Jim Matheson should have his voting privileges revoked

[Dr Pepper]

Panthers are glad they gave it to McDavid, anyone on that team would be embarrassed to go up and grab it after what he just did.

....except McDavid didn't go up at all though.

I'm sure either Barkov or Bob would've been overjoyed and maybe even a little humbled to receive the honour of being named playoffs MVP, and would've approached Bettman to receive the award without issue.

Maybe the fact that Connor chose to ignore the honour entirely will lead to futures voters opting to avoid the whole "pick a guy from the losing team" mindset, because I imagine the NHL wants to avoid Bettman or any future commish just getting snubbed like that before the Cup presentation.

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

Skinner was good he gave them a chance to win.

No he wasn't, he was decent.

2.45 GAA, .901 save percentage in the playoffs.

He got carried by McDavid and a few other players.

 

[JianYang]

This is where you can delineate between professional journalists and unabashed fanboys.

It would be interesting to go back and check how he voted in 2006 (if he was a voter back then). That might give more insight if he actually is an extreme fanboy. I have my doubts just based on that unprofessional session he had with Leon a couple years back.

Like I said before, I think this cup run is a real anomaly where the cup winning team got outscored by 5 goals, and their leading scorer was 5th, not anywhere close to a top 3 spot. I think it would be very hard to find another playoff like this.

I'm not sure I'd vote for all three oilers. But if there was a scenario where I could at least consider it plausible, it would be this year.

 

[VistamarCroissants]

Bobrovsky first is worse than what Jimmy Matheson put down, lol

sour grapes?

 

[wetcoast]

Top 3 of McDavid Hyman Bouchard
I guess they did all have great postseasons but that's pretty insane for the losing team

There are a lot worse ballots for regular season awards that ballot is only egregious if one buys into the unwritten Conn Smythe winner has to come from the winning team mentality .

Both Hyman and Bouchard had playoffs comparable to any Florida players if people stop and actually compare individual performances.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

There are a lot worse ballots for regular season awards that ballot is only egregious if one buys into the unwritten Conn Smythe winner has to come from the winning team mentality .

Both Hyman and Bouchard had playoffs comparable to any Florida players if people stop and actually compare individual performances.

You obviously don't understand what the Conn Smyth is being awarded for.

"The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team in the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The player is selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the final game of the playoffs."

This is not awarded for the best performance, it is awarded for the player most valuable to their team. You should probably read the verbiage prior to posting your thoughts on here.

 

[bossram]

sour grapes?

No, completely the opposite. I wanted Florida to win and had several futures on Florida from various points in the season. I'm from Vancouver, why would I root for Edmonton? The truth is that Bob did not deserve the Conn Smythe and shouldn't have been in the discussion.

I guess it's hard for some people to realize that it's possible to make an objective evaluation.

Try again though. Maybe you'll have a correct take.

You obviously don't understand what the Conn Smyth is being awarded for.

"The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team in the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The player is selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the final game of the playoffs."

This is not awarded for the best performance, it is awarded for the player most valuable to their team. You should probably read the verbiage prior to posting your thoughts on here.

So you're saying those three guys weren't valuable to their team? Any player providing an outstanding performance is going to be, by logic, pretty valuable to their team.

 

[Rafafouille]

McDavid: 5th most points in NHL history
Hyman: Most goals by any player in the 21st century
Bouchard: 3rd most points by a D in NHL history.


Nah, his ballot is fine. I'd rather see 3 oilers than any Panther not named Barkov on a ballot.

 

[sxvnert]

Just removing voting altogether if you're going to attack people for not voting the right way.

 

[wetcoast]

You obviously don't understand what the Conn Smyth is being awarded for.

Actually I do know the wording exactly.

"The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team in the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The player is selected by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the final game of the playoffs."

Most valuable, how exactly does one judge that as more often than not the 2 teams in the SC final have the best overall team performances right?

This is not awarded for the best performance, it is awarded for the player most valuable to their team. You should probably read the verbiage prior to posting your thoughts on here.

Again I have read and understand them but they are extremely subjective to say the least right?

