Is it time to change the name of the trophies awarded?

[Ceremony]

How? My justifications are: More impactful people deserve the awards named after them. Legends of the game should be honored rather than league executives.

Things that are decades old have names for a reason. There probably is merit in having awards named after more modern stars but you obviously don't/didn't know anything about several of the people you listed. The point of history is to research it and learn about why things are the way they are rather than say "I don't know who these people are or what they did we should call it something else."

I'd also have to say I agree with the people saying that if they were renamed, they'd be sold off. Better off leaving it alone than giving the NHL another excuse to throw brands at their already paying audience.

 

[orby]

They should all be named after (and presented by) Pierre McGuire. For example, instead of the Art Ross, you could have the Pierre McGuire Award for Excellence in Scoring. The Vezina could be called Pierre's #1 Goalie Trophy. It's much more streamlined that way.

 

[Cotton]

Conn Smythe was an asshole...

He was no more of an asshole than Art Ross. The two men had a personal feud which caused both of them to act really petty at times and try and fight each other.

Smythe was a military guy who ran the franchise in the way you would expect a military guy would. And he created an expectation of the game that was of a higher class than a border-town cage fight, which was closer to what the expectation was at the time. He wanted fans to wear suits and gowns at a time when in Boston the crowd had a drunken dock-worker feel, and in Montreal they had chain-link fences separating the lower-class (almost exclusively French Canadian) from the upper class. Rightly or wrongly, he created an atmosphere of professionalism that the league needed, and his teams were very successful. He was also the deciding vote on expansion.

He was strict but known to be fair, and provided his players work in the off-season.


There is a quote from an unknown author that kinda fits whenever people talk about making changes, it goes; "The further you get from the things you love, the less you care how much further away you get."

Keep the names as they are, if anything add a trophy like the Art Ross for D to distinguish it from the Norris, and maybe add one for the best playmaker.

 

[Casper The Soy Ghost]

Add an assist trophy.

 

[JadedLeaf]

I honestly don't care. Some shouldn't change though. The rocket should always be called the rocket. Most of the others could change and I wouldn't care though. Gretzky should probably have one named after him though.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Jeff Marek brought this up on todays episode of the Jeff Marek show and I agree with him. I think it’s time to rename some the awards. We have no awards named after Wayne, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Etc. Nearly all the awards are named after executives.

-Conn Smyth was a racist.

-Art Ross, despite being an innovator, had 1 point in the 3 nhl games played.

-James Norris was an owner of several organizations but it’s not like he ever played.

-The Hart trophy was donated by the Hart family, Cecil Hart was the coach of the Montreal Canadians.

-Ted Lindsay’s name being on a trophy is well deserved and I’d want that one to stay.

-Georges Vezina only played 88 NHL games.

-The Bill Masterton trophy is named after the only player to die in the NHL from on-ice related injury.

-Frank Calder was the first President of the NHL.

-Frank Selke was a successful GM.

-William Jennings was the president of the Rangers

-Maurice Rocket Richard is obviously an award who’s name shouldn’t change.

——————————————————————————
I’d like to see:
Conn Smyth: Jean Beliveau Award
Art Ross: Wayne Gretzky Award
Hart: Gordie Howe Award
Frank Selke: Patrice Bergeron Award
Calder: Teemu Selanne Award
Vezina: Vladislav Tretiak Award
Jennings: Dominick Hasek Award
Norris: Orr-Lidstrom Award

You kinda blow up your premise when you name the most prestigious goaltending award in the NHL after a guy who never played in the NHL.

 

[tfwnogf]

No to all of those proposed changes, it is important to remember our history no matter how heckin' offensive or irrelevant things may seem today. Without those men the sport as we know it does not exist. They serve as important reminders of this; even with all of their flaws.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Just add these awards:

Wayne Gretzky Trophy - Most assists
Bobby Orr Trophy - Most points by a defenseman
Gordie Howe Trophy - Best forward

Then the Norris can revert to being the best all-around defenseman (something fans have complained about for decades) and the Hart Trophy doesn't exist as the de facto Best Forward Award; there will be more consideration of great MVP seasons by goalies and defensemen (something fans have complained about for decades).

