Cruellest Hardware Robberies & Coups

[TheDevilMadeMe]

It would actually be interesting to hear from some of the voters - why did they vote for Lemieux? They are the only people who could tell us.

I looked up an old article, and the vote wasn't even particularly close. Lemieux 137, Gretzky 107, apparently Coffey and Robinson 3rd and 4th.

I do remember there was a lot of talk about Lemieux that season. He really broke out, some people were saying he was (or was going to be) basically Gretzky 2.0, others were sceptical of that, but everybody was mesmerized by his talent. There was a lot of excitement about him that season.

We have sources that indicate the Pearson used to be for "biggest contribution to hockey." Makes all the times in the 70s and 80s that the Pearson went to a star player breaking out, rather than the best player, make sense.

 

[Staniowski]

We have sources that indicate the Pearson used to be for "biggest contribution to hockey." Makes all the times in the 70s and 80s that the Pearson went to a star player breaking out, rather than the best player, make sense.

Yeah, I've seen that in several old newspaper articles too, but it's still far from clear what it means.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Yeah, I've seen that in several old newspaper articles too, but it's still far from clear what it means.

It is far from clear, which is probably why the trophy was awarded so inconsistently in the 70s and 80s.

I'm not sure when it became "most outstanding."

 

[The Panther]

Another aspect of the Pearson in those days is that it wasn't taken very seriously. I mean, it had a low profile, and few people cared about it. It wasn't even awarded on NHL awards night.

Yzerman winning it in '89 is just as hard to see as Lemieux in '86 or Liut in '81.

 

[JackSlater]

Another aspect of the Pearson in those days is that it wasn't taken very seriously. I mean, it had a low profile, and few people cared about it. It wasn't even awarded on NHL awards night.

Yzerman winning it in '89 is just as hard to see as Lemieux in '86 or Liut in '81.

I agree in general regarding the trophy but I don't think that it matters that the trophy wasn't awarded at the NHL's award show. It's an NHLPA trophy rather than an NHL trophy. If anything it's weird that the trophy is now given out at the NHL award show.

 

[Big Phil]

I don't know what it is. Regarding Potvin, my theory is that he was just perceived as a prick sometimes so he missed out on some votes come award time, a theory I have regarding Pronger as well. I think that the Langway Norris wins were an attempt at correcting the firewagon hockey that was going on. Things like Liut almost winning the Hart though, it's like temporary insanity. An influx of new voters is an interesting theory.

Potvin does seem to rub the voters the wrong way. He was a little surly with the media by the sounds of it. Which I couldn't blame him. Said things like it should have been him instead of Orr in 1976 who was the Canada Cup MVP. The voters remember this, even if they shouldn't. You look at Potvin's Norris record and it really ought to be better, because I never thought it jived with his play:

Potvin - 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 8

Okay, it is still good obviously, but he's a borderline top 5 defensemen, the voters should have given him more. No votes in 1983?

Pronger has this same problem. I am not saying he was owed another Norris after 2000, but this is his haul:

Pronger - 1, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 7, 8, 10, 10

I mean, he finished just 7th in 2006?

To me the biggest joke of an award not awarded remains Gretzky not winning the Pearson in 1986.

I love Lemieux - I think Lemieux should have won out more awards in 1989 for example - but in a season where Gretzky has 22 more assist than any other player has points, and in a season where he outscored 2nd place in scoring by 74 points - I don't understand why Lemieux won the Pearson award. It's the stupidest thing i've ever seen in regards to awards at the NHL level.

This is the strangest award vote of all-time. I'll say it even makes Al Rollins winning the Hart in 1954 look good. To be honest, I just can't fathom why Gretzky loses this. Sure there was excitement for Lemieux to EVENTUALLY catch Gretzky but he was still nowhere near him in 1986. Was it just voter fatigue? The same thing to a lesser extent happened in 1981 when Liut won the Pearson and actually almost won the Hart over Gretzky too. I don't understand it.

This isn't the Hart, this is basically voting for the player with the most outstanding season. How is a 141 point season better than 215?

 

[Fixxer]

Maurice Richard 1955

The year where he got suspended and his teammate passed him in points and was booed?

 

[JackSlater]

Potvin does seem to rub the voters the wrong way. He was a little surly with the media by the sounds of it. Which I couldn't blame him. Said things like it should have been him instead of Orr in 1976 who was the Canada Cup MVP. The voters remember this, even if they shouldn't. You look at Potvin's Norris record and it really ought to be better, because I never thought it jived with his play:

Potvin - 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 8

Okay, it is still good obviously, but he's a borderline top 5 defensemen, the voters should have given him more. No votes in 1983?

Pronger has this same problem. I am not saying he was owed another Norris after 2000, but this is his haul:

Pronger - 1, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5, 7, 8, 10, 10

I mean, he finished just 7th in 2006?

I think that Pronger's record is more egregious than Potvin's, but both are weaker than they should be. Part of it is bad luck, where the media was touting Pronger as the Norris favourite in 2001 and 2007 until he missed time with injury. But then there are things like Chara inexcusably being the first team all star over Pronger in 2004, Pronger finishing seventh in 2006 behind Chara (not looking to pick on Chara but Pronger was clearly better at that time) again but also Redden and Schneider, most agreeing that Pronger was better than Conn Smythe winner Niedermayer in the 2007 playoffs, 0 Norris votes in 2009, fifth in 2010 when Keith is the only defenceman who was clearly ahead of him. It was a weird case with Pronger where he was regularly acknowledged by the media for how good he was, but they wouldn't vote that way.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

89 hart is still the biggest robbery. 199 points and your not the mvp? Give me a break.

 

[Big Phil]

89 hart is still the biggest robbery. 199 points and your not the mvp? Give me a break.

Not to mention being in on 57% of your team's goals. Your team also makes the playoffs, you are 31 points ahead of anyone else in the NHL. You lead the league in goals, tie in assists. I mean, really?

Look, you can't take Gretzky's 1989 season away either. What he did that year was a major turnaround for the Kings and 168 is nothing to sneeze at either. I think the whole L.A. storyline was something that helped as well. Going to a new team and dominating. And let's face it, those Kings teams had holes in them from the get go and did his entire time there.

Yzerman winning the Pearson I think is even stranger though because he was 44 points behind Mario and that award is basically who had the most outstanding year. How can Mario not win this in 1989?

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Not to mention being in on 57% of your team's goals. Your team also makes the playoffs, you are 31 points ahead of anyone else in the NHL. You lead the league in goals, tie in assists. I mean, really?

Look, you can't take Gretzky's 1989 season away either. What he did that year was a major turnaround for the Kings and 168 is nothing to sneeze at either. I think the whole L.A. storyline was something that helped as well. Going to a new team and dominating. And let's face it, those Kings teams had holes in them from the get go and did his entire time there.

Yzerman winning the Pearson I think is even stranger though because he was 44 points behind Mario and that award is basically who had the most outstanding year. How can Mario not win this in 1989?

What makes it worse is that 89 was the year Lemieux finally got his team in the playoffs. The year prior even 168 points wasent enough. Shows you the situation he was in.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

The year where he got suspended and his teammate passed him in points and was booed?

yeah and the riot that ensued and all, that year.