Lightning Honors Pile Up

Three days after winning the Stanley Cup, the Tampa Bay Lightning received more trophies at the National Hockey League’s annual awards ceremony in Toronto.

Right wing Martin St. Louis won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player during the regular season after receiving the Lester B. Pearson Award as the players’ choice for MVP earlier in the day. St. Louis had 38 goals and 56 assists to also win the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading scorer.

St. Louis beat out New Jersey Devil goaltender Martin Brodeur and Calgary Flame right wing Jarome Iginla for the Hart.

Lightning center Brad Richards, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs, also won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and playing ability, and John Tortorella received the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.

Brodeur won the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender for the second consecutive year. The Devils’ Scott Niedermayer won the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman and Boston Bruin goaltender Andrew Raycroft won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the rookie of the year.

Chicago defenseman Bryan Berard won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance after recovering from a career-threatening eye injury to get 13 goals and 34 assists.

*

Mario Lemieux might soon put the Pittsburgh Penguins up for sale unless the team works out a deal for a new arena. Lemieux, speaking to reporters for the first time in seven months, said he had received three unsolicited inquiries from out-of-town parties interested in the Penguins.