The NHL Awards were last night, fighting on a Monday night with the Toronto mayoral election. McDavid won the Hart, Bergeron won the Selke, it was all quite straightforward.

I think it's astonishing Bergeron has only won the Selke six times. Over a 19-year career there are far too many times the voters got it wrong. Did Pavel Datsyuk, Ryan Kesler, Jonathan Toews, Anze Kopitar, Ryan O'Reilly, Sean Couturier, and Alexander Barkov really deserve to beat him even once?

Okay, I believe Datsyuk, Kopitar, and maybe Couturier. The only reason Kesler won it in 2011 was because Vancouver won the President's Trophy and they were giving the Hart to Perry. The Barkov year was also just to justify every insider calling him underrated, I'm pretty sure.

Also based on the voting, Marner was very lucky to be nominated. All his 5th place votes snuck him in over Staal and Kopitar, both of whom had better defensive seasons.

Dom and Micah shared what their models thought of some of the awards and winners. Notice Dom's Selke ballot didn't have Marner in his top five.

Check out the Leafs at the 2023 Toronto Pride Parade!

And Marner's fit at the Awards.

Todd Skirving of the Newfoundland Growlers has been elected to the executive committee of the Professional Hockey Players Association. Congratulations to him on being given the opportunity to help represent his teammates and peers.

There was one big trade yesterday, with the Bruins getting a free cap dump on Taylor Hall's contract (in order to re-sign Tyler Bertuzzi) with Chicago. Chicago gets a winger for Bedard and will probably sign Foligno as a good old guy in the room to have around Bedard. Their plan is to be a one-line team for their top rookie.

Pittsburgh hired a new Director of Hockey Ops and Legal Affairs. Vukie Mpofu, 27, spent two years with the LA Kings in a similar role. Mpofu played junior hockey in Saskatoon and a season in the WHL with the Red Deer Rebels. He also graduated from UCLA Law School. Dubas has found another very impressive young executive here.

"Mpofu's primary responsibilities will include advising and assisting Pittsburgh's Hockey Operations Department with player contract negotiations, ensuring compliance with the collective bargaining agreement and salary cap, and taking an active role leading the Penguins Hockey Research and Development Department. He will report to Dubas."

From The Branches