Time for a Wayne Gretzky award, NHL rebrand

After the NBA renamed its most valuable player award the Michael Jordan Trophy as one of six newly designed trophies, is time for an NHL award rebrand?

Video Transcript

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I would be totally cool if we renamed, like, the Hart Trophy, like, the Wayne Gretzky Award. Conn Smythe, I thought about this because he was the first person to win it, the Jean Béliveau v award. Jean Béliveau should be named after the playoff MVP. I get that--

OMAR: That'd be pretty cool.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: --Patrick was one more. But I think Jean Béliveau would be my pick.

OMAR: Yeah, that'd actually be pretty cool-- pretty cool. And again, I'd be a great way to, one, to remember the history and honor the player, and again, just recognize the fact that like, yeah, like, a great player did do it. I think you just mentioned he was the first one to win it. Yeah, I think that, to be honest, like, there are a lot of these awards that are named after people. And it's like, who are even these people, right? And especially-- and no disrespect to them, except Conn Smythe.

But like, I think it's actually pretty cool that the NBA has done that. I think but when it comes to the NHL, especially in the last like, 50 years, there have been like, legends, man, like, legends that we're always going to remember. And like, I don't know. I think we can move on from naming awards after players who played in like, the '20s and stuff. Like, I think we can kind of adopt a little bit. So I think that'd be sick. I don't know, maybe--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I think that would be a great idea. Yeah, like Art Ross-- Jeff Merrick was tweeting about this. Do you know how many points, lifetime, Art Ross has had in the National Hockey League?

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: One points, one point.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: One!

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Three games.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: One point.

OMAR: Why is he named-- why does he get the award--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: He has one career NHL point.

OMAR: --for having the most points? That makes no sense.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: He has played in other leagues, mind you, but one NHL point.

OMAR: Nah, man, like, name--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: That's one more point than all four of us.

OMAR: Name it the Jágr Award or something, I don't know, or The Howell.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I thought-- I was trying to think, like, I originally thought maybe it should be named after Mario Lemieux. But I figured maybe you rename the Ted Lindsay award after Mario.

OMAR: Yeah, yeah, because-- this is no disrespect to Wayne Gretzky. This is no disrespect to Wayne Gretzky.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Here we go!

OMAR: But man, Mario was filthy. Like--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Oh, he was absolutely filthy. He absolutely was.

OMAR: You want to talk about, like, game-changing-- a player of that size, like, having that skill and being able to score on evolved position. People say it all the time. Like, goal-tending is the most evolved position in hockey. And again, this is no disrespect to Wayne Gretzky. But the goalies he was shooting on were not as good. So like, I would not hate that at all, giving that award to Lemieux.

I would not hate it whatsoever because Lemieux is a player that I think about a lot, man. Like, he's incredible. And it's so unfortunate how his career ended because I would have loved to see, like, a full, healthy career for Mario Lemieux. I know we've had that conversation before, of like, a player that, you can kind of change the trajectory of their career and like, remove any injuries, like, Lemieux for sure. That'd be so cool to see.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Lemieux breaks all of-- maybe not all, but he breaks a significant amount of Gretzky's records, if he has a clean bill of health for his career. Like, I could stand on that easily.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: There's a few because yeah, Mario Lemieux, someone who never-- I think Mario played a full season. But he still had a year of 199 points, 85 goals.

OMAR: Michael Bunting! Sorry, I'm sorry. Sorry, I'm sorry.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Are you OK, buddy? What the hell was that?

SAM CHANG: Michael Bunting--

[LAUGHTER]

OMAR: I'm so sorry.

[LAUGHTER]

SAM CHANG: He just yelled Michael Bunting.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: He just-- that's all he just had to yell, like, Michael Bunting! Did he score at least?

OMAR: Yeah, he scored.

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Oh wow.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Oh my god.

SAM CHANG: Oh my god, that was so good.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Oh my god, oh. Anyway, Mario Lemieux, you were saying something, Avry?

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: I was saying, yeah, Mario Lemieux, a guy who only ever played a full season to his health, still had a years of 199 points, 85 goals, 69 goals. Like, I want that full health! And his come-back year, his first come-back year in 2001 where he played 43 games, he had 76 points in 43 games as a player owner.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah, dude needs an award named after. I'm OK with that. The Norris Trophy, like, Raymond Bourque should be a popular pick for this. I think Nicklas Lidstrom should get it.

OMAR: Yeah, Mr. Perfect.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Talk about one of the most consistent defenseman.

OMAR: Mr. Perfect, man.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: He's like, a perfect defenseman.

OMAR: Yep.

SAM CHANG: Yeah.

OMAR: Absolutely, that's not even-- yeah, that's 100% my pick. Like, Lidstrom, man, Lidstrom made defense fun to watch, which is weird to say because usually, we're used to like, the dynamic plays at the blue line. But like, again, watching those Detroit teams when they were stacked, like, Lidstrom was so cool. So like, yeah, him having an award after him, like, the defense of defense award, would be cool.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah, man, give it to Niklas Lidstrom, arguably the best defenseman we have seen. And I say arguably. And some people like to throw out arguably as like, yeah, you know what I mean. But no, I think you can make an argument for Nicklas Lidstrom. But of course, we live in a world where Victor Hedman exists. Cale Makar could win a few of these Norris trophies.

Raymond Bourque, I mentioned earlier. But like, Nicklas Lidstrom, who also has won a bunch of these Norris trophies, like, yeah, he, I think, could deserve that. The Hart, I've mentioned. The Smythe, I've mentioned. The Norris, I've mentioned. What about the Calder Trophy? I'm trying to think, like, who's ever had the best rookie season in the NHL? I guess it's probably Selanne because he scored 76 points.

OMAR: I was about to say, was it Selanne's rookie year when he scored 76? Then yeah--

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

JULIAN MCKENZIE: And that might be the year he had probably-- he has one of the greatest goal celebrations ever, where he throws the glove in the air and goes duck hunting.

OMAR: And Dallas--

[INTERPOSING VOICES]

JULIAN MCKENZIE: It's kind of weird for me to simulate the gesture without a stick. But you get what I mean.

OMAR: Yep, yeah, I think you just have to look at, like, players who have incredible rookie years. Do you give it to Panarin, the Artemi Panarin award?

JULIAN MCKENZIE: I think it's a bit too soon to give it to Artemi Panarin.

OMAR: But he beat McDavid. Or do you give-- or do you call it the Michael Bunting award because you--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: No,.

OMAR: --almost want it?

JULIAN MCKENZIE: No, we would never do that. I would never do that. Also, I forgot that Connor McDavid doesn't-- he doesn't have a Calder Trophy.

OMAR: No, because he was injured.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: He was injured, yes.

OMAR: Yeah, he only played like, 45 games I think, right, Avry? Something like that.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Was it the collarbone?

AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Yeah, it was his collarbone against Philadelphia.

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah!