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Re-Think The Lady Byng
by Paul on 04/01/08 at 12:40 PM ET
Comments (5)
from Jeff Marek at Upon Further Review at CBC,
As it’s getting close to trophy time in the NHL as writers fill our their ballots, perhaps it’s time to redefine what “sportsmanship and gentlemanly” conduct is and how the Professional Hockey Writers Association should decide on the Byng. Traditionally, the lazy man’s way to vote for the award was to look at the scoring leaders in the NHL and whomever had the least penalty minutes of the bunch got the nod.
But is there not another way to look at what being a Lady Byng winner should be? Should it always be the highest scorer with the softest touch? Or should we not look at the way players in the NHL talk about playing with respect for the game and respect for one another?
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Comments
I just went to behindthenet.ca and sorted by number of penalties taken (putting in 10 minutes per game and 40 games played to eliminate the really minor players).
According to the site, Pavel Datsyuk has taken 7 penalties.
Just for fun, here are a few other guys who “don’t compete” very well:
Brad Richards (2), Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano (6), Jason Pominville, Anze Kopitar, and Martin St. Louis (7), Steve Bernier and Zach Parise (8), Paul Stastny (10), Jonathan Toews (11), and Henrik Zetterberg and Alex Ovechkin (12).
What a bunch of soft, non-competitive players. Why would any team want those useless guys? 
I think a sportsmanship award voted on by the officials would be a good idea. They would have the best idea of who chirps a lot, who starts scrums, who whines the most.
And Lady Byng makes me think of cherries. Different name, please.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/01/08 at 01:57 PM ET
Or should we not look at the way players in the NHL talk about playing with respect for the game and respect for one another?
Go ahead and use that criteria. Pavel still wins.
This guy is clueless.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 04/01/08 at 02:10 PM ET
Shep and Baroque,
With apologies to Mickey Redmond:
Byngo bango! You nailed that one with a BC two-hander!
Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 04/01/08 at 02:13 PM ET
The answer to anyone that doesn’t believe the Lady Byng is won by players that are not “competitive” just answer Mike Bossy. Bossy was the classic example of being tough by doing the dirty work in front of the net and never retaliating except on the PP. Or site Stan Mikita and Alex Delvecchio. Then again a Conn Smyth winner like Richards probably didn’t compete very hard.
Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 04/01/08 at 02:56 PM ET
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If you want a generalization, here’s one: sports-talk radio “personalities” are idiots.
Reading such drivel, it’s hard to believe that Marek has ever watched Pavel Datsyuk play. I’m also curious how he fails to notice such things as Thornton’s regular crybaby tantrums over officiating, or Iginla’s meltdown in the playoffs last year.
If you want this award to mean something (whatever that means...coveted by the players?), start by calling it something else. The name ain’t exactly macho. And how about having it be voted on by somebody whose opinion matters to the players? The players themselves, coaches, perhaps even the on-ice officials?
Posted by shep from california on 04/01/08 at 01:24 PM ET