Ducks’ Corey Perry wins NHL MVP honors
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Ducks right wing Corey Perry won the Hart trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player on the strength of a career-best season that helped carry the Ducks to fourth in the Western Conference.
Perry easily outdistanced Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin, 1,043 points to 960.
“Congratulations to Corey Perry on this tremendous accomplishment,” Ducks General Manager Bob Murray said in a press release. “This is a historic day for the Perry family and the entire Anaheim Ducks organization. Corey deserves this terrific honor following a season that defines what the Hart Trophy is all about.”
Perry, 26, led the NHL with 50 goals and scored a career-best 98 points. He set career-highs in goals, points and shorthanded goals (four). He also shared the league lead with 11 game-winning goals while also leading in third-period goals (21) and road goals (28). He finished the season ranked third among NHL leaders in scoring and tied for fifth in power play goals (14) and shorthanded goals.
Perry’s 50 goals were the most by a Ducks player since Teemu Selanne scored 52 during the 1997-98 season.
“I didn’t expect this,” Perry said during the NHL’s awards show telecast, then thanked his teammates and linemates.
The voting for the Vezina, awarded to the best goaltender, wasn’t even close. Boston’s Tim Thomas, a year past career-threatening hip surgery, added the Vezina to his Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe trophy haul. Remembered to thank his surgeons. Good for minimizing bills.
Voting was Thomas 104, Nashville’s Pekka Rinne 84, Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo 33. Jonathan Quick of the Kings got one third-place vote.
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--Helene Elliott