NHL announces Lady Byng finalists after one rare season turns heads
Cole Caufield gave Martin St-Louis a star season, and now the Canadiens winger is in the Lady Byng conversation for a reason.
Caufield was named a 2026 Lady Byng Trophy finalist on Thursday.
The other names on the ballot are Anze Kopitar and Jake Sanderson.
That puts Caufield in a different kind of spotlight.
He is not just being recognized for scoring touch or power-play finish around the crease.
This award is built around skill and discipline, and Caufield checked both boxes all year.
He finished the regular season with 51 goals and stayed out of the penalty trouble that can drag down elite scorers.
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That's what makes this one stand out in Montreal.
A top-line winger can carry a heavy offensive load and still play a clean game shift after shift.
Caufield also piled up 12 game-winning goals, which says plenty about how often he delivered when the Canadiens needed a finish late or in tight games.
Caufield's case is stronger than it looks for the Lady Byng
The easy read is to see Lady Byng and think safe, low-event hockey. Caufield's season was the opposite of that.
He played 81 games and produced 88 points while driving the attack for a team that kept pushing all season.
That kind of output usually comes with more chaos, more scrums, and more trips to the box.
Instead, Caufield paired his scoring with control.
He also posted a +29 rating, which adds another layer to the argument that his game had impact beyond the raw finish.
Kopitar brings name value and history, and Sanderson gives voters a strong blue-line option. That's why this race won't be handed to anyone.
But Caufield has the cleanest blend of production and polish among the three finalists.
When a winger hits 50-plus goals and still fits the spirit of this award, voters take notice.
His playoff work has only added to the buzz around him, even if the voting is tied to the regular season.
He has 4 points in 5 postseason games, with 1 goal on the power play.
The bigger picture matters too.
Montreal closed the regular season at 48-24-10 for 106 points, and Caufield was right in the middle of that push from opening night on.
Whether he wins the trophy or not, this nomination says plenty about where he sits in the league now.
He is no longer just a scorer with flair. He is one of the standard-setters in the Canadiens locker room.
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YESTERDAY
APRIL 29, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Pavel Dorofeyev | 3 | - | 3 | |
| Shea Theodore | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Clayton Keller | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Michael Carcone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Lawson Crouse | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Kirby Dach | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brendan Gallagher | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Dylan Guenther | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jake Guentzel | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Dominic James | 1 | - | 1 | |
| John Marino | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alexandre Texier | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Cam York | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Noah Cates | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Gage Goncalves | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Yanni Gourde | - | 1 | 1 | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||