 

[Garbageyuk]

I’d like to see:
Conn Smyth: Jean Beliveau Award
Art Ross: Wayne Gretzky Award
Hart: Gordie Howe Award
Frank Selke: Patrice Bergeron Award
Calder: Teemu Selanne Award
Vezina: Vladislav Tretiak Award
Jennings: Dominick Hasek Award
Norris: Orr-Lidstrom Award

These are all dumb after the first 3, but the “Orr-Lidstrom Award” is on another level lmao.

 

[NyQuil]

Just add these awards:

Wayne Gretzky Trophy - Most assists
Bobby Orr Trophy - Most points by a defenseman
Gordie Howe Trophy - Best forward

Then the Norris can revert to being the best all-around defenseman (something fans have complained about for decades) and the Hart Trophy doesn't exist as the de facto Best Forward Award; there will be more consideration of great MVP seasons by goalies and defensemen (something fans have complained about for decades).

Yes, but by acknowledging Bobby Orr's unprecedented offensive contributions, you're slighting his defensive capabilities and the Orr Parade is going to come in here and get mad at you for the indignity of naming a trophy for offence after the most offensive backliner in history.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Yes, but by acknowledging Bobby Orr's unprecedented offensive contributions, you're slighting his defensive capabilities and the Orr Parade is going to come in here and get mad at you for the indignity of naming a trophy for offence after the most offensive backliner in history.

One cannot make everyone happy. If that means keeping the status quo, I'm fine with that too.

 

[McShogun99]

I'd like to see them change the name of the Rocket trophy to the Ovechkin trophy during this season even though he's still playing.

 

[amigo]

Just leave the hockey as it is ffs. Awards, fights, hits etc. if you dont like like it take a hike.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Conn Smythe I'd be on board with, don't really care about the others.

 

[tarheelhockey]

He was no more of an asshole than Art Ross.

That's very true.

On that note, another one who has slipped under the radar here is Jack Adams. As NHL coaches/GMs go, he wasn't exactly the sort of guy you name a trophy after. Prominent figure in the early decades, but as a coach he also made some catastrophically stupid choices for catastrophically stupid reasons. It's strange to have a Ted Lindsay award and a Jack Adams award in the same league.

 

[RickyLafleur]

-Georges Vezina only played 88 NHL games.

The only goaltender to play for the Canadiens between 1910 and 1925, Vézina helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1916 and 1924, while reaching the Stanley Cup Finals three more times.

Vézina played in 327 consecutive regular season games and a further 39 playoff games, before leaving early during a game in 1925 due to illness. Vézina was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and died on March 27, 1926. When the Hockey Hall of Fame opened in 1945, Vézina was one of the original nine inductees, and in 2017 the NHL included him on their list of the 100 greatest players in league history.

Factually wrong and Vezina is fully deserving of this honor.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

They should have a trophy for most assists IMO. They have one for goals. I am used to the names. Would not want them changed.

Also since Norris has essentially become best offensive D man I'd add a trophy for best defensive D

 

[End on a Hinote]

-Art Ross, despite being an innovator, had 1 point in the 3 nhl games played.

Averaged a point in 75% of the games he played, bro!

 

[jigglysquishy]

Also since Norris has essentially become best offensive D man I'd add a trophy for best defensive D

It didn't "become" anything. It's always been that way.

The very first Norris Trophy given out, in 1954, went to the highest scoring defenseman in Red Kelly.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Of the people that are adamantly opposed to name changes, I'm kinda curious how many know that it used to be called the Campell and Wales conferences with the Norris, Smythe, Adams and Patrick divisions.

