NHL trophies keep ancient names alive

Dr. David Hart. James Norris. Marie Evelyn Moreton.

Who the heck are, er, were these people, and why will they play major roles in Thursday's NHL Awards show at the Palms?

The short answer is that several of the awards that will be handed out Thursday by the NHL are named after them: the Hart Memorial Trophy, the James Norris Memorial Trophy and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

But unless you're a hard-core hockey fan who also happens to be a historian, you probably don't have a clue about the origins and names behind each award.

For instance, the Hart Memorial Trophy was presented to the NHL in 1923 by the aforementioned good doctor, whose son Cecil was the former coach and manager of the Montreal Canadiens. But, curiously, the trophy is presented each year to the most valuable player in the NHL.

Suggestion: Rename the award after Wayne Gretzky, who won a record nine Hart Trophies. The award could be called "The Great One."

The Norris Trophy was named after James Norris, a grain millionaire who purchased the Detroit franchise in 1932 and re-named it the Detroit Red Wings. But, oddly, the trophy is presented annually to the defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-around ability in his position.

Suggestion: Rename it after Boston Bruins great Bobby Orr, who won a record eight Norris Trophies.

The Lady Byng Trophy is named in honor of Moreton, aka Lady Byng, wife of Viscount Byng of Vimy, who was Governor General of Canada from 1921 to 1926. An avid hockey fan, Lady Byng donated the trophy to the NHL in 1925 and asked that it be presented to the league's most gentlemanly player.

Suggestion: Since no award should be named after a lady in a game in which teeth are at a premium, it's only fair that the league should create a "Gordie Howe Hat Trick Award" to offset it. After all, none of the myriad NHL awards is named after "Mr. Hockey," who gave rise to the "Gordie Howe hat trick," in which a player scores a goal, hands out an assist and gets in a fight in the same game.

The Calder Memorial Trophy is named after former NHL president Frank Calder, but, for some reason, it's awarded to the top NHL rookie. Suggestion: rename it the Rookie of the Year award.

The Lester B. Pearson Award is named in honor of Pearson, the former prime minister of Canada who received the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize and was a former hockey player and coach at the University of Toronto. It's presented annually to the NHL's most outstanding player as judged by the NHL Players Association.

Suggestion: Rename it the Mario Lemieux Award. He won it three times and deserves to have an award named after him. After all, isn't winning a Nobel Peace Prize enough for one man?

The list of NHL awards is seemingly endless, as there are 19 individual honors and four team trophies, which is probably why the NHL is the only major professional sports league to hold an annual awards show.

"It's been a tradition with the NHL for a long time," Palms owner George Maloof said. "The display of the trophies and everything they mean have a lot to do with the tradition. It's a little different than any other sport, and that's part of what makes it special."

But even Maloof, who helped bring the NHL Awards here, had to admit he has a hard time keeping track of them all.

"I don't know which one's which," he said.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.