Finalists announced for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy

On Wednesday morning, the NHL continued their announcement of league awards, this time announcing the three candidates for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

The Lady Byng is an annual trophy given out to the player who exhibits the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of play. The three candidates for this year are Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets, Jared Spurgeon of the Minnesota Wild, and Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes.

For Connor, this is his first time finishing as a finalist for the Lady Byng. Despite the Jets down season, he was fantastic, setting career highs with 47 goals and 93 points in just 79 games. He also had just four total penalty minutes along with that, making him a great candidate. As for Spurgeon, this is his second straight year being nominated. Last season, he finished second in voting after accumulating just six penalty minutes in 54 games. As for the 2021-22 campaign, he managed 10 goals and 40 points from the back end along with 10 minutes spent in the penalty box.

Last but certainly not least is Slavin, who is the reigning winner of the Lady Byng after receiving just one minor penalty throughout the entire 2020-21 season. Though he wasn't quite as low in that category this season, he still had just 10 penalty minutes in 79 games. His very clean play paired with his great play at both ends of the ice are a big reason why he and his Hurricanes teammates still find themselves in the playoff hunt, as they will prepare to take on the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Final later tonight.


According to Betway, the official betting partner of the NHL, the Hurricanes are +700 to win the Stanley Cup this year. The only teams that come in higher are the Edmonton Oilers (+1300), the New York Rangers (+1700), and the St. Louis Blues (+2600).