I'm not saying all the trophies need to change necessarily, but it's not like it hasn't already happened in the league.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

I reject your hypothesis

 

[beowulf]

here we go with the bi-annual or more thread on changing trophy names...no just no. Some tradition should not be messed with.

 

[dr robbie]

Averaged a point in 75% of the games he played, bro!

Your math hurts my head.

 

[beowulf]

Jeff Marek brought this up on todays episode of the Jeff Marek show and I agree with him. I think it’s time to rename some the awards. We have no awards named after Wayne, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Etc. Nearly all the awards are named after executives.

-Conn Smyth was a racist.

-Art Ross, despite being an innovator, had 1 point in the 3 nhl games played.

-James Norris was an owner of several organizations but it’s not like he ever played.

-The Hart trophy was donated by the Hart family, Cecil Hart was the coach of the Montreal Canadians.

-Ted Lindsay’s name being on a trophy is well deserved and I’d want that one to stay.

-Georges Vezina only played 88 NHL games.

-The Bill Masterton trophy is named after the only player to die in the NHL from on-ice related injury.

-Frank Calder was the first President of the NHL.

-Frank Selke was a successful GM.

-William Jennings was the president of the Rangers

-Maurice Rocket Richard is obviously an award who’s name shouldn’t change.

——————————————————————————
I’d like to see:
Conn Smyth: Jean Beliveau Award
Art Ross: Wayne Gretzky Award
Hart: Gordie Howe Award
Frank Selke: Patrice Bergeron Award
Calder: Teemu Selanne Award
Vezina: Vladislav Tretiak Award
Jennings: Dominick Hasek Award
Norris: Orr-Lidstrom Award

Also since when did George Vézina ever only play 88 NHL games? He played 190 NHL games at a time when season were much shorter. What makes me laugh even more is that you say he only played 88 games but you want it changed to the name of a guy who never played in the NHL...come on. Vézina also competed for the Cup 5 times, winning it twice.

Selke after Bergeron? Nah, if anyone Gainey. And Lidstrom Award? Please. Orr maybe but there are a number I'd add to the name before Lidstrom. You are basically getting rid of NHL history and naming some for players who younger crowds likely know.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Jeff Marek brought this up on todays episode of the Jeff Marek show and I agree with him. I think it’s time to rename some the awards. We have no awards named after Wayne, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, Etc. Nearly all the awards are named after executives.

-Conn Smyth was a racist.

-Art Ross, despite being an innovator, had 1 point in the 3 nhl games played.

-James Norris was an owner of several organizations but it’s not like he ever played.

-The Hart trophy was donated by the Hart family, Cecil Hart was the coach of the Montreal Canadians.

-Ted Lindsay’s name being on a trophy is well deserved and I’d want that one to stay.

-Georges Vezina only played 88 NHL games.

-The Bill Masterton trophy is named after the only player to die in the NHL from on-ice related injury.

-Frank Calder was the first President of the NHL.

-Frank Selke was a successful GM.

-William Jennings was the president of the Rangers

-Maurice Rocket Richard is obviously an award who’s name shouldn’t change.

——————————————————————————
I’d like to see:
Conn Smyth: Jean Beliveau Award
Art Ross: Wayne Gretzky Award
Hart: Gordie Howe Award
Frank Selke: Patrice Bergeron Award
Calder: Teemu Selanne Award
Vezina: Vladislav Tretiak Award
Jennings: Dominick Hasek Award
Norris: Orr-Lidstrom Award

????? George Vesina player 19 nhl games

Georges Vezina Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Title | Hockey-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats of Georges Vezina. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, trade, draft and more on Hockey-Reference.com

www.hockey-reference.com

Many hockey sites have incomplete data on players due to the fact it was not tracked to closely

and sometimes they do no link the stats correctly, While hockeyDB has him at 99 they for whatever reasons do not have 3 of his seasons listed.

Also factor in during Vezina's days teams only played 24 games a year usually