Matthews nets Ted Lindsay Award as NHL’s most oustanding player

LAS VEGAS — With Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson making his second consecutive appearance as host, and joking that unlike the Oscars his audience should refrain from fighting, the National Hockey League Awards night was held in Las Vegas.

The Ted Lindsay Award, for the NHL’s most outstanding player during the regular season, went to Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, in part for his 60-goal season.

Matthews is one of best natural goal-scorers in the game. This season, he improved his defense and added a more physical element to his game.

Roman Josi, of the Nashville Predators, and Connor McDavid, of Edmonton Oilers were also nominated.

The Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the Year, presented earlier to Moritz Seider, defenseman with the Detroit Red Wings.

Seider scored seven goals and had 43 assists this season, making him the most prolific rookie defenseman. Seider was a part of all 82 Red Wings games, leading rookies in minutes per game (23.02) and total time on the ice (1.889:22).

Other nominees included forward Michael Bunting from the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as centre Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks.

Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers, was presented with the Vezina Trophy, which is for top goaltender.

Rangers (52-24-6) reached 110 points thanks to Shesterkin’s NHL-best 2.07 GAA and.935 Save Percentage. This was the third-highest total in franchise history.

He was the seventh-best NHL goaltender save percentage since it was first recorded in 1955-56 (minimum of 25 games played), and he became the second Rangers netminder in the top save percentage chart, behind Gump Worsley from 1957-58.

Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames, and Juuse Saras from the Nashville Predators were also nominated.

— With files from The Associated Press.