Latest news with #LadyByng
National Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Neil D. Stephenson: McGill rugby award celebrates enduring tale of Canada-U.S. friendship
As a Canadian with an education in political science and a former executive of a major American news organization, I am dismayed by the ongoing economic tensions between Canada and the United States. This conflict — which Canada neither instigated nor desired — has been manufactured by U.S. President Donald Trump. Article content Article content Despite political rhetoric on both sides of the border assuring us that Canadians love Americans, and vice versa, it is essential for ordinary citizens to take tangible steps to maintain and demonstrate this friendship — and to remind ourselves of the many thousands of past instances in our lives where that friendship has manifested itself without us consciously thinking about it. Article content Article content In that spirit, and given the recent federal election, I wanted to share two stories: first, of a new varsity sports award; and second, of a historic, 151-year-old cross-border sports rivalry. Article content Article content The first story begins with its two inspirations, a woman named Marie Evelyn Moreton (better known as Lady Byng, wife of Canada's 12th governor general, Lord Julian Byng) and Winston Churchill. The former was a hockey fanatic who wanted to encourage gentlemanly conduct and good sportsmanship, and the latter famously quipped that, 'Rugby is a hooligan's game played by gentlemen.' Article content The other lead characters in the story include a rugby team founded in 1872, an American rugby player from McGill's 1955 squad and a newly endowed sports award. Throughout its storied history, the McGill University Rugby Football Club (MURFC, which is known today as the McGill Redbirds) has emphasized the importance of how its players conduct themselves on and off the field. Article content In keeping with the dicta expressed by Churchill and Byng, MURFC has officially announced the Dr. Joseph Hanaway McGill Rugby Gentleman's Award. This award annually recognizes a McGill rugby player who consistently exemplifies gentlemanly conduct on and off the field for a minimum of two playing seasons. Article content Article content The idea for a non-endowed award was first proposed to McGill Athletics in late 2020 to formally recognize the qualities of integrity, sportsmanship and respectfulness that are integral to rugby culture worldwide. After just five months of fundraising, we surpassed the $80,000 threshold required for an endowment and the newly endowed award was formally announced to the team at a ceremony on April 10. Article content Article content As of today, McGill has received $107,000 in contributions, with additional pledges still coming. Beginning in December, the award will confer a $3,500 cash prize to the named recipient.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former NHL Player Safety Advisor Explains Why Panthers' Sam Bennett Escaped Suspension For Hit On Maple Leafs' Stolarz
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images A day after Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett avoided suspension for his 'accidental' elbow to the head of Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz, a former NHL defenseman and department of player safety advisor went to 'X' and started posting about what he saw. 'Was this a blatant elbow to the back of Anthony Stolarz head? YES,' tweeted Chris Pronger. 'Should it have been a penalty? YES. "Was Bennett trying to injure Stolarz, who is a former teammate from just last year? I DON'T THINK SO. "Was he trying to rattle Stolarz? Absolutely.' Apparently, 'trying to rattle' a goalie is not an offense worthy of a suspension. Few offenses are when it comes to goaltenders. As much as the NHL has made attempts to try and protect what is arguably the most important position on the ice, goalies are still often free game. Or, at least, it appears that way, based on the lack of supplemental discipline involving goalies over the years. The last time a player was suspended in the playoffs for an incident involving a goaltender was 13 years ago, when Chicago's Andrew Shaw levelled Arizona's Mike Smith while he was playing the puck behind the net in 2012. Compared to the Bennett's collision with Stolarz, what Shaw did to Smith was worthy of jail time. From a supplementary discipline, the question wasn't whether Shaw should be suspended — but rather, how many games he should receive. The answer was three games. Sam Bennett, however, received zero games. Worse, he wasn't even penalized on the play, which made Stolarz's eventual exit from Game 1 even harder to watch for Leafs fans who could be without their No. 1 goalie for the rest of the series. "Goaltending is the most important position. It really is," said TSN analyst Jamie McLennan, who is also a former goalie. "And you really only notice it when you don't have it. The nature of this is that it was the perfect storm. It wasn't Aleksander Barkov, who has won the Lady Byng (Memorial Trophy as the league's most gentlemanly player), doing this. It's Sam Bennett, who has a history." McLennan, who is a self-described 'goalie hugger," believes goaltenders should be protected — at all costs. Like NFL quarterbacks, goalies are unique. They are not skaters. They don't deliver hits. And they shouldn't receive hits. That is, as long as they remain in the safety of their crease. And yet, what Bennett did to Stolarz wasn't Shaw hitting Smith, or Milan Lucic running over Ryan Miller. Bennett had the puck and he was driving to the net. He's allowed to do that. What he's not allowed to do is use his body recklessly, the same way that Edmonton's Viktor Arvidsson did when he ran into Los Angeles' Darcy Kuemper in a first-round series. Still, McLennan agrees with Pronger that 'this isn't an epidemic.' Nor is it a black-and-white issue that deserves harsher discipline. 'I will always side on the goalie being safe," said McLennan. "But problem is guys get pushed and shoved and accidental on purpose. You're allowed to drive the net. But you have to have control of your body. The goalie should be afforded his crease safely. But the water gets murky when defensemen push a guy." The water gets even murkier when trying to determine whether it was Bennett that even caused Stolarz to leave the game. After all, Bennett wasn't the only one who hit the goalie. In the first period, Stolarz took a shot to the head from Sam Reinhart that knocked the Stolarz's mask off. Was Stolarz hurt on that play? Or was it a combination of the puck and Bennett's elbow that caused the injury? As Pronger tweeted, "Did the incident from the 1st period make this blow to the head worse than it may have been?" No one knows. Sam Bennett's Hit On Leafs' Stolarz Is Part Of How The Panthers Play To Win Sam Bennett's Hit On Leafs' Stolarz Is Part Of How The Panthers Play To Win The NHL reportedly won't give Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett supplemental discipline after a controversial hit on Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz. Complicating matters is that even after the Bennett collision, Stolarz still remained in the game and was later seen laughing with backup Joseph Woll. It wasn't until cameras saw Stolarz vomiting on the bench, followed by reports that he had to be stretchered out of the arena to a local hospital, that the true severity of the injury was realized. "We don't know when it happened," said McLennan. "It was either the snapshot to the face or the elbow to the head. If I put all the factors into it, yes, I could convince myself it was a suspension. But i don't know. "It certainly was a penalty. And you could have called it a major. But again, the goalie gets up and plays."
