years, Bergeron was a buzzsaw up front. He led the NHL in face-off wins (1,043) for the eighth time in his career and posted the top win percentage (61.1%) among the 52 centers that took at least 1,000 draws.
Over his 78 regular-season contests, Bergeron was only on the ice for 27 even-strength goals against — and 64 goals scored. Add in another productive season on the offensive stat sheet (27 goals, 58 points), and Bergeron’s latest accolade was another no-brainer.
Bergeron won in convincing fashion over fellow Selke finalists Mitch Marner (Toronto) and Nico Hischier (New Jersey), taking 187 out of a possible 196 first-place votes.
Patrice Bergeron was a Selke Trophy finalist for the 12th straight season, extending his own mark in that category, and ahead of the 10 consecutive years of top-three Hart Trophy finishes by Wayne Gretzky (1980 through 1989) as the longest ever for a voted NHL Award.
Bergeron was not in attendance for the NHL Awards, but did address his latest hardware win in a video message.
“Sorry I couldn’t be with you all tonight. My wife and I are about to welcome a new addition to our family. This is an incredible honor. I want to congratulate Mitch and Nico on an incredible season. You guys have an amazing future in front of it,” Bergeron said. “I want to thank the Boston Bruins organization, starting with the Jacobs family, Cam Neely and Don Sweeney, our coaching staff, trainers, and everyone that’s part of our day-to-day.
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“Thank you for making this organization so special. Of course, my incredible teammates — it’s an honor to compete alongside all of you. Thank you for making me a better player and person.”
Ullmark crowned as league’s top goalie
As the last line of defense for a record-setting roster, Ullmark posted impressive numbers in his second full season with Boston. Ullmark led the NHL in wins (40), goals-against average (1.89), and save percentage (.938), becoming the eighth goaltender in NHL history to lead the NHL in all three categories and the first since Montreal’s Carey Price in 2014-15.
Ullmark relinquished two goals or fewer in 36 of his 49 appearances in 2022-23, and became the fastest goaltender in NHL history to reach 40 wins. Ullmark’s victory stands as the Bruins’ fourth Vezina Trophy in the last 15 seasons, joining Tuukka Rask (2013-14) and Tim Thomas (2010-11, 2008-09).
Boston is the first club to have four different Vezina Trophy winners under the current selection criteria (since 1981-82), surpassing Buffalo (3), Montreal (3), NY Rangers (3), and Washington (3).
The Bruins’ five total Vezina wins over this stretch are tied with the Canadiens for the second most behind the Sabres (8).
Ullmark took home 22 out of a possible 30 first-place votes en route to his win on Monday over Sorokin and Hellebuyck.
“I want to thank obviously my teammates, without you I wouldn’t be able to stand up here today,” Ullmark said in his acceptance speech. “I want to thank the Jacobs family, Don Sweeney, Cam Neely, and the whole Boston Bruins organization for welcoming me and my family with open arms since day one.
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I also want to thank the coaching staff — Monty, Goalie [coach] Bob [Essensa] for butting heads every now and then, not always [agreeing on] what we wanted to achieve, but we always make up as friends at the end.”
Montgomery takes home Coach of the Year honors
Montgomery pushed just about all of the right buttons during Boston’s regular-season campaign. He took 79 out of a possible 82 first-place votes in the Jack Adams voting.
Boston set the league record for most wins (65) and points (135) in a single season, standing atop the Atlantic Division from October through April. Boston had a +128 goal differential (including shootout-deciding goals), the highest by any team since 1995-96 (Detroit, +144), and posted five winning streaks of 7+ games over an 82-game stretch.
Montgomery, whose contract was terminated by the Dallas Stars in December 2019 due to his struggles with alcohol, discussed his journey during his acceptance speech.
“I had to change my actions and behaviors. And that’s when my new team, the most important team in my life, is what leads to the success that I live daily right now. … For those who struggle out there, you can change. You can effect change within yourself. And it doesn’t happen alone. You need a team. … I’m very appreciative for both teams that I’m lucky to be a part of that helped me on a daily basis.”
Montgomery is the fifth Bruins bench boss to take home Jack Adams honors, joining Don Cherry (1975-76), Pat Burns (1997-98), Claude Julien (2008-09), and Bruce Cassidy (2019-20).
Other Award Winners
Beyond the Bruins, a local product took home another impressive accolade. Hingham native and Seattle Kraken star Matty Beniers was the runaway winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s Rookie of the Year.
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Beniers was a decisive winner, collecting 160 first-place votes among the 196 ballots cast for 1,836 voting points. Second-place Stuart Skinner of the Edmonton Oilers recorded 1,074 points, while Owen Power of the Buffalo Sabres placed third in voting with 929 points.
San Jose’s Erik Karlsson took home his third Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman, but Bruins blueliner Hampus Lindholm placed fourth in the voting with 483 points, including 12 first-place votes.
McDavid was the clear winner for the 2023 Hart Trophy with 195 first-place votes and 1,951 points, but Pastrnak placed second in voting with 1,053 points. Linus Ullmark also ranked 10th in Hart Trophy voting with 61 points.
Both Pastrnak and Ullmark were named to the NHL First All-Star Team, while Lindholm was named to the Second All-Star Team.
Here is the full list of NHL Award Winners on Monday:
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy (Presented annually “to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey”)
Winner: Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
Finalists: Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes & Alex Stalock, Chicago Blackhawks
Calder Memorial Trophy (Rookie of the Year)
Winner: Matty Beniers, Seattle Kraken
Finalists: Stuart Skinner, Edmonton Oilers & Owen Power, Buffalo Sabres
E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence (Top Draft Prospect)
Winner: Connor Bedard, Regina Pats
Frank J. Selke Trophy (Best Defensive Forward)
Winner: Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Finalists: Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs & Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils
Hart Memorial Trophy (League MVP)
Winner: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Finalists: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins & Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers
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Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year)
Winner: Jim Montgomery, Boston Bruins
Finalists: Dake Hakstol, Seattle Kraken & Lindy Ruff, New Jersey Devils
James Norris Memorial Trophy (Top Defenseman)
Winner: Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks
Finalists: Adam Fox, New York Rangers & Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
King Clancy Memorial Trophy (Presented “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
Winner: Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (Best sportsmanship)
Winner: Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
Finalists: Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils & Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning
Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award
Winner: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
Ted Lindsay Award (Most Outstanding Player voted by NHLPA)
Winner: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Finalists: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins & Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks
Vezina Trophy (Goaltender of the Year)
Winner: Linus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
Finalists: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets & Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders
Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award
Winner: Jason McCrimmon, Detroit Ice Dreams Youth Hockey Association
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