Now that we have just passed the halfway point of the 2024-25 regular season, let’s take a look at the annual Vancouver Canucks end-of-season team awards and pick a winner and runner-up if the season was to end today.
The fans vote on four of the awards given out, so we will focus on those four.
Cyclone Taylor Trophy
The Cyclone Taylor Trophy is awarded to the team’s “Most Valuable Player.”
Last season’s award winner was J.T. Miller, who won this award after he set a new career high in goals with 37 and points with 103.
This season, the winner up to this point of the Cyclone Taylor Trophy is…
Quinn Hughes
Hughes is currently on pace for a career-high 96 points and is the only Canuck registering over a point per game. On top of his offensive production, Hughes is having a tremendous defensive season and is in the conversation to win back-to-back Norris Trophies for being the league’s top defenceman. It came as a bit of a shock that Miller won it last year over Hughes, although there was an argument for it; this season, however, there’s no arguing about who’s been the best Canuck night in and night out.
The runner-up for this award is…
Kevin Lankinen
Conor Garland certainly has an argument for being runner-up but what Kevin Lankinen has done for this team earns him the title.
Coming into this season, Lankinen was expected to fight for a 1A, 1B role with Arturs Silovs while Thatcher Demko remained out. Lankinen has blown that expectation out of the water, playing like a legit NHL starting goaltender and helping the team fight for where they currently are in the standings.
The Finnish goalie has played so well, holding a 16-7-6 record, with a 2.51 goals against average and a .906% save percentage. This has allowed Thatcher Demko to take as much time as needed to return fully healthy.
Walter (Babe) Pratt Trophy
The Walter (Babe) Pratt Trophy is awarded to the team’s “Best Defenceman.”
Last season, Quinn Hughes won this award for the fifth straight season. Can he make it his sixth?
This season, the winner up to this point of the Walter (Babe) Pratt Trophy is…
Quinn Hughes
Hughes is likely going to win a lot of these over his Canucks career, and it’s pretty obvious why. Not only is he by far the best defenceman on the Canucks, he’s a premiere defenceman in the league. He currently leads the team with nine goals and 38 assists for 47 points in 38 games.
The runner-up for this award is…
Tyler Myers
Myers is having a solid season considering he’s had to take on a prolonged stepped-up role in the absence of Filip Hronek. Playing over 20 minutes per night this season, he’s managed to have the third-best plus-minus among Canucks defencemen, with the top two being Hughes and Hronek. On top of that, Myers has 12 points on the season, which is second among Canucks defencemen. His production and ability to have filled into a larger role is what earns him runner-up.
Pavel Bure Award
The Pavel Bure Award is awarded to the team’s “Most Exciting Player.”
Last season, this award went again to J.T. Miller.
This season, the winner up to this point of the Pavel Bure Award is…
Quinn Hughes
Hughes has been far and away the Canucks most exciting player to watch this season. His dominance on both ends of the ice is incredible to watch. Hughes’ ability to walk to the blue line in the offensive zone and lose defenders with a couple of stops and spins is special and always exciting. While it may not be exciting voting for Hughes for three straight awards; it’s hard to argue against him winning this one as well.
The runner-up for this award is…
Kiefer Sherwood
Sherwood is having a career year as part of the Vancouver Canucks and has very quickly become a fan favourite. Sherwood has been extremely exciting to watch. He’s currently third on the team in goals, trailing only Jake DeBrusk and Brock Boeser, and he is dominating the NHL in the hits department. His 249 hits not only lead the entire NHL by 82, but he’s also on pace to demolish the NHL single-season hit record of 386 set by Robert Svehla in the 2001-02 season. His combination of checking and scoring has been nothing short of exciting for Canucks fans to watch.
Fred J. Hume Award
The Fred J. Hume Award is awarded to the team’s “Unsung Hero.”
The past two Fred J. Hume Awards have gone to Dakota Joshua.
This season, the winner up to this point of the Fred J. Hume Award is…
Kiefer Sherwood
Once again, Sherwood has dominated in the hit department, not just for the Canucks but the whole league. What Sherwood brings to the team physically is very hard to do night in and out. Sherwood already has five games where he’s recorded 10 hits or more hits, which is the most 10-plus hit games in an NHL season in league history. Despite the physical toll this must be taking on him, he has yet to miss a game and has continued to play with the same edge every game.
The runner-up for the Fred J. Hume Award is…
Elias Pettersson
Pettersson ideally would be in the running for the team’s MVP and most exciting player, but this season hasn’t quite been what was expected of him, coming off two straight seasons at over a point per game. That being said, his offensive struggles have been somewhat made up for by his defensive play, which makes him runner-up for the team’s unsung hero.
The most recent game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is the perfect example of his ability to shut down the league’s best goal scorers. With some of Pettersson’s teammates calling it a “Selke” performance, the Selke Award is given to the NHL’s best defensive forward, and Pettersson is putting himself in that conversation.
His ability to be a top-end defensive forward sometimes goes unnoticed because of his contract expectations. He is expected to be a bigger producer offensively, which is why he’s earned the nod as runner-up for the Fred J. Hume Award.
What do you think, Canucks fans? Who would your award winners be for these team awards? Let us know in the comments below!
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