I mean technically the most valuable to their team probably is a goalie or player that made a huge difference in their teams upset in the first round and then gets a reality check in the second round.

but usually it's given to who is deemed the best player and sometimes captain of the SC winning team and arguably not the most valuable, whatever that really means.

 

[K1984]

Why are Avalanche fans still obsessed with the Oilers?

 

[Danarqhy]

Not sure what the controversy is. McDavid was breathing Gretz/Lemieux rarified air, Hyman was the leading goalscorer and Bouchard was also on a historic run.

All 3 also handily outscored the highest scoring Panther and Bobrovsky's stats looked pedestrian in the end. This is hardly all that controversial considering the huge gap in points.

 

[Juxta Position]

Why are Avalanche fans still obsessed with the Oilers?

A lot of people are right now because it eats at their soul to admit the Oilers are good. They yearn for the good ol' days of Tambelini and Chiarelli, when the Oilers were the laughing stock of the league.

Their worlds are turned upside down, players are picking Edmonton over warmer climates, the Oilers a Stanley Cup favorites, dogs are marrying cats...it madness!!!

 

[Crabapple]

Voting privileges removed? He should retire and leave the hockey world entirely.

 

[Oryxo]

I think the worst when it comes to homer voters is when they purposefully leave out a player they see as the biggest threat for their own pick winning the award.

 

[Forgot About Drai]

The only people who like the Oilers mainstream media is the Oilers mainstream media.

 

[Beezeral]

McDavid: 5th most points in NHL history
Hyman: Most goals by any player in the 21st century
Bouchard: 3rd most points by a D in NHL history.


Nah, his ballot is fine. I'd rather see 3 oilers than any Panther not named Barkov on a ballot.

that's the problem though. the ballot did include 3 oilers without barkov. You know the guy who shut down Kucherov, Pastrnak, Panarin, and McDavid in their h2h matchups while chipping in a bunch of points as well.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Maybe the fact that Connor chose to ignore the honour entirely will lead to futures voters opting to avoid the whole "pick a guy from the losing team" mindset, because I imagine the NHL wants to avoid Bettman or any future commish just getting snubbed like that before the Cup presentation.

If anything changes, it will be the presentation not the voting.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think the worst when it comes to homer voters is when they purposefully leave out a player they see as the biggest threat for their own pick winning the award.

I mentioned it upthread — but to emphasize, Jim Matheson was a prominent member of the Edmonton media when their writers allegedly did exactly this to make sure an Oiler won the 1990 Hart trophy.

In a way, it’s fortunate that this happened in 2024 because it adds credence what we suspected about 1990.

 

[MessierII]

exactly, not sure why bouchard is there but hyman was 4th in points and first in goals by a good margin

Bouchard had a better case than Hyman

 

[BudBundy]

Seth Rorabaugh sees this voting and scoffs. “Matheson is such an amateur” -probably.

 

[BigEezyE22]

Reminder: THE biggest award voting scandal took place in 1990, when it was leaked that the Edmonton voters rigged their ballots to tip the Hart balance from Ray Bourque to Mark Messier.

Jim Matheson was a prominent member of that group.

Meh... Lemieux getting snubbed in 89 was well beyond that.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Meh... Lemieux getting snubbed in 89 was well beyond that.

That wasn’t a close race. Was it an incorrect choice, maybe. But it doesn’t carry the taint of being rigged by strategic voting.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

McDavid: 5th most points in NHL history
Hyman: Most goals by any player in the 21st century
Bouchard: 3rd most points by a D in NHL history.


Nah, his ballot is fine. I'd rather see 3 oilers than any Panther not named Barkov on a ballot.

I think you just highlighted the entire point. Matheson putting 3 Oilers ahead of Barkov on his ballot makes him look incredibly biased to the team he covers.

It doesn't help that Matheson himself has been notorious about how much of a homer he is and this just kind of adds fuel to the fire about him.

 

[Golden_Jet]

I don't understand the point of making it needlessly complicated. There's no reason they can't get votes from 17 people who are in the arena after the game is actually over.

Gives the person 15 minutes to engrave name on the trophy.