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Jack Eichel, Anze Kopitar, and Brayden Point are finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy
Image Via Twitter Another award is brought forward in a biased league where physicality continually consumes the limelight, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, which is meant to be an award that draws attention towards something farther from brutal domination and closer to grace, control, and sportsmanship. This year, it's NHL stars Jack Eichel , Anze Kopitar , and Brayden Point who are finalists not just for their offensive dosage but for their fine art of playing on ice. Their inclusion signifies a season in which respect and discipline went hand in hand with elite performance. Anze Kopitar, Jack Eichel, and Brayden Point showcasing skill with sportsmanship King's captain Anze Kopitar, already a two-time Lady Byng Trophy winner, surely finds himself on the news once more after a gentlemanly and, uncommonly for him, disciplined season. At 37 years old, Kopitar remains the beacon of sporting behavior: He ended the regular season having accumulated only four penalty minutes and tallied 67 points in 81 games. Kopitar's exemplary leadership, consistency, and composure under the most difficult competition mark his worthy nomination. His sporting approach carries even more weight because, unlike before, it is justified by his current age, proving that class does not fade with age. This is a first-time nomination for Jack Eichel, an affirmation of just how far he has come since developing his game. The Vegas Golden Knights forward posted his career-best total of 94 points, consisting of 28 goals and 66 assists in 77 games. Compelling factors in Eichel's case include not only the offensive numbers but also the limited number of four minor penalties assessed against him. For a finalist, the combination of scoring prowess while being kept less than clean in the penalty department allows him to be recognized among the league's topmost. Similarly, Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning finds yet another Lady Byng nomination in his portfolio. Point scored 42 goals and racked up 82 points, all the while adding very little to his penalty minutes. This season, only seven minutes were penalized against him, with the offense being one minor, thus showing patience and precision, the two most important principles of the award. Point, a past finalist, builds his reputation as a player with the highest skill and respect for others in the game. He elevates his team's performance and helps the spirit of the game. Also Read: Colorado Avalanche gunning for 2025 Stanley Cup with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar as main men The Lady Byng is not an award for being above board in every second of action, but rather for being able to act properly while preserving the integrity of the very game in question. Anze Kopitar's calmness and old-time reading of the game, Jack Eichel's fair share of both finesse and grit and Brayden Point's sense of discipline make each finalist a worthy contender for one of the most unique honors in hockey.
Reuters
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Kings' Anze Kopitar tabbed as finalist for Lady Byng Trophy
May 2 - Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar will vie for his third Lady Byng Trophy after being named a finalist for the award on Friday. Kopitar, who won the award in 2016 and 2023, was joined by Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point as finalists. The Lady Byng is awarded "to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability." Kopitar, 37, finished with 67 points (21 goals, 46 assists) and just four penalty minutes in 81 games. Eichel, 28, is a first-time finalist for the award. He erupted for a career-high 94 points (28 goals, 66 assists) in 77 games while taking just four minor penalties. Point, 29, totaled 82 points (42 goals, 40 assists) in 77 games with seven penalty minutes and just one minor penalty. He is a two-time finalist for the award. --Field Level Media
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL's Lady Byng Trophy finalists revealed: Eichel earns first nomination
Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel, Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point have been named as this year's finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, given to the NHLer who best exemplifies sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct 'with a high standard of playing ability.' Advertisement Eichel scored 28 goals and 94 points in 77 games with the Golden Knights this season. It's the most points he's ever registered in a single season. Eichel also only had eight penalty minutes. His lowest total in a season was six, a feat he's accomplished twice. First, during an injury-shortened 2020-21 season with the Buffalo Sabres and during the 2022-23 season with the Golden Knights. However, this year marks the first time he's been nominated for the Lady Byng Trophy. Kopitar hopes to win his third Lady Byng, and his first since 2022-23. The 37-year-old center scored 21 goals and 67 points in 81 games this year while only registering four penalty minutes. When Kopitar won the honor in 2023, the Kings center also only had four penalty minutes that season. Kopitar is also coming off a third consecutive 20-goal season with the Kings. This is Point's second nomination for the Lady Byng, with his first coming after the 2022-23 season. Point scored 42 goals and 82 points in 77 games with the Lightning. Point also had seven penalty minutes this season, the same total he had in 2023, when he was last nominated. If Point is named the winner, it would be the two-time Stanley Cup winner's first individual NHL award. Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin won the Lady Byng last season, for the second time. (Photo of Jack Eichel and Anze Kopitar: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
